the name of christmas is short for “christ mass”. christmas is a christian holiday that celebrates the birth of jesus christ. in 4th century is a holiday for the church. by the 12th century, christmas had become the most important religious festival in europe. in 19th century, two christmas customs became popular-decorating christmas trees and sending christmas cards to relatives and friends. many well-known christmas songs were written during this period.
　　for most people who celebrate christmas, this is a special holiday for gathering of family and friends, enjoying delicious foods, and giving gifts. a traditional christmas dinner in american includes stuffed turkey, mashed potatoes and so on. one of the most important christmas traditions is receiving gifts from santa claus. today, santa claus brings presents to children in many countries, including the unites states, canada, great britain and australia..