Quote:
Originally Posted by missourimary
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My guess is that there are more decorations, romanticization, and sentimentalism because Christmas falls in one of the harshest months of the year. It's decorations are brought indoors and crafted, rather than being natural like Easter's, and we've used more and more of them in our celebrations to brighten what used to otherwise be a cold, dreary season. The decorations, stories, songs, gifts and family time have helped to make it a more sentimental and romantic holiday.
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It is my understanding that the December 25 date is three days after the solstice which is the shortest day of the year in Europe. The day represented the birth of the sun god and was transferred over to apply to the birth of the Son of God.
I remember hearing somewhere of a missionary, I think it was St. Boniface, who told the druids that their god was like the oak tree which died but the Christian God was like the evergreen which was always alive/green.