Season | Winter | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Period | 25 December (solar calendar) | ||||
Introduction | Christmas Day on December 25 celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity. It is also called "Seongtanil" (聖誕日). | ||||
Christmas Day, held on December 25, celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity. It is also called "Seongtanil" (聖誕日). The night before Chistmas Day is called "Christmas Eve." Early Christians and Catholics traditionally celebrate the Midnight Mass, which begins either at or sometime before midnight on Christmas Eve, so the day became important
For centuries, there was great uncertainty regarding the nativity of Jesus, and several dates ranging from early January to late March were considered following the different calendars used in different eras. But it was Pope Julius I who, in the year 350, assigned December 25 as the birth date of Jesus. In Great Britain Christmas was officially endorsed by the Church as a national holiday in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and over time the holiday placed importance on benevolence and generosity to the poor, while the custom of giving gifts spread. In Korea today, Christmas is a big holiday enjoyed not only by children but also by grown-ups and all families. |