I am sick and tired of the signs and the pious folks who loudly
proclaim that "JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON" and "KEEP CHRIST IN
CHRISTMAS".


"Pagans had traditionally decked their
halls with boughs of holly, evergreens and mistletoe to symbolize
winter's inability to prevent the renewal of life. Merrymaking came to
have a share in Christmas observance through popular enthusiasm. The
medieval secular celebrations lasted for a "season," extending from
Christmas eve to Epiphany, and in some localities even from St.
Thomas' Day, Dec. 21 (honoring the "doubting Thomas," disciple of
Jesus) to Candlemas (February 2).

AKA Groundhog Day....

There was some dispute about the proper date of the birth of Christ
and not everyone agrees even to this day.

Last I heard, it was sometime in the spring. So JC wasn't born on
Christmas Day
(DEC 25) but likely sometime during Lent. Around 6BC. It's a trivial
issue
as far as beliving in God anyway. Another trivial issue is that Adam
and Eve
thing that has some in the Bible Belt upset about evolution.

As for Santa Claus, he has more connection to JC than Xmas trees. Santa
is a modified version of St. Nichilas, who used to give gifts to kids in
his town to celebrate JC's birth.

It was not until A.D. 350,
that December 25 was declared the official date for celebrating
Christmas by Pope Julius I. When the fathers of the church decided to
settle upon a date to celebrate the event, they wisely chose the day
of the winter solstice, since it coincided with some rival religions'
celebrations and the rebirth of the sun and approaching longer days,
symbolized by bon-fires and yule logs.

It was partially cover to choose Dec 25th as, IIRC, Christians were
still getting fed
to lions in hte Roman Empire. So Christians could party without calling
attention to
themselves. Or was the Roman Empire history by then? Been a long time
since
history class....

Did people really worry about the Sun going away forever instead of
comming back
every year? Hey, any reason to party....