christmasisbasedonthestoryofjesus’birthasdescribedinthegospelaccordingtomatthew(seematthew1:18-2:12)andthegospelaccordingtoluke(seeluke1:26-56).romancatholicsfirstcelebratedchristmas,thenknownasthefeastofthenativity,asearlyas336ad.thewordchristmasenteredtheenglishlanguagesometimearound1050astheoldenglishphrasechristesmaesse,meaning“festivalofchrist.”scholarsbelievethefrequentlyusedshortenedformofchristmas—xmas—mayhavecomeintouseinthe13thcentury.thexstandsforthegreekletterchi,anabbreviationofkhristos(christ),andalsorepresentsthecrossonwhichjesuswascrucified.

christmas,annualchristianholidaycommemoratingthebirthofjesuschrist.mostmembersoftheromancatholicchurchandfollowersofprotestantismcelebratechristmasondecember25,andmanycelebrateontheeveningofdecember24aswell.membersoftheeasternorthodoxchurchusuallydelaytheirmostimportantseasonalceremoniesuntiljanuary6,whentheycelebrateepiphany,acommemorationofthebaptismofjesus.epiphanyalsotraditionallycommemoratesthearrivalofthethreewisemenoftheeastinbethlehem(nearjerusalem,israel),wheretheyadoredtheinfantjesusandpresentedhimwithgiftsofgold,frankincense,andmyrrh.theofficialchristmasseason,popularlyknownaseitherchristmastideorthetwelvedaysofchristmas,extendsfromtheanniversaryofchrist’sbirthondecember25tothefeastofepiphanyonjanuary6.