People of all religions are often swept away in Christmas festivities, with many people never pausing to consider the celebration’s intrinsic meaning, history, and origins.

The way Christmas is celebrated today, the presents, decorations, and meaning, is vaguely similar to Christmases celebrated in the 1800s, but by the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century, the modern Christmas and ideas that came with it began appearing.

In this day and age, the evolution of Christmas has changed to where the main idea for many people is no longer celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ; instead, it’s a celebration in the spirit of giving, family, and rituals or traditions.

“Christmas is about celebrating the day that Jesus was born, but now many people celebrate it as time to spend with family and sharing with others,” freshman Carson Harrington said.

When it first was celebrated, Christmas was a Christian holiday annually celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, and while those of different religions may not believe in the same ideals as Christianity, common traditions still are used, like things such as Christmas trees.

One exception to this is for those who are Jewish, since Christmas is not a part of their religion.

Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights and Feast of Dedication, is an an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

“[My family and I celebrate Hanukkah by] light[ing] the menorah each day while we say a blessing,” freshman Zoe Kahana said. “We eat latkes, which are basically hash browns, and sufganiyot, which are basically jelly donuts. We don’t really celebrate any Christmas traditions since our family is entirely Jewish.”

A study at the Pew Research Center showed that almost one in three Jewish Americans had a Christmas tree in their home last year.

“When I was a kid, we always had Christmas parties at school, and they were called that, but now, all the schools are making them be called holiday parties and Winter Break, no longer Christmas break,” AP Human Geography teacher Homa Lewis said. “I think there’s this big movement to bring it back.”

Lewis is correct; recently, a law was passed in Texas legally allowing students to wish someone a Merry Christmas among other things.

“[The law allows the] exchange of Christmas, Hanukkah and other religious greetings in the state’s classrooms,” the Associated Press reported. “The statute also allows Christmas trees, menorahs and nativity scenes, as long as more than one faith is represented and a secular symbol, such as a snowman, also is shown, and Christmas songs and festive garb also are okay.”

This is one of the modern ways that Christmas has spread throughout and is being celebrated by many and becoming the ideals of family, giving, and love.

No matter the religion or time of the season, the Holiday season can be a festive and special time in many lives.