Christmas
Christmas, a Christian holiday honoring the birth of Jesus, has evolved into a worldwide religious and secular celebration, incorporating many pre-Christian and pagan traditions into the festivities.
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In this video, learn about the history of Santa Claus and his real-life inspiration, St. Nicholas.
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Featured Overview
In this video, learn about the history of Santa Claus and his real-life inspiration, St. Nicholas.
2:19m watch
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Learn why we decorate trees, swap cookies and hide pickles and elves, among other traditions.
In medieval times, Christmas celebrations carried on for multiple raucous days and nights.
Many celebrate the Nativity—and the New Year—in festive, sometimes whimsical, ways.
Americans adjusted amid the war, and found different, often leaner ways to mark the holidays.
History of Christmas Trees
History of Christmas Trees
From millions of homes worldwide to the White House, the Christmas tree is a tradition that owes its popularity in part to a popular British queen.
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Department stores and malls realized early on how live Santa impersonators could help attract shoppers during the holiday season.
Edward Hibberd Johnson added flash and color to Christmas trees when he introduced electric lights in 1882.
The history of Christmas trees goes back to the symbolic use of evergreens in ancient Egypt and Rome and continues with the German tradition of candlelit Christmas trees first brought to America in the 1800s.
Americans adjusted amid the war, and found different, often leaner ways to mark the holidays.
In medieval times, Christmas celebrations carried on for multiple raucous days and nights.
From Star Wars action figures to the iPhone, every decade has had a "must have" Christmas gift.
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In colonial America, some settlers imported Christmas traditions from Europe, while others rejected the holiday due to its pagan roots.
Learn why we decorate trees, swap cookies and hide pickles and elves, among other traditions.
How one misplaced phone call led to the military keeping close tabs on Santa and his reindeer.
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Christmas at the first residence has evolved from an understated, intimate affair in 1800 to an all-out media event.
Many of today's Christmas traditions date back to Tudor England.
Learn why we kiss under the mistletoe, the commercial origins of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," whether Jesus was really born on Christmas Day and more.
As a divided nation fought, the holiday became more important than ever.
One theory claims the iconic holiday candy was created in Germany to appease fidgety choirboys.
The Alpine legend is the original bad Santa.
How an accidental call to NORAD's top-secret military hotline led to a Christmas tradition.
From its rebellious composer to its debut, learn eight surprising facts about one of the most popular holiday melodies.
For decades, American children have been leaving out cookies and milk for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. But how did this holiday food tradition get started?
Here are the most-wanted holiday toys of the past century.
Behind the jolly, red-suited, shopping mall Santa of today lies a real person—St. Nicholas of Myra, a Christian monk who lived in the third century A.D., in what is now Turkey.
Christmas Pudding (also known as plum pudding or figgy pudding) is a dish as famous as it is misunderstood.
Many ancient cultures prized mistletoe for its healing properties—and its romantic symbolism.
The modern image of Santa Claus first appeared in a Civil War illustration, and it wasn’t the last time St. Nick was deployed in wartime.
The origin of this delicious custom can be traced back centuries to solstice rituals—long before Christmas became a huge commercial holiday.
Church officials wanted the date to coincide with existing pagan festivals.
Get the facts on seven famous historical events that fell on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
Today's Christmas celebrations combine secular and religious traditions.
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The celebration of Christmas as we know it today stems from the traditions of several different cultures.
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In this video, learn about the history of Santa Claus and his real-life inspiration, St. Nicholas.
2:19m watch
From millions of homes worldwide to the White House, the Christmas tree is a tradition that owes its popularity in part to a popular British queen.
2:28m watch
In some parts of Europe, people still celebrate Christmas customs based on long-standing folk legends.
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Find out why Christmas is celebrated on December 25.
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Get the facts on the tradition of Christmas carols, and find out how "Jingle Bells" came about.
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Though Christmas happens once a year, candy canes are manufactured all year long.
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Santa Claus—otherwise known as Saint Nicholas or Kris Kringle—has a long history steeped in Christmas traditions. Today, he is thought of as the jolly man in red who brings toys to good girls and boys on Christmas Eve, but his story stretches all the way back to the 3rd century.
Christmas is celebrated on December 25 and is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature.
Discover Christmas traditions from Germany, Mexico, France, America, Spain and beyond.