Christian leaders in the city where Jesus Christ was born are saying the cancelation of Christmas celebrations is a meditation on the spiritual meaning of the holiday amid bloodshed in the region.

Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, the holiday has quite an ... “Many people are also aware of its religious significance for Christians as the birthday of Jesus of Nazareth,” he ...

right after Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in 312 A.D. The first recorded celebration of Christian Christmas on Dec. 25 was in 336 A.D. under Constantine's rule.

But for many, Christmas is focused on devout religious celebrations. Traditionally, Orthodox Christians fast for up to 40 days leading up to Christmas, preparing for the birth of Christ by ...

The celebration of the ... other Orthodox Christian churches in the region were getting ready for a different holiday — Orthodox Christmas, which falls Jan. 7. Because some Orthodox church ...

The timing of Christmas likely evolved from when pre-Christian Europeans celebrated ... Wreaths were featured in ancient Roman celebrations of Saturnalia, a mid-December holiday celebrating ...

The tradition of Christians celebrating Christmas in December came right after Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, around 312 A.D. The first recorded celebration of Christian ...

Christmas is an annual festivity commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a global celebration of joy and faith in many countries. However, this religious holiday is an ordinary day in some ...

With Christmas approaching, many Christians are preparing to celebrate the Advent season ... Advent is the start of the Christian church's liturgical year. It starts four weeks ahead of Christmas ...

For the second year in a row, official Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem are ... says many families have given up. The tiny Christian community here is getting smaller, he says.