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Millions of Americans will celebrate Christmas on December twenty-fifth. It is the most widely celebrated religious holiday in the United States. People buy gifts to give to family members and friends. They fill homes and stores with evergreen1 trees and bright, colored lights. They go to parties and prepare special Christmas food. Many people think Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. Many Christians go to church the night before the holiday or on Christmas Day. They celebrate Christmas as the birthday of Jesus Christ. Christian2 ministers3 speak about the need for peace and understanding in the world. This is the spiritual4 message of Christmas. Church services include traditional religious songs for the holiday. One of the most popular is "Silent Night." Many other Americans celebrate Christmas as an important, but non-religious holiday. To all, however, it is a special day of family, food, and exchanging gifts. Christmas is probably the most special day of the year for children. One thing that makes it special is the popular tradition of Santa Claus5. Young children believe that Santa Claus is a fat, kind, old man in a red suit with white fur. They believe that-on the night before Christmas-he travels through the air in a sleigh6 pulled by reindeer7. He enters each house from the top by sliding down the hole in the fireplace8. He leaves gifts for the children under the Christmas tree. | 
