Christmas and Saint Patrick's Day

Christmas

and

Saint Patrick's Day

Luiza Braga Rebello, Giovanna Tonelli, Ana Carolina 8B

Christmas

Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birthday of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration by billions of people around the world.
The people who are living in the United States of America normally get 3 to 5 days off during Christmas eve from their work or school or college.

Christmas is one of the most joyful and exciting times to spend in the United States. Visitors are most welcome to participate in special events that take place during the Christmas period.

In the United States there is the well-known exchange gifts, which means exchanging gifts between family and friends. This happens on the 25th of December in the morning, and it is common for the person to win and give more than one gift. These gifts can vary and can even be food, including Christmas cookies. They also like to make snowman and reindeers using the snow.

In the United States it is a tradition for children to leave cookies, with a glass of milk for Santa Claus near the Christmas tree or fireplace when he brings a gift.

At night, often just before going to sleep, many families, especially those with children, hang socks on the fireplace or on the end of the bed. Children wait for Santa Claus to enter the house by the fireplace and fill his sock with gifts and sweets.

Saint Patrick's Day

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated annually on March 17, the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon.

Today, St. Patrick's Day has gone from being just an Irish feast to becoming a date celebrated in various parts of the world. In many countries, parades and festivals are held with elements representing Irish nationality.

Several countries celebrate this date. In Ireland, the holiday has a lot of street parties and traditional music parades. People take advantage of the holiday to drink a lot of green beer, the color symbol of the celebrations.

Among the main symbols of St. Patrick's Day are the three-leaf clover, the leprechaun and the Celtic cross.

St. Patrick is believed to have used the shamrock as a symbol to represent the most holy trinity and preach it to Celtic pagans. The plant was also considered sacred in Ancient Ireland, as it indicated the beginning of spring.

Leprechaun came from Celtic folklore, which was full of fairies, goblins etc. In this case, leprechauns were eccentric souls who repaired fairy shoes.

Summary:

Saint Patrick's Day celebrates the death of St. Patrick, patron of Ireland. When people dress in green and white, taking to the streets on a festive walk.

Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus

Book summary:

Although traditionally it is a Christian sanctified day, Christmas is widely celebrated by many non-Christians, with some of its popular customs and commemorative themes having pre-Christian or secular origins. Modern popular customs typical of the holiday include the exchange of gifts and cards, Christmas dinner, Christmas music, church parties, a special meal and the display of different decorations; including Christmas trees, flashers and garlands, mistletoe, cribs and ilex.