The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has decreed that this is a Holy Day of obligation to be observed in Canada.

Christmas is a Christian holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated every year on December 25 with the exception of some Eastern churches which use the older Julian calendar. Nowadays Christmas is also celebrated by a large number of non-Christian people around the world as a cultural event. In many countries it is a public holiday.

A period of waiting and preparation before Christmas is called the “Advent Season”. In most churches it starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas.