However few know that the actual date of Jesus' birth is unknown and according to the Handbook of the World's Religions, Christians did not have a nativity feast until the fourth century.

The earliest mention of December 25 as Christ's birthday occurred in the Philocalian calender in 354. And the December 25 date became generally accepted by the fifth century.

Many also may not know that December 25 was a major festival, the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti or Birthday of the Unconquered Sun, in the pagan Roman world.

The pagan celebrations included feasting, dancing, lighting bonfires, decorating homes with greens and giving gifts.

When December 25 became a Christian festival, the customs were retained but with a Christian meaning attached to them.

And few Americans may know that it was not until the nineteenth century that Christmas became a legal holiday in the US.

The universal practice of exchanging gifts symbolise God's gift of his Son to mankind, the gifts the Wise Men brought to Jesus and the bond of Christian love in families and friends.

And Santa Claus is a international version of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, who is also known as Father Christmas and Kris Kringle.

Although Christmas customs vary throughout the world, the retelling of the Christmas story (Luke 1-2:20, Matt. 1:18 - 2:12) comprises a major part of the festivities everywhere.

In the Holy Land, Israel's capital Jerusalem is the holy city for three of the world's major faiths -- Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

Christmas time in Jerusalem sees pilgrims from all over the world seek out special services conducted by many the Christian denominated churches in the city.

And a few miles south of Jerusalem, in Bethlehem, the Church of the Nativity will be the central focus of all Christianity for the church -- according to legend -- stands on the spot where Jesus was laid in a manager.

A number of Christmas traditions come from Germany and Austria like the use of Christmas trees. For in the Black Forest of Germany, evergreens were first used as part of Christmas as a symbol of unending life.

And it was also Germany that first decorated firs and spruces with glass balls and tinsel garlands.

Christmas officially kicks off in Germany with the beginning of Advent -- the four Sundays preceding Christmas marking the beginning of the yuletide season.

According to The Readers Digest Book of Christmas, evergreen wreaths with candles are hung in many houses and every Sunday until Christmas Eve one candle is lit.

But the season also has a sinister history as well.

Folk lore has it that evil spirits were once thought to roam free during the yuletide season.

"So on Knocking night, the last Thursday before Christmas, mummers in grotesque costumes went from house to house, knocking on doors, rattling cans and cowbells and cracking whips to drive the spirits away,'' Readers Digest said.

It was even believed that Father Christmas once traveled with scary masked companions who spanked and punished naughty children.

And in Austria, Saint Nicholas Still parades through the streets in bishop's regalia followed by a band clothed in straw and wearing fur masks who squeeze the young people they run into.

Over in Italy, Italians have a female Santa Claus called the Lady Befana.

According to Readers Digest, Lady Befana distributes gifts on Epiphany -- January 6 -- while children roam the streets blowing paper trumpets.

Folklore has it that when Jesus was born the shepherds told her about the birth and the guiding star, but she delayed setting out to see Jesus.

So every Christmas since, Lady Befana has wandered in search of Christ, leaving gifts at each house in hope that Jesus might be inside.

And just like Santa Claus, Lady Befana enters homes via a chimney. Another Italian Christmas tradition is called the pifferai or the pipers.

During Advent, shepherds march into towns from the outlying districts carrying bagpipes, reeds and oboes.

And as they march they stop before each shrine to Jesus and play music. They also stop at carpenter shops in honour of Joseph and are often invited into homes to sing old carols and folk songs.

As in France, the Italian's centre of Christmas celebrations is the nativity scene.

St. Francis of Assisi introduced the scene of the manger to Italy in the thirteenth century in a bid to bring the real meaning of Christmas to locals.

In Mexico, the last month of the year the flower of the Holy Night -- poinsettias -- blooms and as a result has become the countries Christmas gift to the rest of the world.

As of early December, Mexico's marketplaces overflow with flowers, toys and figures of the Holy Family. And pinatas are found in every doorway and arch.

On December 16, a nightly reenactment of the trials Mary and Joseph went through to find shelter is held called the Posada (Inn).

For nine days, the children of each house go from room to room asking for shelter and being refused.

One of the rooms has a decorated altar with an empty crib. On Christmas Eve, the children place a figure of Jesus in the crib.

After this, the children pour into the streets to break pinatas.