The history of a Christmas festival dates back over 4000 years. Ancient Midwinter festivities
   celebrated the return of the Sun from cold and darkness. Midwinter was a turning point between the
   Old Year and the New Year. Fire was a symbol of hope and boughs of greenery symbolized the eternal
   cycle of creation.
  
    The term "Xmas" instead of "Christmas" is Greek in origin. The word for "Christ" in Greek is
   "Xristos." during the Sixteenth Century, Europeans began using the first initial of Christ's name...the
   "X" of "Xristos"...in place of the word "Christ" as a shorthand version of the word "Christmas."
   Although early Christians understood that the "X" was simply another form for the name of Jesus
   Christ, later Christians, who had no knowledge of the Greek language, mistook "Xmas" as a sign of 
   disrespect  Eventually, however, "Xmas" came to be both an accepted and suitable alternative to
   the word "Christmas."

   Many of today's Christmas traditions were celebrated centuries before the Christ Child was born.
   The Twelve Days of Christmas, blazing fires, the yule log, the giving of gifts, carnivals or parades
   complete with floats, carolers who sing while going from house to house, holiday feasts  and church
   processions are all rooted in the customs observed by early Mesopotamians.

    As Christianity spread, however, the Church became alarmed by the continuing practice among its
   flock to indulge in pagan customs and celebrate the festival of Saturnalia. At first, the holy men
   prohibited this type of revelry, but it was to no avail. Eventually, a decision was made to tame such
   celebrations and make them into a festive occasion better suited to honor the Christian Son of God.
                                                                                                                         
    Christmas means "Christ's Mass" and is the celebration of Jesus Christ's birth and baptism. Although
   December 25th is generally accepted as being the time when the Christ Child was born, the exact date
    has never been chronicled with any degree of accuracy. There is neither scriptural nor secular
   evidence to establish the exact moment. One thing is relatively certain, however, the event did not take
   place in December