By Jean Y. C. Hsiao

Every year in December people celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ. That’s why we call this time “Christmas.” People celebrate the “Mass,” or church service for Christ. The word Christmas (or Christ’s Mass) comes from the old English name Christes Maesse and is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. It was not until AD440 that the Christian church fixed a celebration date of December 25. Christmas is celebrated on the 25 th of December in many countries, with a Christmas dinner for the family. During the weeks before Christmas Day, they send cards, watch nativity plays and go to carol services. They also decorate their homes and churches with green leaves, paper decorations and colorful electric lights.

The word Xmas is from the Greek alphabet. X is the letter Chi, which is the first letter of Christ’s name in the Greek Alphabet.

At Christmas time, people usually put on a Nativity play. The play recreates the scene of Jesus’ birth in the stable and tells of how Mary and Joseph were visited by the Shepherds and Wise Men.

Red and green are the traditional color of Christmas. In the weeks leading up to and during Christmas, people hang decorations in their homes. These decorations are made of colored paper and foil( 金箔 ). People will also hang holly and ivy around the house. Towns and cities decorate the streets with color lights.

Christmas Eve (December 24) is the day for decorating churches and homes. It is a very exciting time for young children. It is the time when Father Christmas/ Santa comes. The children leave mince pies( 碎肉餅 ) and brandy for Father Christmas, and a carrot for the reindeer. Children hang their Christmas stockings or bags for Father Christmas who will fill them up with presents if the children have been good. The children then go to sleep and wait for Christmas morning to see if they have been.

Father Christmas is based on a real person, St. Nicholas, whose Dutch name is Sinter Klaas. He was a very shy man and wanted to give money to poor people without them knowing about it. It is said that one day, he climbed the roof of a house and dropped a purse of money down the chimney. This may explain the belief that he comes down the chimney and places gifts in children’s stockings. Father Christmas was normally dressed in green, a sign of the returning spring. Santa Claus, the man we know today dressed in red,piles all the toys onto his sleigh and rides across the sky with his 12 Reindeer. The most famous one is Rudolf, who leads the way with his red nose.

The red coat of Father Christmas became the most popular after the US introduction by Coca Cola during the 1930s.