Whois & Analysis for minted.com

Christmas or Christmas Day (meaning "Christ's Mass") is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed most commonly on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world.

A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is prepared for by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night; in some traditions, Christmastide includes an Octave.

The traditional Christmas narrative, the Nativity of Jesus, delineated in the New Testament says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in accordance with messianic prophecies; when Joseph and Mary arrived in the city, the inn had no room and so they were offered a stable where the Christ Child was soon born, with angels proclaiming this news to shepherds who then disseminated the message furthermore.

Christmas Day is a public holiday in many of the world's nations, is celebrated religiously by the vast majority of Christians, as well as culturally by a number of non-Christian people, and is an integral part of the holiday season, while some Christian groups reject the celebration.

In several countries, celebrating Christmas Eve on December 24 has the main focus rather than December 25, with gift-giving and sharing a traditional meal with the family.

Stationery is a mass noun referring to commercially manufactured writing materials, including cut paper, envelopes, writing implements, continuous stationery, and other office supplies.

Stationery includes materials to be written on by hand (e.g., letter paper) or by equipment such as computer printers.

A gift or a present is an item given to someone without the expectation of payment.

An item is not a gift, if that item, itself, is already owned by the one to whom it is given.

Although gift-giving might involve an expectation of reciprocity, a gift is meant to be free.

In many countries, the act of mutually exchanging money, goods, etc.

may sustain social relations and contribute to social cohesion.

Economists have elaborated the economics of gift-giving into the notion of a gift economy.

By extension the term gift can refer to anything that makes the other happier or less sad, especially as a favor, including forgiveness and kindness.

Gifts are also first and foremost presented on occasions - birthdays and, in Western cultures, Christmas being the main examples and other occasions like birthdays.

A greeting card is an illustrated piece of card or high quality paper featuring an expression of friendship or other sentiment.

Although greeting cards are usually given on special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas or other holidays, they are also sent to convey thanks or express other feelings.

Greeting cards, usually packaged with an envelope, come in a variety of styles.

There are both mass-produced as well as handmade versions that are distributed by hundreds of companies large and small.

While typically inexpensive, more elaborate cards with die-cuts or glued-on decorations may be more expensive.

A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage.

Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes.

Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vows by the couple, presentation of a gift (offering, ring(s), symbolic item, flowers, money), and a public proclamation of marriage by an authority figure.

Special wedding garments are often worn, and the ceremony is sometimes followed by a wedding reception.

Music, poetry, prayers or readings from religious texts or literature are also commonly incorporated into the ceremony.