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the birth of Mithras, the Persian God of light. A roman emperor named "Constantine", who was in the beginning a pagan, merged many traditions of these festivals with the text in the Bible and this is probably the reason that Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December.

In 350 AD this date became Christmas official date and was decided by Julius I, a bishop of Rome. In fact we can say that Christmas celebrations found its origin in the pagan winter festivals. Some legends claim that the Christian Christmas celebrations were invented to compete with the pagan winter festivals.

Christmas is celebrated now in all countries of the world and associated with the birth of Jesus. The real date of his birth is never exactly determined but the celebration of his birth is worldwide accepted on the 25th of December. Only a few countries in Eastern Europe consider the 7th of January as the official date according the orthodox churches. The reason can be found in the Julian calendar which was introduced in 46 BC.

Christmas as we celebrate it today became popular in the 19th century. People decorate their home inside and out and you'll see many homes have a Christmas tree with Christmas lights. The tradition of Santa Claus who bring gifts on Christmas Eve for everyone is a tradition which add a certain value to this popular holiday. Christmas is a wonderful time and most everyone will celebrate this holiday with the family but certain traditions varies from country to country.

Learn more about this author, Erik Van Tongerloo.
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