The evening or the entire day before Christmas Day is known as the Christmas Eve. Christmas Day is celebrated in commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Both these days are seen to be the most significant cultural events in Christendom and Western society.
The conception of time:
Traditionally, Jesus is thought to have been born at midnight because of which we celebrate Christmas Eve. Most likely, it is the different conceptions of time in history that has led to the development of eve traditions. According to ancient Greece, each day ended and a new one began at sunset. We see the same tradition persisting in the Hebrew calendar, and probably it affected the early Christian calendar, too. Although in the Bible it has never been clearly stated that Jesus was born at midnight, there is one passage in Wisdom18 that subtly hints at it, stating that the birth of Jesus took place when “the night in its swift course was half spent”.
Christ’s mass, Christmas:
Midnight mass is celebrated on Christmas Eve to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ by Roman Catholics and high church Anglicans. It was celebrated for the very first time in the year 380 on the midnight before Christmas Day. In that year it was celebrated on January 6, the dates have changed since then but the tradition of a mass conducted at midnight before Christmas Day continued and later, many other Christian denominations adopted it. Also, because of the popularisation of Santa Claus, Christmas Eve continues to remain an important part of Christmas with children hanging out stockings and handing out cookies to those who present them with gifts.
Religious traditions:
The Advent period which begins on the 4th Sunday before Christmas Day culminates on Christmas Eve. Many churches mark this end of the Advent by conducting midnight church services. In Latin America, a nine-day period before Christmas called, Las Posadas is observed which represents the nine months of labor which Virgin Mary had undergone before giving birth to Jesus. The end of this period is marked by the Christmas Eve. The church of Scotland does not include any sort of midnight mass, but it conducts a service that begins just before midnight and in which carols are sung. Typical of Germany and Scandinavia, the Lutherans practice the Eucharistic traditions on Christmas Eve where native scenes are created indoors or outdoors depicting the figurines of baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Christmas Eve is called Paramony (preparation) in the Byzantine Rite. It is seen as the day of conclusion to the Nativity Fast. The devout Byzantine Christians observe this day as a strict day of fasting.
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Cultural traditions:
Many varied cultural traditions and experiences are observed in various parts of the world such as the gathering together of friends and family. Christmas carols are sung, Christmas lights are lit, Christmas trees are decorated and gifts are exchanged to celebrate Christmas Eve with joy and happiness. In many parts of the world, children hand out food and water to whoever comes to their house and give them presents. It might be Santa Claus or Father Christmas or if in Switzerland, it will be the Christ-child; it will be a Christmas elf in Denmark, a small man in Sweden and a Christmas goat in Finland.
The above points highlight the significance of Christmas Eve all across the globe, across various countries and cultures. Yet, the one underlying significance is that of enjoyment, of celebrating happiness with people you love and to celebrate the birth of God, Jesus Christ. His birth illuminated mankind and even today it continues to do so, filling us all with hope and light and happiness and motivating us to drive away the darkness with the light of joy.
