Christmas Morning: Christian Culture & Tradition
Christmas morning is filled with fun and exciting activities. People would set up a small miniature manger with some sand and straws. The manger depicts Nativity scene, that is, the birth of Jesus Christ in a stable. Toy cows, sheep and shepherds are placed inside the manger. A small cozy spot is made within the manger, where baby Jesus is made to lie down. Usually, the young kids in a family indulge themselves in the activity of decorating manger. After the work is done, prayers are recited and gifts, which were placed under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, are opened.
In many places, people put on new clothes, scrub-clean, decorate their homes and premises and go to the church early in the morning of Christmas. In some regions, a huge procession is arranged by the Church and a parade, depicting the birth of Lord Jesus Christ, is organized early in the morning. This procession finally ends at the Church, where everyone gathers for prayers. In the Church, special prayers are organized. Thereafter, the congregation disperses and people would go to their respective places, to have the Christmas morning breakfast.
The traditional breakfast of Christmas morning usually consists of pancakes, fried eggs, ham, wine and champagne. However, the menu for the breakfast may vary from region to region, as the tastes of the people vary. Family members call upon their close friends and relatives to have breakfast with them. After having the scrumptious breakfast, they would gather at a nearby place or the home of the host, to have fun and celebrate the festival of Christmas. Some of the Christmas morning activities may include making beautiful crafts, singing songs and carols.
Morning celebrations vary in different parts of the world. In Bethlehem (Israel), the small town where Jesus was born, decorations and festivity don’t cease and become all the more vigorous on the morning of December 25. A bright artificial star is set up on a pole in the center of the village, depicting the ‘guiding star’ that showed the way to the manger, where Jesus Christ was born. It doesn’t really matter how Christmas morning is celebrated, as long as fun, festivity and faith don’t cease to exist, among people all over the world.