The Story of Christmas
by Barbara Cooney
Illustrated by Loretta Krupinski

Find out more
and order the book

There are many ways that Christmas is celebrated by people in different countries. In the United States, we have many traditions that have been brought together.

The Christmas season starts on Christmas Eve, or the night that Jesus was born, and lasts unil January 6th, or the day that the Wise Men visited. (In certain Christian religions, Christmas is celebrated on January 6th. See When is Christmas?)There is also a month-long season before Christmas called Advent that commemorates the waiting time of the faithful for the Son of God. And there are special days within Advent that have special meaning for people around the world. During the month before Christmas, there are parties and chances to eat good food and sing traditional Christmas carols.

Christmas is celebrated in the home with an evergreen tree decorated with small ornaments and electric lights. People like to decorate the outsides of their homes with wreaths and lights, and sometimes with whole Nativity scenes on their front lawns! Many people have miniature creche (manger) sets inside, too.

Families get together on Christmas Eve to have dinner, and there are religious services on this night, often as late as midnight. There is singing and there may be a pageant in which children re-enact the Nativity.

On Christmas, families exchange gifts, just like Wise Men did, but there is one person who celebrates Christmas in his own special way. There is an old man who travels around the world from house to house on Christmas Eve, and when good children wake up on Christmas morning, they find the gifts that he has left them. This is a mysterious and miraculous part of Christmas that has never been explained. We only know that the man's name is Santa Claus.

What is Christmas?
When is Christmas?
The Story of Christmas
Recipe for Christmas candy
Hanukkah | Kwanzaa