News18 Devotional

"Santa Claus is generally depicted as a portly, joyous, white-bearded man wearing a red coat with white fur collar and cuffs, white fur-cuffed red trousers, who carries a bag full of gifts for children. Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas is a legendary figure of Western culture who is said to bring gifts to the homes of well-behaved children on Christmas Eve. #News18Podcast

After Christmas Card,kids are espicially waiting for christmas gifts.The three wise men in the story of Christmas carried gold, frankincense and myrrh. #News18Podcast

A Christmas card is a greeting card sent as part of the traditional celebration of Christmas in order to convey between people a range of sentiments related to the Christmas and holiday season.The traditional greeting reads "wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year". #News18Podcast

Some households do not put up the tree until the second week of December, and leave it up until 6 January (Epiphany).In Roman Catholic homes the tree may be kept until February 2.Beside the crib, the Christmas tree, with its twinkling lights, reminds us that with the birth of Jesus the tree of life has blossomed a new in the desert of humanity. #News18Podcast

The modern Christmas tree tradition, though, is believed to have begun in Germany in the 18th century.It acquired popularity beyond Germany during the second half of the 19th century, at first among the upper classes.Martin Luther who is said to have first added lighted candles to an evergreen tree #News18Podcast

Christmas decorations have been carried our since a long time.Liturgically, this is done in some parishes through a Hanging of the Greens ceremony.The traditional colours of Christmas are pine green (evergreen), snow white, and heart red #News18Podcast

Zacchaeus was a chief tax-collector at Jericho, he was an example of Jesus' personal, earthly mission to bring salvation to the lost #News18Podcast

The great majority of Christians worship Jesus as the incarnation of God the Son, the second of three persons of a Divine Trinity. #News18Podcast

Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ was a Jewish preacher.Jesus was truly a man who walked on the earth in Israel #News18Podcast

Jesus was born in Bethlehem during the time of Herod the Great. Magi from the east came to Herod and asked him where they would find the King of the Jews, because they had seen his star. Advised by the chief priests and teachers, Herod sent the Magi to Bethlehem, where they worshiped the child and gave him gifts.  #News18Podcast

The nativity of Jesus or birth of Jesus is described in the gospels of Luke and Matthew. The two accounts agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem .In the days when Herod was king of Judea, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth in Galilee to announce to a virgin named Mary, who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, that a child would be born to her and she was to name him Jesus #News18Podcast

Jesus was considered to be the "Sun of righteousness".March 25 is the day of creation and of the conception of Jesus in his universal history #News18Podcast

Beginning of Christmas. There are many reasons behind celebrating it on 25th December. There are those who have determined it as lord's birth and there is Linking Jesus to the Sun was supported by various Biblical passages. #News18Podcast

Other names of christmas are Anglo Saxons,Nativity,Noel and Xmas. #News18Podcast

"Christmas" is a shortened form of "Christ's mass". It is derived from the Middle English Cristemasse and mæsse is from Latin missa, the celebration of the Eucharist. #News18Podcast

Christmas festival is celebrated 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 #News18Podcast

Kali's earliest appearance is that of a destroyer principally of evil forces. Over time, she has been worshipped by devotional movements and tantric sects variously as the Divine Mother, Mother of the Universe, Adi Shakti, or Adi Parashakti. This is her story, recited by by Jayati Bhatia. #News18Podcast #DeviKathaKaali In association with Fever 104 | Photo: Getty Images

Parvati is the Hindu goddess of fertility, love and devotion as well as of divine strength and power. This is her story, recited by Jayati Bhatia. #News18Podcast #DeviKathaParvati In association with Fever 104 | Photo: Getty Images

Goverdhan puja it is also known as Hindu festival in which devotees prepare and offer a large variety of vegetarian food to the murtis of Paramatma(God) as a mark of gratitude. Devotees offer a mountain of food, metaphorically representing the Govardhan hill, to God as a ritual remembrance and to renew their faith in taking refuge in God. There are many variants of how Govardhan Puja is performed. One ritual involves making small mounds of cow dung or dirt symbolizing Mount Govardhan, which are then adorned with flowers and later worshiped by circumambulating around them. As described in the Bhagavata Purana , Govardhan Puja is chiefly identified with Krishna lifting the Govardhan Hill on his finger to protect those who sought his refuge from Indra’s torrential rage.

Diwali or Deepavali is one of the major festivals of Hinduism of light celebrated every year, it spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and hope over despair.Its celebration includes millions of lights shining on housetops, outside doors and windows, including temples and other buildings. Before Diwali, people clean, renovate, colored, and decorate their homes and offices.On Diwali night, people dress up in new clothes or their best outfit, light up diyas inside or outside their home, participates in family puja (prayer).After puja then a family feast sweets and an exchange of gift between family members.