Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays???

Rich Greenberg wrote:

> In article >,
> mrtravel > wrote:
>
>>Icono Clast wrote:
>>
>>
>>>The Reid wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>when is the correct date?
>>>
>>>
>>>That Jesus of Nazareth was born? I have two, the commonly accepted of 25
>>>December -4
>>
>>I hope it is commonly accpeted that Jesus was born on Dec 25 when common
>>evidence points to a spring birth.
>
>
> i.e. The shepherds with thier flocks would not have been out in winter,
> but would be out in spring.
>

I meant to say " I hope it isn't", since obviously Dec 25 is not even
close to a valid dat

On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 08:43:41 -0500, "Mike T." >
wrote:
>I'm not going to do your homework for you. But if you do the research
>carefully, you will find your own indisputable sources to show that just
>about all customs and symbols related to the holiday called "Christmas"
>pre-date the birth of Christ by many years. The one glaring exception is
>the nativity scene. But Santa Claus, gift-giving, "Christmas trees",
>mistletoe, carolling, traditional foods and feasts, in short EVERYTHING that
>makes up "Christmas" was a part of the holiday celebrated in late December
>LONG before Christ is said to have been born.
>
>If Julius I never declared the "5th and 20th day of December" to be the
>birthday of the Christ child, Christmas would still exist. It would be a
>holiday that you would recognize immediately, as it would be IDENTICAL to
>what you know as "Christmas". Only, it wouldn't be called "Christmas". And
>you wouldn't see any nativity scenes anywhere. But it is likely that your
>family would gather together at the same time of year, have a great feast,
>and exchange presents from underneath an elaborately decorated tree. You
>might even have mistletoe hanging in the doorway. If you had children, you
>would entertain them with stories of Santa Claus. All this sound
>iliar? -Dave
>
>
Oh Bosh. Dec. 25 was the celebration of the Birth of Mirthra,
celebrated about 1st century BC. Christianity adopted Dec. 25 about
4th cent. AD when Mithraism was viewed as a serious threat to
Christianity. (It was declared the

Mistletoe dates to about 2nd cent BC, in the British Isles. Druids
burned it to celebrate the start of winter and as a sacrifice to their
gods. Sprigs were hung in homes to ensure good fortune for the coming
year and it also had various medicinal purposes. Scandinavians viewed
it as a plant of peace and harmony. Romans used it in feasts of
Saturnalia. When the Christian church adopted Dec. 25 it banned the
use of mistletoe and substituted holly, the thorns of which symbolized
those in Christ's crown.

The poinsettia was adopted in the early 1820s, when it was brought
back to the US from Mexico by an American ambassador.

The Christmas tree - fir - (decorated) was in general use in the 16th
cent (AD) in Germany. (Note that the Druids believed the oak was
sacred and inviolable.) Early decorations included paper, apples,
wafers. Hardly elaborate. Prior to that (from about 8th cent AD) fir
saplings were planted (not decorated) to celebrate Christmas in
Germany.

Christmas cards - 1840s, England.

Santa Claus - St. Nicholas, born 4th cent AD, Turkey. He arrived Dec.
6 (not Christmas Eve) and left fruits, nuts, hard candies, wood and
clay figures. During the Protestant Reformation, St. Nicholas was
banished from most European countries, replaced by secular figures
such as Father Christmas, Pere Noel, etc. The Dutch called him Sint
Nikolass, which became Sinterklass to the Dutch in America, later
Americanized to Santa Claus. Most certainly not known as Santa Claus
to pre-Christians.

Me: Good Yontiff y'all.

Robert d'Niro: HAPPY MERRY THIS 'N THAT

Elvis: BLUE CHRISTMAS, so sad/so campy/so beautiful/so delightful

Jose Feliciano: "Felice Navidad," one the the best, if ya haven't ever
heard it, then
i betcha it's on the internet (wherever this is)

Robert Cohen wrote:

> Me: Good Yontiff y'all.
>
> Robert d'Niro: HAPPY MERRY THIS 'N THAT
>
> Elvis: BLUE CHRISTMAS, so sad/so campy/so beautiful/so delightful
>
> Jose Feliciano: "Felice Navidad," one the the best, if ya haven't ever
> heard it, then
> i betcha it's on the internet (wherever this is)
>

Mariah Carey: All I Want For Christmas Is You

But.. nothing tops "Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire" by Nat King Cole

> But.. nothing tops "Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire" by Nat King
> Cole

"Chipmunks roasting over an open fire" - Twisted Christmas

"JohnH" > wrote in message
. ..
>
>> But.. nothing tops "Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire" by Nat King
>> Cole
>
> "Chipmunks roasting over an open fire" - Twisted Christmas

I hope that everyone knows that it is actually "The Christmas Song" by Mel
Torme.

http://www.spaceagepop.com/torme.htm

mrtravel wrote:
> Robert Cohen wrote:
>> Jose Feliciano: "Felice Navidad," one the the best, if ya haven't ever
>> heard it, then i betcha it's on the internet (wherever this is)

Felilz Navidad was an enormous hit when I was in South America. It was
inescapable. Drove me nuckin' futz.

> Mariah Carey: All I Want For Christmas Is You
>
> But.. nothing tops "Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire" by Nat King Cole

That's by Mel Torme. Nat's version of it is great. Mel's is better.
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