Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ , [7] [8] observed most commonly on December 25 [4] [9] [10] as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. [2] [11] [12] A feast central to the Christian liturgical year , it is prepared for by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmastide , which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night ; [13] in some traditions, Christmastide includes an Octave . [14] The traditional Christmas narrative, the Nativity of Jesus , delineated in the New Testament says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem , in accordance with messianic prophecies ; [15] when Joseph and Mary arrived in the city, the inn had no room and so they were offered a stable where the Christ Child was soon born, with angels proclaiming this news to shepherds who then disseminated the message furthermore. [16] Christma
