Christmas is a time for family, friends, and celebration. But what do you do when your family doesn’t celebrate Christmas on the same day as you? Or when your friend’s celebration is on a different day? Do you miss out on all the fun? Not anymore! Here are some ideas of how to celebrate Christmas on the 24th.
While the British celebrate Christmas Day every year on December 25, you might be shocked to learn that a lot of countries celebrate the day before, on Christmas Eve.
Presents are usually exchanged on the evening of December 24 in most parts of Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.
As a result, Christmas can be celebrated on a variety of days, depending on your region, religious beliefs, and historical traditions.
Here’s everything you need to know about the countries that observe Christmas on December 24th, as well as why they do so.
On the 24th, several European and Latin American countries exchange gifts and begin their celebrations.
The Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil are among the countries that follow this custom, but this is not an entire list.
At Christmas dinner, the family toasts and celebrates.
Some families will exchange gifts at midnight to continue their celebrations till the 25th
For these countries, December 24 marks the beginning of Christmas, which, rather than being an all-day event, usually begins in the afternoon.
Shops typically stay open until early afternoon for last-minute shoppers, and the festivities don’t begin until the evening when Christmas dinner is given and presents are shared.
Some people wait until the next morning to unwrap their gifts, while others wait until midnight.
Shops will be closed on December 25, so most people will spend the day with family or friends.
On Christmas Day, a young girl lit a candle in the church.
On Christmas Day, many people will go to church at midnight
Historically, December 25 has been more of a religious holiday and ‘holy day’ spent resting and praying than a day of celebrations for these countries.
The countries that observe the holiday on December 24 are largely Christian, and a Christian liturgical day always begins and finishes at sunset.
As a result, Jesus is thought to have been born around 5 p.m. on December 24, and his birthday falls on December 25 at the same hour.
This is why, according to custom, Christmas supper is served on December 24 and Christmas brunch is served on December 25.
As a result, Christmas is divided into two days.
No, just because they primarily celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve does not negate the fact that December 25 is also regarded as Christmas Day.
The dates and their meanings remain the same; they are simply observed differently in different countries.
Only heard of this tradition very recently and I’m intrigued! I was able to get a sort of overview from Google but nothing in-depth.
I did see that the 25th of December is still considered Christmas in the Latin community so have a few questions about that:
If the family celebrates on the 24th, dinner and presents would only be distributed when the clock reaches 00:00 on the 25th. Special circumstances may make the “main event” happen earlier (business travels, small children, elderly, etc.), but in those cases, it is implicitly understood that it was meant to be at the 25th’s 00:00. For these families, the 25th is a day to recover from the previous night.
Otherwise, if the family celebrates on the 25th, the “main event” is usually at noon and people will hang around all day long.
The 25th is the public holiday regardless, and most companies will not expect a whole lot of work to get done in the week between the 25th and the 1st, so many will have some sort of reduced hours scheme or will just accept people are there just in the body to fill their hours.
One such practice is that the church day traditionally begins in the evening. Christian churches have celebrated Christmas Eve in part because it is believed that Jesus was born at midnight. Many churches today hold Christmas Eve services or Midnight Masses.
Jesus was, after all, Jewish. That explains why, for many, Christmas starts at sundown on 24 December. The 25 is then considered the ‘Holy day’, which is spent praying and resting—basically minding your own business!
Christmas is a time of celebration for many people around the world. While the date of Christmas may vary depending on your cultural background, it seems that more and more people are beginning to celebrate the holiday on December 24th. We hope you have a wonderful Christmas season!
This site achristmassnow.com will show you some information about Who celebrates Christmas on the 24th