the name christmas is short for "christ\'s mass".a mass is a kind of church service.christmas is a religious festival.it is the day we celebrate as the birthday of jesus.there are special christmas services in christian churches all over the world.but many of the festivities of christmas do not have anything to do with religion.exchanging gifts and sending christmas cards are the modern ways of celebrating the christmas in the world.
the birth of jesus had a story:in nazareth,a city of galilee.the virgin\'s name was mary was betrothed to joseph.before they came together,she was found with child of the holy spirit.joseph her husband was minded to put her away secretly.while he thought about these things,gabriel,an angel of the lord appeared to him in a dream and told him did not be afraid to take mary as wife.and mary will bring forth a son,and he shall call his name,jesus,for he will save his people from their sins.
before jesus births,joseph and mary came to quirnius was governing syria.so all went to be registered,everyone to his own city.joseph also went up out of galilee,out of the city of nazareth,into judea,to the city of david,which is called bethlehem,because he was of the house and of the lineage of david,to be registered with mary,his betrothed wife,who was with child.so it was that while they were there,the days were completed for her to bedelivered.and she brought forth her firstborn son,and wrapped him in swaddling cloths,and laid him in a manger,because there was no room for them in the inn.
and that,christmas is the feast of the nativity of jesus,is on 25th,december every year.but nobody know the actual birthday of jesus.and the christmas has become popular when christmas cards appeared in 1846 and the concept of a jolly santa claus was first made popular in nineteenth century.聖誕節是基督教世界最大的節日.一般認為12月25日作為聖誕節可能開始于公元336年的羅馬教會.4世紀初,1月6日是羅馬帝國東部各教會紀念耶穌降生和受洗的雙重節日,即上帝通過耶穌向世人顯示自己.這一天又是羅馬歷書的冬至節,意味著萬物復甦的開始.可能由于這個原因,羅馬教會才選擇這一天作為聖誕節.後來,因為各地教會使用的歷書不同,具體日期不能統一,于是就把12月24日到第二年的1月6日定為聖誕節節期（Christmas Tide）,各地教會可以根據當地具體情況在這段節期之內慶祝聖誕節.在歐美許多國家裏,人們非常重視這個節日,把它和新年連在一起,而慶祝活動之熱鬧與隆重大大超過了新年,成為一個全民的節日.12月24日平安夜、12月25日聖誕節的主要紀念活動都與耶穌降生的傳說有關 .