Just how significant is the day before Christmas known as Christmas Eve?
Many see it as a special time to go to church, open gifts and celebrate the birth of Jesus.
According to www.christianity.com, “For centuries, Christmas was celebrated not as a single day, but as a whole season in parts of the world, beginning with this day, December 24, Christmas Eve.
Furthermore, “Christmas” means “Christ-mass.” Although the date is a guess, the tradition of observing it goes back to at least the fourth century. Christmas Eve (the evening before Christmas Day) was then celebrated with roaring fires, story-telling, feasting, drinking, dancing, and sometimes clowning.
The idea of Jesus being born at night is reflected in the fact that Christmas Eve is referred to as Heilige Nacht (Holy Night in German), Nochebuena (the Good Night) in Spanish, and similarly in other expressions of Christmas spirituality, such as the song Silent Night, Holy Night.
Then the question on everyone’s lips is where leaving milk and cookies out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve comes from. Well, it seems almost everyone has a tradition and there is no particular reason behind it.
• Sources: www.christianity.com and www.history.com
