This "Pagan" winter-solstice festival was adopted into Christianity only in the third to fourth centuries after Christ's alleged advent. However, there are indications that this solar "birthday" of Jesus was already in the minds of the creators of Christianity long before that time "Christmas" represents the very ancient observation of the winter solstice, when the sun "dies" and is "reborn" or "resurrected," as the daylight hours decrease to their shortest point and then begin to increase again. It has been observed most notably on December 21st or 22nd in the northern hemisphere. However, over the past several thousand years the winter solstice has been celebrated from the middle or end of November to the middle of January. http://freethoughtnation.com/contrib...the-world.html