The Bible (also known as the Holy Bible) is the Christian holy book. It is divided into the Old and New Testaments. Parts of the writing contained in the Old Testament are also sacred to Jewish and Muslim people.
There are different branches of Christianity because some Christians worship in different ways. Click on the links below to find out more about the different branches of Christianity.
Holy Trinity by Szymon Czechowicz, 1756
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
The Trinity is a central concept of Christianity. It is the idea that God is one but exists in three different ‘persons’ - God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - and that these three persons form a unity.
Christianity is the world's biggest religion, with about 2.2 billion followers worldwide. It is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe to be the Son of God. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the Middle East over 2,000 years ago.
Christians believe there is only one God, but that he is revealed in three different forms:
Christians believe that God sent Jesus to live as a human being in order to save humanity from the consequences of its sins - the bad things humanity had chosen to do which had separated them from God. Christians believe that through the death and resurrection of Jesus this broken relationship with God is restored.
Sermon on the Mount, by Carl Bloch, 1877, depicts Jesus' sermons to the people
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Jesus Christ, who was born 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, is the founder of Christianity. Nearly all that is known about Jesus comes from the Bible, in the four Gospels of the New Testament. According to the Bible, Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He came to earth to teach about love and fellowship. He represents the person that all Christians must strive to be. Jesus lived for 33 years before being crucified by the Romans around A.D. 30 in Jerusalem. Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples (followers) to show everyone that there is another life with one, eternal, loving God.
Saint Peter's Basilica, in Vatican City, is one of the largest Roman Catholic churches in the world.
Image source: Britannica School
Christians meet to worship together in a church. Depending on the number of people that are in a community, the churches come in different sizes. Small churches are called chapels. A catheral is a very big church and is usually run by a Bishop.
This series takes a personal look at how individual children practise their faith in everyday life.
Introduces Easter, and discusses its origins, seasonal foods, symbols, songs, parades, games, and the holiday around the world.
Freddie tells us how his family celebrates the Christian festival of Easter, both at home and at the local church.
This book invites children to think about how they recognise church buildings, then looks inside one particular Methodist church, showing what happens at service and how Christians make their church a special place.
This book tells the story of the wise men who took gifts to baby Jesus and considers how Christians today show their love for Jesus. It also explains that Christians believe that Jesus was God's gift to the world and it shows how Christians say "thank you" for this gift at Christmas.
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The Christian cross is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity. It is a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It is related to the crucifix (a cross that includes a representation of Jesus' body).
Children holding Christingle candles
There are two major holidays celebrated by Christians around the world:
Easter
Easter is the most important festival in the Christian calendar. It celebrates Jesus rising from the dead on Easter Sunday, three days after he was executed by crucifixion on Good Friday. The date of Easter Sunday varies from year to year. It is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon, on or after 21 March. For Christians, Easter eggs are used as a symbol for the resurrection of Jesus because an egg is a symbol of new life.
Christmas
Christmas is celebrated each year on 25 December to mark the birth of Jesus. Christians celebrate Christmas by carol singing and retelling the story of Jesus's birth in nativity plays. Some Christians start Christmas Day with a midnight mass or communion service. Families and friends will get together to have Christmas dinners eating traditional foods such as turkey, mince pies and Christmas puddings.
Click on the links below to find out more about festivals that Christians celebrate: