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December 25th is Christmas Day. Like Easter, it is preceded by a period of penitence and followed by a season of joy. The Christmas season begins with vespers on Christmas Eve and ends with vespers on the eve of Epiphany. The early church did not have Christmas as we know it. Both the birth and baptism of Jesus were commemorated on Epiphany, January 6th. Christmas developed from a pagan festival celebrating the birth of the sun-god. It is not surprising to learn that the Christians found here a striking parallel to the Sun of Righteousness. It was not until the fourth century that the Christians took over the festival and it became instituted at Rome and slowly spread to other parts of Christendom.
WHITE is the traditional color for Christmas season.
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