Christmas, annual Christian holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. Most members of the Roman Catholic Church and followers of Protestantism celebrate Christmas on December 25, and many celebrate on the evening of December 24 as well. Members of most Orthodox Churches around the world also celebrate the holiday on December 25. Some Orthodox Christians in Russia, Ukraine, the Holy Land (the historic region of Palestine), and elsewhere celebrate Christmas on January 7 because they follow the Julian calendar. Members of the Armenian Church observe Christmas on January 6, following the unique custom of celebrating both the birth and baptism of Christ on the same day.
Spanish priests introduced Roman Catholicism to the Philippines in the 16th century, and today most Filipinos observe Catholic holidays, including Christmas. The Christmas season starts December 16 with a Mass called the Misa de Gallo. Each Christmas Eve, Filipinos hold the Panunuluyan pageant, in which a couple reenacts Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter. Filipinos do not decorate the inside of their homes, but they carefully cover the outside with flags, colorful flowers, and star-shaped paper lanterns called parols.
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