The Origin of Father Christmas And Some Christmas Customs

Time flies and it's the end of the year. 5 countries have national days in December and many countries celebrate Christmas in December. Does your country celebrate Christmas? Join me to learn about the origin of Father Christmas and Christmas customs in some countries.

Origin of Father Christmas

Father Christmas, the well-known representative character of Christmas, often appears in a red cotton suit, a red Christmas hat, a white beard, red boots, and a large bag of presents in his hands.

Legend: On Christmas Eve, Father Christmas flies through the sky in a sleigh pulled by nine reindeer and goes from house to house, entering through the chimney. He quietly places presents in the stockings at the end of good children's beds or piles them under the Christmas tree by the fireplace.

And the reality is that people would dress up as him to give presents to children. So why is there such a legend of Father Christmas? In fact, in the Western world he is considered to be a derivative image of the Christian saint St Nicholas. In other words, St Nicholas is the prototype of Father Christmas, a real-life figure from Turkish history (200-300 AD).

The reason why he was transformed into Father Christmas is that Saint Nicholas was born as a child to a wealthy family in Patara, on the Mediterranean coast. He was a kind-hearted man who helped the poor and often gave them gifts anonymously. After his death, he was honoured as a "saint". And the events of his life have since evolved into today's legend of Father Christmas quietly delivering gifts to children.

Some Christmas customs

Blessings can be expressed by exchanging Christmas gifts. God gave the world the most precious gift of all. His only Son, Jesus Christ. Therefore people rejoice and give each other gifts to show their love in honour of God's love.

Invite friends to your home for a potluck dinner. After the meal you can read together Bible verses about the birth of Jesus and express your gratitude to God for giving Jesus. The Bible says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Opening our homes is a special way that God brings blessings to us.

Participate in the Church's Christmas celebrations. Every year at Christmas time, churches all over the world hold a "Christmas Eve Service" on the evening of 24 December to commemorate the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ with songs of praise. You can go to a church to participate in such an event, and think about the meaning of life and the way out while experiencing it.

Understand and think about the meaning of Christmas decorations. Most decorations have their significance: the lights represent Christ as the light of the world; the green evergreens, holly and mistletoe as Christmas trees represent the life that Jesus brings to us; and the symbols of Christianity, angels and stars, make these trees stand out even more. As you put up your Christmas lights, remember that it is Jesus who brings light into the darkness of life.