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Celebration during the winter season were common, way before Christmas was celebrated on December 25th. Actually, Christmas was a movable feast and was celebrated many different times during the year. Not until Pope Julius I in the 4th century AD choose December 25th because it coincided with the pagan rituals of Winter Solstice or "Return of the Sun". The purpose was to replace the pagan celebration with the Christian one. 11 days were dropped from the year in 1752, when we switched from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar. The date, December 25th was effectively moved backwards by 11 days. Some Christian Church Sects, called the "Calendarists", still celebrate Christmas on January 7th (previously December 25th of the Julian calendar).
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