The word Christmas is short for 'Christ's Mass'. Christians celebrate the birth of
Jesus on this day. It is not just a religious holiday and there are many other
traditions such as Santa Claus and Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. Christmas is
very important for shop owners because people spend a lot of money on gifts at
this time of the year. Although the tradition of gift giving probably comes from
the story of the three wise men (the Magi) giving gifts of gold, incense and myrrh
following the birth of Jesus, it has really only become popular in the last 100
years or so. The tradition of the Christmas tree decorated with lights and other
decorations was begun in Germany. German immigrants moving to England and
the USA brought this popular tradition with them and it has since become
common throughout the world.
