Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are globally celebrated festivals commemorating the birth of Jesus, with Christmas Eve being widely observed as a holiday in anticipation of Christmas Day. The cultural significance of these celebrations in Christendom and Western society is profound, with traditions and practices deeply rooted in religious and historical contexts.Western churches have long observed Christmas Eve as a distinct liturgical observance, with Midnight Mass being a popular tradition in many countries. This solemn celebration marks the birth of Christ, believed to have occurred at night, and is accompanied by the singing of Christmas carols and the lighting of candles. Nativity scenes, depicting the infant Jesus, Mary, Joseph, angels, shepherds, and other figures, are commonly erected in churches and homes, symbolizing the birth of Jesus.Christmas Eve is also associated with various cultural traditions worldwide, including the gathering of family and friends, the exchange of gifts, and the illumination of Christmas lights and decorations. Additionally, legendary gift-bearing figures such as Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas are said to embark on their annual journey to deliver presents to children on Christmas Eve.Overall, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day hold immense significance in Western Christianity, encompassing a blend of religious, cultural, and historical traditions that continue to be cherished and celebrated across the globe.

Travers Christmas Humphreys, QC (15 February 1901 – 13 April 1983) was a British jurist known for his involvement in several high-profile cases in the mid-20th century and for his later career as a judge at the Old Bailey. Notably, he was a prominent figure in the growth of Buddhism in Britain, having founded the London Buddhist Society in 1924. His interest in Buddhism was sparked at a young age, and he dedicated himself to promoting the tradition through his writings and the society he established. Additionally, Humphreys had a successful legal career, serving as a prosecutor in significant criminal cases and eventually becoming a judge. He also delved into literary pursuits and was a prolific author on Buddhist topics. Furthermore, he held the position of president at the Shakespeare Fellowship. Despite his controversial judicial decisions, Humphreys left a lasting impact on both the legal and Buddhist communities in Britain, and his contributions continue to be remembered and studied.Keywords: Travers Christmas Humphreys, British jurist, Buddhism, London Buddhist Society, Old Bailey, prosecutor, judge, legal career, Shakespeare Fellowship, author

The Christmas Bullet, later known as the Cantilever Aero Bullet, was an American single-seat cantilever wing biplane, designed by Dr. William Whitney Christmas. Despite lacking experience in aircraft design, Christmas claimed to have constructed the aircraft in 1908, which was lost in a crash. The Christmas Aeroplane Company was founded in 1910, later becoming the Cantilever Aero Company in 1918. The aircraft, powered by a Liberty 6 engine, had a serious flaw in that it lacked wing struts or braces, leading to its wings peeling from the fuselage on its maiden flight in January 1919, resulting in a fatal crash. A second aircraft was also destroyed on its first flight, leading to the project's abandonment. Christmas made far-fetched claims and sought funding for further projects, despite the lack of evidence to support his assertions. The Christmas Bullet's specifications included a wingspan of 28 ft and an anticipated maximum speed of 175 mph. The aircraft's unsuccessful history and Christmas's dubious claims have contributed to its reputation as one of the worst aircraft constructed for its time.

Christmas in Scotland, known as "Yule" or "Nollaig" in Gaelic-speaking areas, underwent significant changes after the Reformation of 1560. Prior to this, celebrations were similar to those in Catholic Europe, featuring games and feasting. However, the Reformation shifted attitudes towards traditional Christian feasting days, leading to the abolition of festival days and church holidays. Acts of the Estates of Parliament abolished the Yule Vacance (Christmas recess), with the influence of Episcopalianism briefly impacting the legislation. It wasn't until 1871 that Christmas became a Bank Holiday in Scotland. The period from Christmas to Handsel Monday, which includes Hogmanay and Ne'erday, is known as the Daft Days. The Church of Scotland's suppression of Christmas celebrations after the Reformation resulted in a quiet observance of the holiday. However, since the 1980s, Christmas and its related festivities have gained prominence, nearly rivaling or surpassing Hogmanay and Ne'erday, with cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow hosting traditional German Christmas markets.

Christmas is a widely celebrated public holiday, and it also refers to various places, music, people, fictional characters, literature, and television episodes. In Australia, Christmas Island is a territory in the Indian Ocean, and in the United States, there are several places named Christmas, including a small town in Florida and an uninhabited mining community in Arizona. The term "Christmas" is also associated with various albums and songs by artists such as Michael Bublé, Kenny Rogers, and Jeremy Camp. Additionally, it is a surname, with notable individuals like Christmas Evans, a Welsh Nonconformist minister, and Earle Christmas Grafton Page, an Australian prime minister. Moreover, it has been featured in literature, television episodes, and is associated with a variety of traditions and customs worldwide, making it a significant cultural and religious phenomenon.