Guatemalan Christmas celebrations combine Spanish and German customs. Native American influences may also be seen in Guatemalan Christmas foods and decorations.

CHRISTMAS TREES, WREATHS, and other seasonal decorations made out of greenery ornament our homes, streets, and churches at Christmas time.

During the era of Communist rule (1917-91), Grandfather Frost became RUSSIA’s official winter season GIFT bringer. Known in Russian as Dyed Moroz, Grandfather Frost symbolizes the piercing cold of Russia’s winters.

The first book of the Christian bible, the Gospel according to Matthew, offers an account of the events surrounding JESUS’ birth. This account, which appears in chapter two, verses one through eighteen, has been reprinted below.

The third book of the Christian Bible, the Gospel according to Luke, offers an account of the events surrounding JESUS’ birth. This account, which appears in chapter two, verses one through twenty, has been reprinted below.

The Christian Bible provides two accounts of the birth of JESUS. One account appears in the first two chapters of the GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW, and the other in the first two chapters of the GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE (see also YEAR OF BIRTH JESUS).

No other metal is named as frequently in the Bible as gold. The Bible most often refers to gold as a form of worldly wealth, but gold also serves as a symbol of spiritual wealth. In biblical times, gold was rarer than today.