Stars of Bethlehem

Jesus of Nazareth

JESUS is the religious figure whose birth gives the holiday its name. Christians believe he is the "Christ" (anointed one) foretold in ancient Hebrew scriptures, and the church's observance of his birthday -- "Christ's Mass" -- is traditionally 25 December. Whether he was really born that day no one knows. But biblical accounts say that kings and seers came great distances to present gifts to the newborn -- and modern traditions of traveling and gift-giving have taken on a life of their own, quite apart from the holiday's religious significance.

{Image: Jesus in the manger, in a 1622 painting by Gerard van Honthorst. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. }