Why Is Christmas So Popular? (10 Reasons)
One of the most popular holidays in the world, if not the most popular holiday, is Christmas.
It’s a time when families gather and gifts are often exchanged.
Every family has its traditions that it follows during the holiday season.
However, you may wonder what it is about Christmas that makes it so popular.
From bringing families together to enjoying winter activities and receiving gifts, there are many reasons why Christmas is so popular.
Why Is Christmas So Popular? (10 Reasons)
1. Religious Reasons
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons Christmas is popular is that many celebrate it for religious reasons.
Christian families recognize Christmas as the birth of Jesus Christ.
They attend church services and perform other activities that allow them to celebrate.
Other families will mix religious traditions with a secular Christmas.
For example, some will attend church services while also partaking in Santa Claus and all the usual secular traditions.
There are several religious traditions involved with the Christmas holiday.
Some perform charitable activities while others use the time to fast or pay their respects to their church.
Attending church on Christmas Eve is a common tradition.
The services usually blend secular Christmas songs with religious ones.
The service, itself, tends to start in the evening hours, but some churches hold day services as well.
Upon waking on Christmas Day, religious families might hold a large feast surrounded by family and friends.
Others might prefer a more private celebration.
Those who mix Christian tradition with secular traditions will celebrate Christmas by opening presents and then having a special dinner to offer prayers to God and Jesus Christ.
Because Christmas has close ties to Christianity, it’s popular among those of that particular religion.
2. Family Get-Togethers
Another major reason Christmas is popular is that it’s a time when family members come together.
There are a few holidays that bring members of families from distant corners of the country together.
Christmas is one of them.
The holiday is often seen as one that needs sharing between family members.
It’s a time when people meet together and update each other on their lives.
It’s when new family members, like new spouses or children, get introduced to the rest of the family.
No matter one’s particular relationship with one’s family, in many cases, you end up meeting with them at Christmas.
Those who have a good relationship with their families particularly love Christmas because it allows them to see them again.
There’s a reason that holiday travel is always so busy.
It’s full of family members traveling to meet up with the rest of their families.
Even if someone lives in a different country, there’s a good chance that they’re going to try to make the trip to see their loved ones.
Besides catching up, Christmas allows family members to take vacations or trips to other places.
It’s not uncommon for the entire family to take a trip somewhere.
Not only do they get to celebrate being with one another again, but they also get to make new memories together.
Christmas is often seen as a family holiday.
It’s popular because it’s a time when the whole family comes together and spends time together.
3. Lots Of Food
While spending time with family is good, another reason Christmas is so popular is that there’s usually a lot of food involved.
One of the reasons why so many people make the New Year’s resolution to lose weight is exactly because of the holidays.
While the average person only really gains an additional pound of weight during the holidays, it can certainly feel as though you’re gaining a lot more.
Food is everywhere.
You have Christmas parties at the workplace, for example.
Potlucks are common at Christmas parties at work.
Everyone brings all types of different food and desserts.
You end up eating a good amount there.
Then there are sometimes Christmas parties at school where parents can join.
Again, you have tons of food there to eat.
This type of party also usually involves a potluck.
With each parent bringing something, there’s plenty to eat.
Then there are Christmas parties held by your friends.
Sometimes they’ll provide the food while other times they might want everyone to bring a dish.
That’s more food to eat.
When it comes to family, that’s where most of the food comes from.
If you’re hosting, you’re usually cooking up large portions of meals for everyone to enjoy.
If you’re the one going to a family member’s home, you have tons of food available to eat.
Those portions don’t stop either.
Since most family members stick around for a few days, there’s a constant supply of food.
Then there’s going out to eat, too.
Going to restaurants is another common part of celebrating Christmas.
It gives the individual hosting the get-together a break from cooking.
However, restaurant food is also quite filling.
There are also special Christmas desserts and beverages, like eggnog, that you can enjoy throughout the holiday.
If you love food, you probably love the holiday season.
Christmas is popular because of the sheer amount of food that’s available to eat.
4. Old Friends
Another reason Christmas is popular is that it’s a time to reunite with old friends.
Since a lot of people travel for Christmas, it’s not uncommon for old friends to return to their hometowns to visit family.
If you’re still in the area or visiting family there, too, you can meet up with your old friends.
Like rekindling your relationship with your family, Christmas also allows you to rekindle your relationship with your old friends.
You can reminisce about old times and catch each other up on the latest goings-on in your life.
If your friend group doesn’t have a strong relationship with their families, you may even decide to celebrate certain Christmas traditions with each other rather than with them.
Adulthood is also quite busy.
It’s easy to lose track of your friends or spend time with them.
Christmas allows you to do so.
Not only does it bring some old friends back onto your path, but it gives you some time to spend with them.
You can forge new memories together or pledge to do a better job of staying in touch.
Seeing old friends again tends to make an individual feel good and happy.
Since those are positive emotions, it’s an experience they like to share again and again.
Because that opportunity often occurs around Christmas, some people correlate positive emotions with Christmas.
That makes it popular.
Christmas is popular because it brings friends together again.
5. Gifts
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons why Christmas is popular is because of the gifts.
A common part of secular Christmas traditions is to exchange presents.
For young children, the belief is that the presents come from Santa Claus.
The merry, old, gentleman flies around the country with a sled pulled by reindeer.
His job is to give presents to all the nice children across the world.
When children awake on Christmas day, they do so to find presents under the Christmas tree.
Older children understand that those presents come from their parents.
At some point, they might also start buying their parents gifts, too.
Parents buy each other gifts.
If the extended family is taking part in the holiday, they might give out presents to everyone, too.
Opening up presents is a staple of the Christmas holiday.
It also occurs outside of Christmas, too.
It’s not uncommon for employees to give each other gifts.
Some workplaces even make a game of it.
They may do a Secret Santa game where everyone gets a name, and they have to buy a present for that person in secret.
Others have a White Elephant gift exchange.
Presents are also common among friends.
They’ll get together and exchange gifts as well.
Suffice it to say, gifts are at the heart of Christmas.
Receiving a gift is an exciting experience.
In most cases, you’re not sure what could be behind the wrapping paper.
There’s a good chance that the gift is something incredibly cool.
Because most people like getting presents, they enjoy Christmas.
Christmas is popular because it involves gifts.
6. Winter Activities
Christmas is also popular because it usually involves winter activities.
When you get a large family together, you need to have activities available.
Otherwise, everyone is going to get bored, and boredom can sometimes lead to in-fighting.
A way to give everyone something to do and release some energy is by going outside.
There are tons of things to do in the winter.
As long as you’re bundled up properly, you can practically do some of the same things you would in the spring or summer.
There are also things you can only do in cold weather like sledding, skiing, and snowboarding.
Whether you go to a ski resort or just take advantage of a large hill nearby, sledding and skiing are great times.
Children can learn how to ski and perform tricks while expending energy.
Adults can have a more relaxing sledding and skiing adventure and then relax and watch the children while enjoying some hot chocolate.
Ice skating is another popular winter activity that almost everyone can enjoy.
If you don’t have the money for any expensive activity, then you can always head to the local park or backyard.
Building snowmen and snow forts and having snowball fights provide just as much entertainment.
When you need something warm, you can still head to the movies or other indoor activities.
Some places have heated pools and hot tubs, too, if you prefer to swim.
Christmas provides an opportunity to get outside and enjoy that winter weather.
It’s a popular holiday because it allows you to have fun outdoors with family or friends.
7. No Work Or School
Another reason Christmas is popular is that it usually means school isn’t in session.
A lot of schools take two weeks off around Christmas.
Colleges and universities can sometimes take even longer off.
It allows students to have a break and unwind after a semester of learning.
As such, children and college students have a fondness for Christmas.
They’re able to stay up late, sleep in, and not have to worry about studying, homework, or exams for a time.
It also means they have more free time to do the things that they want to do.
That might mean playing video games, spending time with friends, or just hitting the slopes.
Adults sometimes catch a break during the holiday season, too.
Certain government workers, for example, have extended holidays.
They’re able to take the time off and go on vacation with their family.
Office workers also often get a few days off around Christmas.
It allows them to relax and let their minds and stress levels reset.
Not every adult gets time off, of course.
Retail workers have to stick through it since a lot of people are doing their holiday shopping.
Regardless, there’s a good number of adults and students who get time off around Christmas.
Christmas is popular because some people can relax more during the holiday.
8. Time Of Charity
Christmas is a time when a lot of charitable organizations come knocking.
While Christmas is often seen as a celebration for those who have much, it’s also time for those who have much to give to those who have few.
Volunteering during the Christmas season isn’t uncommon.
Soup kitchens see more help.
There are more monetary, food, and even toy donations.
Part of the reason is that Christmas is a holiday of giving.
Whether it’s done for religious reasons or just because people like donating at Christmas, donating and volunteering tends to be more common during Christmas and the holiday season.
Giving back to those who have less than you can make you feel good.
It’s a positive experience helping someone else out.
As such, some people find Christmas to be an enjoyable time because they feel good about giving back to their communities.
Others enjoy Christmas because it allows them to volunteer more.
Those who are receiving charity enjoy Christmas because it means they’re able to eat more.
They’re able to receive more care.
They’re able to give their children new toys.
Christmas is popular because it’s a time of charity.
9. Nostalgia
Many people have fond memories of past Christmas holidays.
When they were a child, they may have a cherished memory of receiving an extra special gift.
They might have cherished memories of spending time with a particular family member or friend.
Even the feeling of being close and connected with one’s family while watching a Christmas movie may be positive and pleasant.
Because those memories exist, the Christmas holiday is popular because it plays on your nostalgia.
You want to relive those feelings of safety and love that you experienced as a child.
You get glimpses of it by watching the same movies, singing the same songs, or performing some of the same old traditions.
Christmas has a real nostalgia factor to it and practically everyone loves nostalgia.
10. Makes Winter More Cheerful
Winter can be a dreary season.
It’s cold, there are often grey skies, and the snow never seems to stop.
Because of that, it’s not uncommon for people to get depressed or antsy.
They just want the winter to be over.
Christmas is a bright spot during the dreary winter season.
It gives people something to focus on besides the abysmal weather.
It encourages people to go outside and have fun with family and friends instead of just despising it from inside their homes.
Without Christmas, winter might be too much for some people.
Christmas is popular because it makes the winter season far more enjoyable.
Conclusion
Christmas is one of the most popular holidays in the world.
Because the holiday involves getting together with friends and family, eating lots of food, and indulging in nostalgic activities, Christmas is quite popular with a lot of people.