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Christmas is a Christian feast commemorating the birth of Jesus, commonly observed on December 25. Its history and customs are varied: the date was observed by the church in Rome by 336, but the reason it was chosen is uncertain, and Christmas traditions differ across cultures and communities.
What Christmas celebrates
For Christians, Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ. It is observed around the world, though the ways people mark the occasion are not the same everywhere. Christmas today includes both religious observances and secular customs.
Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25?
The Library of Congress records that the Christian church in Rome observed the Feast of the Nativity on December 25 by 336. The exact reason the date was selected is uncertain. December 25 fell approximately near the winter solstice and the Roman festival of Saturnalia, but that timing by itself does not establish that Christmas was copied from, or deliberately substituted for, a particular earlier festival.
How Christmas customs developed
Christmas traditions draw on different cultural and historical contexts rather than one universal set of practices. The Library of Congress describes examples including evergreen decorations, gift exchange associated with ancient Roman New Year celebrations, and the Celtic Yule log. These examples help show the range of customs that have become associated with Christmas; they are not practices followed by every community.
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What recent U.S. holiday-spending figures say
In its 2025 U.S. survey, the National Retail Federation reported that 91% of consumers planned to celebrate winter holidays. That category includes Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and other winter holidays, so the figure is not a measure of Christmas observance alone.
The same 2025 survey reported average planned spending of $890 per person on gifts, food, decorations, and other seasonal items. This is intended spending reported in that survey, not a measure of final spending or a forecast for 2026.
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