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Kathmandu, Dec 25: Followers of Christianity are celebrating Christmas today to mark the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ, the founder of the Christian faith.

Jesus Christ was born on December 25, about 2,025 years ago, in Bethlehem, Israel. According to Nepal Christian Federation President CB Gahatraj, Christians believe that Jesus, born to the Virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit, brought three gifts to humanity: salvation, love, and peace.

Because he came with love for humankind, the day is observed as Love Day. Because he came to establish peace, it is also marked as Peace Day. And because he came to offer salvation, it is celebrated as Salvation Day, Gahatraj said. For these reasons, the Christian community observes Christmas as a day that carries all three meanings.

While Christmas is celebrated by millions across the world, the federation began observing it as a festival in Nepal only after 2006, Gahatraj said.

The Nepal Christian Federation’s main organizing committee is hosting Christmas Festival 2025 this afternoon. Government representatives, officials from concerned agencies, and human rights activists are expected to attend the event.

On the occasion of Christmas, Nepal observed a public holiday from 2006 to 2017. From 2018 to 2020, the holiday was granted only to followers of Christianity. Since 2021, Christmas has again been observed as a public holiday for all.

In recent years, major city areas have been decorated with Christmas trees. Festive activities are especially visible in tourist hubs such as Thamel, Boudha, Pokhara, and Sauraha, where the celebrations draw larger crowds.

According to the federation, Nepal currently has around three million Christians and more than 13,000 churches across the country.

People’s News Monitoring Service