CHRISTMAS

Christmas Day is a Christian holiday marking the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, observed both as a sacred religious occasion and a widely celebrated cultural event. In the U.S., it blends church services with traditions like decorating Christmas trees and exchanging gifts, shaped by European customs and popularized through literature, imagery, and commerce. Once banned by Puritans in the 1600s, it was reimagined in the 19th century as a family-centered celebration and became a federal holiday in 1870 under President Ulysses S. Grant.