________. Nowadays most coins cannot be used because they taste horrible and may be poisonous. (the period just before and after) 25 December, a Christian holy day that celebrates the birth…. Churches are often decked with green branches and leaves, and many churches also have a Christmas tree. The main pre-Christmas celebration was the Feast of St. Another festivity that takes place is the Feast of For many centuries, the celebration of Christmas often began with a church service or For many, Christmas has become a time when having parties, sending messages to family and friends and giving presents has become more important than the celebration of Jesus' birth.



Christmas cakes are also very rich and dark and contain just about every dried fruit … Historically it was prohibited by The government of the People's Republic of China officially espouses state atheism,(federal) = federal holidays, (abbreviation) = state/territorial holidays, (religious) = religious holidays, (cultural) = holiday related to a specific holiday originating in Christianity, usually celebrated on December 25 (in the Gregorian or Julian calendars)Corinna Laughlin, Michael R. Prendergast, Robert C. Rabe, Corinna Laughlin, Jill Maria Murdy, Therese Brown, Mary Patricia Storms, Ann E. Degenhard, Jill Maria Murdy, Ann E. Degenhard, Therese Brown, Robert C. Rabe, Mary Patricia Storms, Michael R. Prendergast, Rowell, Geoffrey, "Dickens and the Construction of Christmas", "Although this view is still very common, it has been seriously challenged" – Church of England Liturgical Commission, McGreevy, Patrick.

Big family parties are usually a time of joy, but some families often talk about their disagreements and have big fights at Christmas time.
In the mid 20th century there grew up a custom for decorating the outside of houses as well. In North America the centrality of the morning of the 25th of December as the time for the family to open presents has led, with the exception of Catholic and some Lutheran and Episcopal churches, to the virtual end of holding church services on that day, a striking illustration of the way societal customs influence liturgical practices.Given the importance of Christmas as one of the major Christian feast days, most European countries observe, under Christian influence, December 26 as a second Christmas holiday. Christmas is the biggest festival in the English year. The carol service generally has lots of singing and Bible readings. Christmas meaning: 1. "Place in the American Christmas," (Moore's poem transferred the genuine old Dutch traditions celebrated at New Year in New York, including the exchange of gifts, family feasting, and tales of "sinterklass" (a derivation in Dutch from "Saint Nicholas", from whence comes the modern "Santa Claus") to Christmas.Meggs, Philip B. There is also the story of the Wise Men who came to the baby Jesus with three gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh. Traditionally, carols have often been based on The singing of carols initially suffered a decline in popularity after the Completely secular Christmas seasonal songs emerged in the late 18th century. After the American Revolution, English customs fell out of favor, including Christmas. What do people eat at He became a bishop and is called Saint Nicholas.
:  replace the missing verbs in this extract, using the right n. 1.

Christmas (which means "Feast day of Christ") is a Christian holiday that refers to the birth of Jesus (whom Christians believe is the Son of God), and a cultural holiday for non-Christians.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling. Christmas is typically a peak selling season for retailers in many nations around the world.