Merry Christmas!
Christmas is celebrated every year on December 25. The celebrations commence on the evening of December 24 and continue until the evening of December 26 in some countries.
Christians in Turkey attended Christmas services in various cities, including İstanbul, Mersin, and Hatay last night.
* A Christmas ceremony was held at Saint Esprit Church in Şişli, İstanbul. Photo: Hakan Akgün - AA
The Armenian Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on January 6, corresponding to December 25 in the Julian calendar. Orthodox Armenians in Turkey also celebrate Christmas on January 6. In some countries with a Christian majority, Christmas is celebrated in conjunction with New Year's.
* The ceremony at Saint Antoine Church in Beyoğlu, İstanbul last night. Photo: Hakan Akgün
The Christmas holiday, where the majority of Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, is the most popular festival in the Christian world. Known as Nativity, Holy Birth, or Feast of the Nativity, Christmas is celebrated as a social occasion beyond its religious context by many people around the world who do not adhere to the Christian faith.
*A ceremony was held at the historic Latin Italian Catholic Church in Mersin. Photo: Serkan Avcı
Christmas is celebrated not only in Europe and South and North America, where Christians are in the majority, but also in the Middle East, the birthplace of Christianity. It is observed in Arab countries with a significant Christian population alongside the majority Muslim population.
*The Syriac community in Mardin celebrated the Birth of Christ at the Forty Martyrs Church with a ceremony. The service was led by Hori Gabriel Akyüz, the priest of the Forty Martyrs Church. Photo: Mezapotamya Agency
Syriacs also refer to December 25 as 'Yaldo' in their language and observe a fast for ten days before celebrating this holiday. During this period, they abstain from meals containing animal products.
* Ceremonies were held in Orthodox churches in Antakya and İskenderun in Hatay for Christmas. In the service at the Orthodox Church in İskenderun, Father Dimitri Yıldırım and Father Yusuf Nicholas Papasoğlu expressed their gratitude to those celebrating Christmas. Photo: Ali Kemal Zerenli - AA
The origin of Chrismas
At the origin of the Christmas holiday are the ancient pagan and Roman winter festivals known as Yule and Saturnalia, celebrated since ancient times.
During the Roman Empire period, Christians began to celebrate pagan festivals as religious holidays to make it easier for the local population to adopt this new faith. In reality, the exact birth date of Jesus is not precisely known in religious and historical sources.
Today, Christmas has evolved into a universal holiday celebrated by non-Christians as well, stripped of its religious essence and centered around gift-giving.
One of the most prominent symbols of this transformation is the figure of 'Santa Claus.' (AÖ/PE)