Why do we celebrate Christmas? Explained for children
Christmas is planned, the advent calendar is hung up and the Christmas tree is set up. But why do we actually celebrate Christmas? Background and information can be found here.
Every year we celebrate Christmas. The house smells of cookies, the fairy lights are up and the presents are eagerly awaited. But why do we celebrate Christmas? Many parents can only dimly remember the Christmas story and therefore cannot pass it on to their children. MomaSquad therefore wants to revive and explain the Christmas story and other Christmas traditions.
Why is there Christmas?
The Christmas story begins with a great event. Emperor Augustus wants to know how many people live in his country. Therefore, everyone must go to their father’s hometown to be counted. Joseph, a carpenter, and his wife Mary also start the long journey to Bethlehem. Just as the two arrive, the heavily pregnant Maria goes into labour. Unable to find shelter, baby Jesus is said to have been born in a stable and placed in a manger.
Nearby, shepherds are tending their sheep in a pasture when an angel appears to them. The angel tells them that the Savior has been born and will bring peace to the earth. The shepherds then decide to convince themselves of the birth of the Savior and visit Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus in their stable. When they see Jesus, they are so overwhelmed that they tell everyone about the coming of the Savior.
So when we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Your children will definitely have a lot of fun listening to this story when you are sitting together comfortably on the sofa and the lights on the Christmas tree are shining.
Why do we celebrate Christmas for three days?
Most high festivals of the church (Christmas, Easter, Pentecost) are dedicated to two days in Germany. Such festivals used to be celebrated for eight days. That’s called an octave. Compared to the other public holidays, Christmas is an exception. In Christianity, holidays officially begin on the eve. This is a legacy of Judaism, because according to the Jewish understanding, a day begins with evening, not with morning. While this custom is no longer taken into account so much on other high festivals, with Christmas Eve we have another public holiday at Christmas.