Just like the savor of a good meal lies in the variety of delicious dishes and colorful dressings, the pleasure of cultural life is contained in the diversity of cultures around the world. Many cultural holidays are the hallmark of religion, the social institution that constitutes the backbone of nearly all the prevalent cultural climates. This article takes a look at some of the important Christian holidays, one of the leading religious groups on the globe.

Christmas

The birthday of Jesus Christ is an occasion that dominates the world's cultural holidays. Christmas is celebrated on December 25th each year with the most enthusiastic festivity in the whole of the Christian world, and is enjoyed by people of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Historical records show that Christmas festivals were celebrated before the mid 4th Century ad in Rome, and from there, the tradition spread around the world. Christmas represents the arrival of God in the world and is celebrated with religious spirit by lighting candles, singing carols, playing music in choirs, and rites of bread and wine.

Easter

Easter is the second most important of cultural holidays in the Christian world, signifying the resurrection of Lord Jesus on Sunday, three days after his crucifixion on Good Friday. Though less hilarious than Christmas, Easter marks the arrival of spring, coinciding with the revival of Christ. Easter falls on different dates each year but is always in April. While fresh flowers, new shoes and dresses, and sundry flavors in food characterize Easter celebrations, colored eggs are a special item of the occasion, virtually becoming a symbol of the day. These represent the arrival of a new life that is fertile and lasting.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday, marking the first day of Lent, is one of the oldest cultural holidays among Christians. The word Ash comes from the biblical tradition of man's creation: Adam is given the knowledge that he has been created from dust. Ash Wednesday precedes Easter by exactly forty days and falls in February. It signifies more than one historical occasion. Foremost, it celebrates the entry of Jesus in Jerusalem and his fasting for forty days, and it also recalls Adam's fall from Paradise. Ash Wednesday is a time of spiritual cleansing, observed with prayers and some form of self-constraint like fasting.

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday is one of the old Christian cultural holidays, dating back to the 4th Century Jerusalem. Also known as Passion Sunday, Palm Sunday marks the premiere day of the Holy Week. A few days before Lord Jesus was crucified, he made a triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Commemorating the Lord's victory, the day is traditionally celebrated in festivity with a procession carrying palm fronds that are later burned and their ash is preserved for use on the coming Ash Wednesday.