Sunday, 2 December 2012
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Christmas Wallpaper
The widely known greeting that as well can be used as a farewell – ‘Merry Christmas’ is used traditionally in North America. In the United Kingdom, and Ireland the equivalent is ‘Happy Christmas’. Christians begin using this greetings some few weeks before the Christmas Holiday on December 25 of every year.
“Merry” is derived from the Old English word ‘myrige’, originally meaning merely ‘pleasant’ and not jolly or joyous, as in the sentence ‘merry month of September’. The second part of this greeting – ‘Christmas’ also comes from the Old English: ‘Cristes maesse’, for Christ’s Mass. There are also some linguistical derivatives, such as “Merry Xmas”, most of the times used to avoid the longer and less convenient for some to write form of ‘Merry Christmas’ But some Christians consider the ‘X’ replacing “Christ” at least controversial.
Despite the fact Christmas has been celebrated, in the form close to the present one, back from the 4th century AD, the first usage of a greeting: ‘Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year’, that we know about was in a letter (an informal one) written by an English admiral in 1699. We can find he same greeting that appeared in the first manufactured Christmas card, printed in England in 1843, and of course in the widely sang secular carol “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”
When we talk about Christmas and a greeting ‘Merry Christmas’ we have to realise how closely it is associated with the Christian religion. This rises another controversions, this time connected with the multilingual, multicultural and multireligious societies that we can find in the countries like (especially) United States, or United Kingdom. Nowadays, at the begining of the 21st century it is more often advised not to use a greeting ‘Merry Christmas’ in official speeches, like those of some government officials, politicians, teachers in schools and the like, because of the other, non-Christian faiths/beliefs/traditions also found in those countries.
So let us try to be more sensitive to and respectful of other, different than ours faiths. But also, in my opinion, we could recall the Early Christian root of Christmas celebrations to become a little bit more thoughtful in contrast to the global continuously growing commercialisation of the Christmas, that once upon a time used to be not only presents and fun… Merry Christmas to you all!
Christmas Greetings
Celebration
Christmas Day is celebrated as a major festival and public holiday in countries around the world, including many whose populations are mostly non-Christian. In some non-Christian countries, periods of former colonial rule introduced the celebration (e.g. Hong Kong); in others, Christian minorities or foreign cultural influences have led populations to observe the holiday. Countries such as Japan and Korea, where Christmas is popular despite there being only a small number of Christians, have adopted many of the secular aspects of Christmas, such as gift-giving, decorations and Christmas trees.
Notable countries in which Christmas is not a formal public holiday include People's Republic of China, (excepting Hong Kong and Macao), Japan, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Thailand, Nepal, Iran, Turkey and North Korea. Christmas celebrations around the world can vary markedly in form, reflecting differing cultural and national traditions.
Among countries with a strong Christian tradition, a variety of Christmas celebrations have developed that incorporate regional and local cultures. For Christians, participating in a religious service plays an important part in the recognition of the season. Christmas, along with Easter, is the period of highest annual church attendance.
In Catholic countries, the people hold religious processions or parades in the days preceding Christmas. In other countries, secular processions or parades featuring Santa Claus and other seasonal figures are often held. Family reunions and the exchange of gifts are a widespread feature of the season. Gift giving takes place on Christmas Day in most countries. Others practice gift giving on December 6, Saint Nicholas Day, and January 6, Epiphany.
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