The last federal holiday of the year: Christmas - December 25th

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The last federal holiday of the year: Christmas - December 25th

By Richard Hartman Dec 25 2008, 06:00 AM

The last and best known of the federal holidays is most certainly Christmas Day, the annual Christian holiday celebrated on December 25 marking and honoring the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.

Although not all Christian sects celebrate the holiday and many other non-Christians celebrate Christmas as a cultural holiday. Christmas Day is designated as December 25th, though many don't believe this to be the actually day of the birth of Jesus, the date may have been chosen to correspond with either a Roman festival, or with the winter solstice.

Modern customs of the holiday include gift-giving, church celebrations, and the display of various decorations-including the Christmas tree, lights, mistletoe, nativity scenes and holly. Santa Claus (also referred to as Father Christmas, although the two figures have different origins) is a popular mythological figure often associated with bringing gifts at Christmas. Santa is generally believed to be the result of a syncretization between Saint Nicholas and elements from pagan Nordic and Christian mythology, and his modern appearance is believed to have originated in 19th century media.

Christmas Eve, December 24th, is also a day of celebration for many with numerous events and observations that lead up to Christmas Day. Christmas became an official federal holiday in 1870 when it was enacted by President Grant. As early as the 1930's people began expressing concerns over the commercialization of Christmas when President Delano Roosevelt wanted to move Thanksgiving forward to make the holiday shopping season longer in hopes of boosting the economy.

Today new controversy has risen with many feeling that having Christmas Day as a federal holiday violates the separation of church and state. The argument began in the 1980's but has been repeatedly overruled in courts and remains as a federal holiday. Today there are many recognizable elements to Christmas celebrations, among the most notable being Christmas trees, exchanging gifts, Santa Clause and the nativity scene.

Of special note, the President ordered executive branch agencies to close on Friday, Dec. 26, giving most federal employees a four-day Christmas weekend. That means federal workers will get that day off, with pay. The order does not apply to Postal Service employees.

[+] Thanksgiving: A time to be thankful...

[+] OhMyGov! salutes Veterans

[+] Columbus day: Another Federal Holiday?

[+] Memorial Day: A day of remembrance

Read More: Office Of Personnel Management (OPM), U.S. Supreme Court, Legislation, Others

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Santa Claus
December 26, 2008 12:37 PM

Thoughtful article. As a Christian Monk, whose legal name is Santa Claus, I believe that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ, not the crass, commercial, secular spectacle it has become in many places, and I support the separation of church and state. I'm a volunteer advocate for the 2 million children in the U.S. annually who are abused, neglected, exploited, abandoned, homeless, and institutionalized through no fault of their own. Perhaps, Christmas should be a time when we acknowledge the suffering of vulnerable children in dire circumstances and agree that Santa Claus and Jesus both exemplify a genuine loving and giving spirit. After all, love is the greatest gift one can give, not presents. Blessings to all, Santa :-)}