The flurry of activities during the season of Christmas is done for the big day, Dec. 25, which is Christmas. The origin of the word ?Christmas? can be traced back to the Old English word ?Cristes maesse?, and the Middle English word ?christemasse?. Both the words mean the same thing, which is ?Christ?s Mass.? It is the celebration of the day on which Jesus Christ was born. Though the actual date on which Jesus was born is unknown.

Attending the service in Church on that day is very important for all Christians as it is a day with immense religious significance. It is almost mandatory for all devout Christians to attend church on that day and for other who wish to carry on the legacy of that sacred day.

On every Christmas day church services are held early in the morning. For some attending the services is the first activity of the day. Unlike the services held on the day before Christmas and the midnight mass which includes dramatization of the birth of Jesus, these services are rather subdued with a sermon which indicates the birth of Jesus and concentrates on the purpose of his birth, which is to save human kind. The parishioners are then praise to be as generous as Jesus and to help those who are in need.

As a part of the devotional tradition, on Christmas Day, groups and choirs that sing Christmas carols are out very early in the morning. Although the most important meal of Christmas is the dinner, but big breakfasts are also served in households that is shared by all the family members. All family members having dinner together is a disappearing site in American households and Christmas gives everybody the opportunity to carry on the tradition of being together in a family, the sharing and togetherness comes as a result.

Throughout the day on Christmas, greeting of ?Merry Christmas? is exchanged by phone calls to loved ones, family, friends and acquaintances who live elsewhere. It is common on Christmas day that phone lines are jammed due to the massive usage of that service. At this point of time more technology comes to the rescue as nowadays internet, email and texts are also used in order to wish ?Merry Christmas?.

The most important activity of Christmas day is undoubtedly the dinner. Friends and family usually gather for dinner on this auspicious day and take pleasure and joy in sharing the meal, they are also thankful to god for giving them the opportunity to share the meal and providing them with all the material things in life to make their lives comfortable.

Some of those material things will then be shared among friends and family as everybody gathers around the Christmas tree to exchange gifts and open their presents. The activity is relished by all, especially the children who are delighted to get what they wished for.

After that the family often indulges in light conversations or has a merry time playing games.