Christmas Eve Meaning For Kids We Bet You Didn't Know

Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason
Oct 27, 2023 By Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason
Originally Published on Nov 29, 2021
Significance of jesus christ in the christian religion
Age: 3-18
Read time: 5.1 Min

The holidays are around the corner!

December is almost here. Being cozy by the fireplace and devouring the egg nog your mom made for you while listening to your grandpa speak about Christmas Eve and awesome stories related to it sounds so cool. Doesn’t it?

Do you want to know more about Christmas Eve? Maybe a little more than what your grandpa and grandma know about Christmas Eve?

Maybe you want to surprise them with your newfound knowledge while your family is getting ready with cool Christmas gifts just for you? Then let's dive in without any delay! The season of grand festivities is here!

Christmas Eve is celebrated on December 24th, an entire day before the birth of Jesus Christ, and the next day is called, as we all know Christmas. Both events are celebrated all over the world and are regarded as some of the most culturally significant celebrations of the year.

Many of the famous Christmas gift-bearing figures, like Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas, are often said to leave for their journey to deliver presents to good kids on the day of Christmas Eve.

Christmas evening in some countries is celebrated by sitting together for large family meals featuring traditional Christmas day dishes like scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, roasted turkey, Yorkshire Pudding, and so much more.

Christmas day celebrations are different in various countries. This is because of their unique cultural traditions and beliefs combined with more modernized customs like Santa Claus and the Christmas tree.

For example, Christmas day celebrations in Germany are always incomplete without their famous roasted duck. Of course, like the rest of the world, their celebration is grand and filled with colorful fairy lights and Christmas trees. They do have a dish that is unique to their own culture.

France, just like the rest of the world, does celebrate Christmas Eve with its own French food and wines. As mentioned before, every country, though the celebrations are the same, has a little something of its own in adding more color to the festival.

Christmas eve meaning in the coming year cannot be understood without mentioning the joy of holidays, decorations, small gifts, and midnight services.

If you enjoyed reading about the different translations of Christmas and its significance, why not also read about Christmas in Mexico and facts about Cuba here on Kidadl?

Significance Of Christmas Eve

The importance of Christmas Eve varies from church to church. Many people around the world celebrate Christmas evening in different ways. One of the most important things on Christmas Eve is related to religion.

If you come from a traditional Christian home, then you know about attending midnight mass and other church services every year. Christmas eve is also essential for the simple reason that, in the early times, leave for a festival or other important event, began at the sundown of the day before the festival to celebrate it.

During this time period, Jesus was born, and we all know the significance of Jesus Christ in the Christian religion. It is said that the Lord Jesus was born to save mankind from a large number of sins.

So, the day of his birth is held in high regard. The celebration of Christmas Eve, the day Jesus was born, starts a whole day before, known as Christmas Eve, which is observed as a partial holiday.

Christmas Eve Pronunciation

Christmas meaning is simple to learn and the term 'Christmas eve' is relatively simple to pronounce.

Eve-uh (first syllable pronounced ‘Eve’ as in Christmas Eve)

(the first vowel sounds like ‘e’ in the egg nog).

In the German language, Christmas is written as the word Weihnachten.

Christmas Eve is related to religion

Christmas Eve Traditions

As you are now aware of the significance of Christmas Eve, Christmas Tree, and Christmas Holiday, you may have come across some of the traditions associated with it in relation to the new year, the date which marks the first day of the year.

The practice of American people eating Chinese food on Christmas Day is such a trend now, you can also call this a tradition of sorts.

The Jewish tradition, also known as the Hanukkah tradition (a symbol of money Jewish parents give their children), involves playing with tops known as dreidels, and, of course, exchanging gifts after sunset.

Traditions like going to the midnight mass, which begins sometime before midnight, are common. Children in many countries around the world hang their Christmas pillows, hoping for a present from Santa Claus. Some common traditions are:

Making a gingerbread house with the family

Clicking family photos to commemorate the special moments and, of course, last but not least, feasting on the amazing Christmas supper or dinner with your family is a must.

Traditions are the way to find meaning and color on special occasions. They help develop bonds of unity among people and play a significant role. Festivals like Christmas, Halloween, and the 4th of July are made unique precisely because the traditions involved with them speak the language of centuries ago. Traditions take you back to the time itself.

What do you do on Christmas eve?

Along with Easter, the vibe on Christmas Eve is all about color fairy lights, decorating and lighting up the Christmas tree, giving and receiving presents, and definitely having amazing food all week long. But the day is not just limited to that. You can do various things to make your Christmas Eve even more special and fun such as:

You can watch a special Christmas movie.

Read about the Christmas stories in the Bible.

Play games with your family.

Attend the Christmas Eve church service

Take part in the Christmas carol singing.

Christmas Eve marks the start of a significant moment in the history of the world. It is the start of something good and merry, so make sure you are starting your year with a positive attitude and good vibes. Merry Christmas!

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Christmas eve meaning then why not take a look at Christmas in Sweden, or Christmas in Germany.

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Written by Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason

Bachelor of Science specializing in Mass Communication.

Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason picture

Adekunle Olanrewaju JasonBachelor of Science specializing in Mass Communication.

With over 3+ years of professional experience, Olanrewaju is a certified SEO Specialist and Content Writer. He holds a BSc in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos. Throughout his dynamic career, Olanrewaju has successfully taken on various roles with startups and established organizations. He has served as a Technical Writer, Blogger, SEO Specialist, Social Media Manager, and Digital Marketing Manager. Known for his hardworking nature and insightful approach, Olanrewaju is dedicated to continuous learning and improvement.
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