There are essentially two celebrations for Christmas, both on the same day but each having its own meaning.  One is a holiday where Christmas is celebrated by those who give gifts and talk of love and sharing. Many songs are sung about snowmen, riding on snow sleighs and reindeer – especially one with a lighted red nose.  Children believe that a sweet, fat old gentleman dressed in a red suit and sporting a white beard will bring them presents on Christmas Eve.  And everybody shops for just the right present to give to that special person.  It is a great feeling of love, caring and much joyous happenings and the center of the celebration at home is around a decorated evergreen tree with lots of lights and ornaments.

The main Christmas celebration, which is the more original holiday, is Christians celebrating the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary as a fulfillment of the Old Testament's Messianic prophecy.  According to traditional belief, the birth took place in a stable, surrounded by farm animals where Mary wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  Christians believe that Jesus is the son of God and was born to a Virgin Mary, assisted by her husband Joseph, in the city of Bethlehem. 

Shepherds from the fields surrounding Bethlehem were told of the birth by an angel, and were the first to see the child.  There were also three kings or wise men who visited the infant Jesus in the manger and brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the young child Jesus. The visitors were said to be following a mysterious star, commonly known as the Star of Bethlehem, believing it to announce the birth of a king of the Jews.

God sent Jesus to earth in this manner as a baby who grew into a man in order to save men from their own sins.  He grew up in this sinful world being tempted of sin but never sinning, and eventually became the sacrificial Lamb of God who died and took the punishment for our sin when he was crucified on the cross.  Christ was raised from the dead He and has given us the gift of eternal life.  By being crucified on a cross He bore the sins of all of those who believe that he is truly the Son of God.  Sin separates man from a holy, righteous God, but God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son so that whoever believes in him will not end their life in earthly death but will have eternal life in heaven. To believe in Jesus Christ and to repent of sins brings reconciliation with God the Father and forgiveness.

Christians celebrate Christmas in various ways. In addition to this day being one of the most important and popular for the attendance of church services, there are other devotions and popular traditions. In some Christian denominations, children re-enact the events of the Nativity with animals to portray the event with more realism or sing carols that reference the event. Some Christians also display a small re-creation of the Nativity, known as a Nativity scene or crèche, in their homes, using figurines to portray the key characters of the event.  Prior to Christmas Day much of Western Christianity celebrates four weeks of Advent. The final preparations for Christmas are made on Christmas Eve.