Christmas Day today

Christmas Day is being celebrated across the country on Sunday commemorating the birthday of Jesus Christ as elsewhere in the world.

The Christians of different groups will celebrate the festival amid festivity and religious fervor through special prayers and illuminating churches, installing makeshift Christmas trees at homes and places of worship and missions.

Elder people of the community attired in the outfit of Santa Claus make fun with children and distribute gifts as part of a universal Christian practice.

In separate messages, President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted members of the Christian community on the occasion.

Churches have been illuminated, Christmas trees set up and candles lit at homes and churches on the occasion by the Christian community to celebrate the event with due religious fervour.

Santa Clause will distribute, according to the tradition, sweets and gifts to children in churches on the occasion. This is a great `day of days` for children in the Christian community, who sing carols on the occasion in praise of Jesus Christ and God, and exchange gifts.

The day is a public holiday.

The national dailies will bring out special Christmas supplements marking the day.

Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar and private radio stations and TV channels will also broadcast special Christmas programmes.

Archbishop Patrick D`Rozario, the highest ranking priest of the Roman Catholic Church in the country, was accorded a reception at Archbishop House at the city`s Kakrail on December 9 as he has been appointed as cardinal, the first ever to reach such a high position as Bangalee.

Pope Francis on November 19 promoted D`Rozario and 16 other Roman Catholic prelates from around the world to the rank of cardinal.

Source: BSS