who made christmas a national holiday

Christmas has been celebrated in various forms for thousands of years, but it was not declared a national holiday in the United States until 1870. The modern celebration of Christmas as a national holiday in the United States is largely attributed to the efforts of influential figures such as evangelist preacher Henry Ward Beecher, who promoted Christmas as a time for charity and goodwill towards others. Beecher and others helped to spread the message that Christmas was not just a religious holiday, but a time to spread love and kindness to everyone.