Christmas Day is a Christian holiday and celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.
Christmas was brought to the Americas by European colonists and at the beginning was celebrated in small communities and families. It became a national event during the first half of the XIXth century when it started to gather local traditions.
Today, Christmas Day is celebrated with religious services, carols concerts, family gatherings, and public events. Many events are dedicated to Santa Claus, children’s protector, who comes from the North Pole to give them presents. Christmas tree decorating is another tradition, as well as recreating the nativity scene. Christmas Day was proclaimed a federal holiday in 1870 by President Ulysses Grant.
Christmas Day is celebrated each year on December 25th.
Christmas Day is one of the ten federal holidays recognized by the United States Government. Federal non-essential government offices and private businesses are closed on Christmas Day.
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Discover the complete list of US business holidays and federal holidays.