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24th December - Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Christmas Eve, December 24, the day before Christmas Day, is treated to a greater or a lesser extent in most Christian societies as part of the Christmas festivities. Christmas Eve is the traditional day to set up the Christmas tree, but as the holiday season has been extended several weeks back (to around Thanksgiving in the United States), many trees will have been set up for weeks.
In the UK, Christmas Eve is sometimes treated as a short day in bank and trade establishments (if it occurs on a weekday)
In the Roman Catholic Church, the Christmas season liturgically begins on Christmas Eve. Unless it be a Sunday (Advent), the Mass of the Vigil is said on the morning of December 24. It is forbidden, however, to anticipate the Mass of Christmas before midnight. The Christmas season continues through until January 4, or if that be a Saturday, until January 5, when the Vigil of the Epiphany is celebrated.
Many Christians traditionally celebrate a midnight mass at midnight on Christmas Eve, which is held in churches throughout the world, marking the beginning of Christmas Day. Other churches hold a candlelight service which is typically held earlier in the evening. These often feature dramatizations of the Nativity. Large meals are common, often with turkey or ham as the main item. A traditional dish in Germany is roast carp.
It is also seen as the night when Santa Claus or his international variants, make their rounds giving gifts to good children. In Italy presents are opened on the morning of Christmas Eve, while in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Portugal and Poland, Christmas presents are opened on that evening or on the morning of Christmas Day. In Finland Joulupukki personally meets children and gives presents in the evening of Christmas Eve. In most parts of Germany Christmas presents are opened in the evening of December 24th ('Bescherung'). In Iceland Christmas start at 6:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Church bells ring at that time and people either sit down for holiday dinner at home or with closest family. After that they open gifts and spend the evening together. In North America, there is a mixture of families opening gifts in the evening and, more commonly, on Christmas Day morning. In families where a divorce has occurred, children may spend one day with one part of the family, and the next with the other. In extended families where two branches of the family reside within a reasonable driving distance, many families may choose to spend Christmas Eve with the maternal side of the family and Christmas Day with the paternal side, or vice-versa. In Spain gifts are opened on the morning of January 6th, Epiphany day ("Día de Los Reyes").
Most Christmas stories start or take place on this day.
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