December25hadalreadybeenidentifiedbySextusJuliusAfricanusinAD221asthedayonwhichChristmaswouldbecelebrated,anditwascelebratedinRomebyAD336.DuringtheMiddleAgesChristmasbecameextremelypopular,andvariousliturgicalcelebrationsoftheholidaywereestablished.Thepracticeofexchanginggiftshadbegunbythe15thcentury.TheYulelog,cakes,andfirtreesderivefromGermanandCelticcustoms.ChristmastodayisregardedasafamilyfestivalwithgiftsbroughtbySantaClaus(seeSt.Nicholas).Asanincreasinglysecularfestival,ithascometobecelebratedbymanynon-Christians.

　　Theuseofevergreentrees,wreaths,andgarlandsassymbolsofeternallifewascommonamongtheancientEgyptians,Chinese,andHebrews.TheChristiansymbolcanbetracedtoaGermanmedievalplayaboutAdamandEve,whichincludedthe"paradisetree,"hungwithapples.Themodern,decoratedversionwaswidespreadamongGermanLutheransbythe18thcentury.BroughttoNorthAmericabyGermansettlersinthe17thcentury,ithadbecomewidespreadtherebythemid-19thcentury.Itwaspopularizedin19th-centuryEnglandbyVictoria'sconsort,theGermanPrinceAlbertofSaxe-Coburg.

　　ChineseNewYearisalsoknownastheLunarNewYearortheSpringFestivalisthemostimportantofthetraditionalChineseholidays.Itconsistsofaperiodofcelebrations,startingonNewYear'sDay,celebratedonthefirstdayofthefirstmonthoftheChinesecalendar,i.e.thedayofthesecondnewmoonafterthedayonwhichthewintersolsticeoccurs,unlessthereisanintercalaryeleventhortwelfthmonthinthelead-uptotheNewYear—insuchacase,theNewYearfallsonthedayofthethirdnewmoonafterthesolstice.(Thenexttimethisoccursisin2033.)TheChineseNewYearperiodendswiththeLanternFestival,thefifteenthdayofthemonth.