Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is preceded by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night; in some traditions, Christmastide includes an octave. Christmas Day is a public holiday in many of the world's nations, is celebrated religiously by a majority of Christians, as well as culturally by many non-Christians, and forms an integral part of the holiday season centered around it.
Christians in the Gaza Strip will not be allowed to visit holy cities such as Bethlehem and Jerusalem to celebrate Christmas this year, Israeli authorities said on Thursday. Reuters - Published
U.S. First Lady Melania Trump was greeted by dozens of school children in northeast London on Wednesday when she attended a Salvation Army event to hand out Christmas presents and decorate the tree. Reuters - Published
Wham!'s "Last Christmas" celebrates its 35h anniversary on Friday (December 13). The hit released in December 1984 was written and produced by British singer George Michael, who rose to fame in the
Britain's retail sector was boosted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson's resounding general election victory on Friday, as investors factored in expectations of a step-up in consumer sentiment and..
A brave little girl who has been battling leukaemia for three years is determined to have a laugh on Christmas Day, despite having to spend it in isolation in hospital. Diagnosed with acute..
Credit: PA - Press Association STUDIO Duration: 01:22Published
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson looks on course to win Thursday's election, but a leading poll shows the race has tightened. Lucy Fielder reports.
Boris Johnson helped make a beef and ale pie during a campaign visit to a Derby catering firm. The prime minister then pulled out a separate pie that had already cooked and said: "This is the..
The head of a U.S. congressional panel leading the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump on Monday accused him of putting himself before his country and violating his oath of office.
A heckler at the House Judiciary Committee's hearing on Monday could be overheard shouting "Trump is innocent" before he was escorted from the room. The panel will formally review evidence from..
Little Mix say their Christmas single 'One I've Been Missing' is "very relatable" because their hectic lives means the festive season is one time they know they'll be home.
The actress who appeared in a widely criticized Christmas advertisement for exercise bike maker Peloton has a new role selling gin for actor Ryan Reynolds. Colette Luke has more.
On Monday, First lady Melania Trump unveiled the 2019 White House Christmas decorations. Several historic rooms in The White House are adorned in their theme this year—"The Spirit of America."..
Boris asks Santa Claus for Brexit this Christmas as he plays soccer with kids as he promises a joint 2030 World Cup bid with Ireland and support for the grassroots of the game.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he would like Brexit for Christmas when asked by a man dressed as Santa on the election campaign trail.
Mr Johnson had a kick-about with young football fans at the..
U.S. President Donald Trump has refused to engage with the House of Representatives’ impeachment inquiry but is expected to adopt a very different strategy in the likely event of a trial in the..
As the Christmas decorations go up in Manger Square, Bethlehem is preparing for its best Christmas for two decades, the town's mayor and hoteliers say. Reuters - Published
North Korea's foreign ministry warned again that its year-end deadline for the United States to change it "hostile policies" is approaching and said it was up to Washington to decide what "Christmas.. Reuters - Published
The small Pacific island nation of Samoa has closed schools and is restricting travel ahead of the Christmas holiday season as the death toll from a measles outbreak tops 50, in the latest flare-up of.. Reuters - Published
Pope Francis on Sunday urged people to resist the excesses of consumerism in the period leading up to Christmas, calling it a virus that attacks faith and offends the needy. Reuters - Published
A fragment of wood reputed to be from the manger where Jesus was laid after his humble birth arrived in Bethlehem as a gift from the Vatican on Saturday, kicking off Christmas season at the town.. Reuters - Published
A court in Australia sentenced three men on Friday to decades in prison for plotting bomb attacks on Christmas Day in 2016 at key sites in the southeastern city of Melbourne, police said. Reuters - Published
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised on Sunday "to get Brexit done", with his Conservative Party making an election pledge to bring his deal to leave the European Union back to parliament.. Reuters - Published
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will promise to bring his Brexit deal back to parliament before Christmas when he launches his Conservative Party's manifesto on Sunday, the cornerstone of his.. Reuters - Published
The world's first printed Christmas card has gone on show at the Charles Dickens Museum in London, just over a month before the Royal Mail deadline for posting Christmas cards in Britain. Reuters - Published
From an Oslo forest comes the Christmas gift Norway gives Britain every year - a towering tree for London's Trafalgar Square, a token of gratitude for British support during World War Two. Reuters - Published
Agosthino Bareto has stowed away his neon yellow vest and stopped occupying road junctions in protest against the burden of high French taxes. But the garage owner still seethes with anger at the.. Reuters - Published
Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon said on Friday she would make a demand before Christmas for the powers to hold another independence referendum. Reuters - Published
British financial markets reacted calmly on Wednesday to the prospect of a snap election before Christmas after a fractious UK parliament finally agreed to a nationwide poll on Dec 12 that may help.. Reuters - Published
Britain was heading toward its first December election in almost a century after Prime Minister Boris Johnson's bet on breaking the Brexit deadlock with an early ballot gained support from opposition.. Reuters - Published
EU member states on Wednesday delayed a decision on whether to grant Britain a three-month Brexit extension, while Prime Minister Boris Johnson said if the deadline is deferred to the end of January he.. Reuters - Published
EU leaders considered on Wednesday whether to give Britain a three-month Brexit extension, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that if they do so he would call an election by Christmas. Reuters - Published
Britain's government will drop its attempt to get approval for its Brexit legislation and will instead press for a new election before Christmas if lawmakers vote against its timetable on Tuesday, a.. Reuters - Published
UK opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on Sunday said there was a strong possibility of a national election before Christmas. Reuters - Published
Months of increasingly violent protests in Hong Kong are taking a growing toll on the city's economy, weighing on confidence and scaring away tourists from one of the world's most vibrant shopping.. Reuters - Published
South Africa will shortly deploy a battalion of soldiers to help police quell a surge in violence in gang-infested parts of Cape Town, a step normally only taken over the Christmas and New Year period.. Reuters - Published
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