Soon one of the most important New Year's holidays is Catholic Christmas. In Christianity, this day means the birth of Jesus Christ from the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem. It is mentioned in the New Testament, and is also sacredly called the Nativity of Christ or the Lord. When is Catholic Christmas in Ukraine and what are the traditions for it?

On the eve of December 24, Christmas is celebrated as Christmas Eve, and December 25 is Catholic Christmas. These dates are set according to the Gregorian calendar.

How Catholic Christmas is celebrated
Three liturgies are traditionally served on the night before dawn and during the day. Christmas is celebrated as the birth of the Word from God the Father (at night), the birth of God the Son from the Virgin (at dawn) and the birth of God in a believing soul (during the day).

Catholic Christmas: traditions
On the evening of December 24, the whole family gathers at the festive table to taste Christmas dishes and spend time together. In the morning, December 25, everyone comes running to look under the tree and look for gifts. They believed that Santa Claus, crawling home through the chimney, could give them. There are also versions that this is Jesus Christ, Saint Nicholas, magic gnomes or a clever invisible person.

Catholics sing carols on December 25: children go to neighbors in costumes, sing and recite poetry. For this, the neighbors must give them either candy or money. However, this tradition comes from paganism, so the church treats it negatively.