Major Christian holidays

Holidays are fun! Everyone loves to celebrate something and we all have a favorite holiday. A few major holidays that are celebrated each year are actually Christian holidays.

Christmas just might be the most celebrated holiday in many different countries.
Most non-Christians celebrate it too.
Christmas takes place on December 25 each year. Many love to decorate, put a tree, buy gifts, watch Christmas movies and leave cookies for Santa.
These are all fun things to do at Christmas time but the real meaning is celebrating Jesus. Christmas is when Christians celebrate Jesus’ birth.
Some churches will hold a candlelight service or have a nativity play. Singing Christmas carols is very popular too. The Santa Clause character was developed because there was a man named Saint Nicholas who lived a very long time ago that secretly have gifts. Some people would leave out their shoes and he would put coins in them.

Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter. It marks the beginning of Holy Week. Palm Sunday is when Christians celebrate Jesus’ arrival into Jerusalem. He rode in on a donkey and many there cheered “Hosanna!” They called him Messiah and laid palm branches and cloaks on the ground for the donkey that was carrying Jesus to walk over.

Good Friday commemorates the day Jesus was crucified. It has been observed for a very long time. Some churches hold a Good Friday service on this day or they may have communion.

Easter is another popular holiday in which many people celebrate. It is the most important Christian holiday and the oldest. Easter is the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. He rose from the dead 3 days after being crucified.
Easter takes place in the Spring in either March or April. It’s a different date each year but always on a Sunday.
Many churches hold a sunrise service early on Easter Sunday and a breakfast afterwards. There are many Easter hymns sung in church on Easter as well.
A lot of people like to celebrate with having Easter egg hunts and anticipating the Easter bunny to bring gifts. The eggs and bunny are pagan traditions that represent fertility. While these are just fun things to do, some Christians do not take part in that.

St.Patricks day is not a super popular holiday but it has a Christian meaning behind it. It used to just be celebrated in Ireland. Saint Patrick lived during the 5th century. He was a missionary in Ireland and converted many people there to Christianity. The St. Patrick’s day parade is a very large parade and is held in New York City each year. Today, in Ireland, the holiday is celebrated by having a week long religious festival. A Shamrock is a popular St. Patrick’s day symbol. St. Patrick used this symbol to illustrate the trinity. Many people like to wear green on this holiday and jokingly pinch those who are not wearing green.

All 5 of these holidays are Christian holidays. Next time you celebrate, think of the meaning behind them and share what it means to your family. It’s always interesting to learn about the culture, meaning and traditions that make a holiday special.