Commemorating Jesus’ birth? Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary as a fulfillment of the Old Testament's Messianic prophecy. The Bible contains two accounts describing the events surrounding Jesus' birth. These biblical accounts are found in the Gospel of Matthew, namely Matthew 1:18 and the Gospel of Luke, specifically Luke 1:26 and 2:40. According to these accounts, Jesus was born to Mary, assisted by her husband Joseph, in the city of Bethlehem. Although nominally a Christian holiday, Christmas is also widely celebrated by many non-Christians, and many of its popular celebratory customs have pre-Christian or secular themes and origins. Popular modern holiday customs include gift-giving, music, an exchange of greeting cards, church celebrations, a special meal, and the display of various decorations, including Christmas trees, lights, garlands, mistletoe, nativity scenes, and holly. In addition, several similar mythological figures, known as Saint ...