Christmas is for joy, for giving and sharing, for laughter, for coming together with family and friends, for tinsel and brightly decorated packages… But mostly, Christmas is for love. It was this love for which Jesus came to this world and sacrificed his life.
Though the celebration of Christmas originated by Roman Catholics, who commemorate December 25th as the day of birth of Christ Child, it has gradually come to be celebrated by non-Catholics as well.
As far as the United States goes, the celebration of Christmas is of comparatively recent origin. Much of the world was already well into Christmas celebrations by the time the United States began to wake up. In the first half of the 19th century the Sunday Schools in America held Christmas celebrations. And the celebration of Christmas in America owes its origin to these schools. Alabama was the first state to grant legal recognition to Christmas in 1836. The District of Columbia did it in 1870. By 1893 all the states and territories had made similar acknowledgements. So be it the United States or in other parts of the world, Christmas is celebrated as the commemoration of the birth of the Messiah — the holiest event ever to take place anywhere on Earth, and an entirely worthy occasion to celebrate.