President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has charged Ghanaians, especially Christians, to help the needy and be a blessing to others as they celebrate Christmas today, Tuesday, 25 December 2018.

In his Christmas message to the nation, Nana Akufo-Addo said: “Let us celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ safely and responsibly and avoid doing that which will put our lives and the lives of our loved ones and others in harm’s way. Let us be a blessing on the lives of those in need and through our actions bring good cheer and glad tidings of great joy to all. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous happy new year”.

Christmas Day is a public holiday in many of the world's nations.

It is celebrated religiously by a majority of Christians, as well as culturally by many non-Christians and forms an integral part of the holiday season.

For most Christians, the day is celebrated to mark the birth of Jesus Christ their saviour.

In the traditional Christmas narrative in the New Testament, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. When Joseph and Mary arrived in the city, the inn had no room and so they were offered a stable where the baby Jesus was born. Angels proclaimed the news to of the birth of Jesus to shepherds who then further disseminated the information.

Although the month and date of Jesus' birth are unknown, by the early-to-mid fourth century the Western Christian Church had fixed the date of Christmas as 25 December, a date that has been adopted worldwide.

On Christmas Day some Christians attend church service in the morning. The day is usually marked with merry making among friends and families.