The Nativity of Christ

One of the most beloved holidays of the year, the Nativity of Christ—widely known as Christmas—commemorates the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem over two thousand years ago. According to the Gospel accounts, Mary and Joseph traveled to the small town during a Roman census and, finding no room at the inn, sheltered in a humble stable where Jesus was born and laid in a manger. Shepherds visited after angels announced the miraculous birth, and Wise Men from the East followed a star to bring gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. For Christians around the world, this joyous feast celebrates God entering the world as a child to bring hope, peace, and salvation to humanity.