History
Many of our traditions and customs associated with Christmas have roots in pagan ceremonies dating back thousands of years. Christians celebrate Christmas to honor the birth of Jesus. Others celebrate just for the joy of the season. This page is devoted to a little bit of how we came to have some of the wonderful traditions and customs that we take for granted year after year.
The Day of Christmas
How
did we come to celebrate Christmas on the 25th of 
December?
Many people believe that this was the date of the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus'
birth at this time was unlikely
since the since shepherds in Palestine customarily remain in the open with their
flocks only from spring to autumn. The exact timing of the birth of Christ is
uncertain. Many Biblical scholars believe the birth of Christ to be around
October 6th.
So
why is Christmas on the 25th of December? It is possible that the date was
chosen because it coincided with pagan
celebrations around the Winter Solstice. The start of the solar year is a
celebration of Light and the rebirth of the Sun. Ancient Rome
celebrated Saturnalia on December 17. Celebrations involved
merrymaking and the exchange of gifts. Our tradition
of giving presents at Christmas could have been adopted from this
festival.
Who Was Nimrod?
Nimrod
was believed to be the founder of Babylon. He was responsible for the
construction of the Tower of Babel. Nimrod was involved in pagan worship and
after his death, 
his
wife Semiramis claimed that Nimrod had become the sun god and was to be
worshipped. Semiramis gave birth to a son who she claimed was Nimrod reborn, His
birth was thought to have occurred on December 25th. Nimrod has also been
associated with the Roman god Jupiter and the Greek god Zues. Many of our
traditional celebrations may have been passed down from the celebrations of
Nimrod.
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