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Many families begin the celebration on Heiligabend (literally, Holy Evening, or Christmas Eve) in the afternoon or evening. Although there are two legal holidays in Germany, [Austria], most cantons of Switzerland and Liechtenstein for Christmas, Christmas Eve is not one of them, and in Switzerland, many companies and stores are open for a half-day in the morning until 4 p.m, after which ...
China. Most of China has no religious affiliation, according to the U.S. State Department, and Christmas is not a public holiday, though it is still celebrated by some and has gained popularity ...
Observance of Christmas in various locations around the world. The observance of Christmas around the world varies by country. The day of Christmas (25 December), and in some cases the day before and the day after, are recognized by many national governments and cultures worldwide, including in areas where Christianity is a minority religion which are usually found in Africa and Asia.
Christmas in Ireland is the annual festival which marks the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus and its related observances, but also incorporates some pre-Christian customs. These customs range from the traditional food and drink consumed, decorations and rituals, as well as more modern phenomena such as the Christmas day swim and ...
As TIME Magazine reported, it is widely believed that in the Middle Ages, modern-day Germany revealed the first real Christmas trees. After all, "In 1419, a guild in Freiburg put up a tree ...
A century later, on Christmas Day 1914, Allied and German troops staged an impromptu cease-fire during World War I to mark the spirit of Christmas. Christmas is celebrated today even in non ...
Among the congregations of the Dutch Reformed Church, Christmas was celebrated as one of the principal evangelical feasts. [47] However, in 17th century England, some groups such as the Puritans strongly condemned the celebration of Christmas, considering it a Catholic invention and the "trappings of popery" or the "rags of the Beast". [48]
In northern and eastern Europe traditional candles were used to achieve this goal. The Christmas pyramid would eventually unify these two traditions and become a symbol of Christmas celebrations. The forerunner of the pyramid was a construction known as a Lichtergestelle (literally: 'light stand') which were very popular in the 18th century ...