I loved my godmother. I did.

But she was very, very Christian and would start early with the "It's okay to say Merry Christmas!" bullshit.

third paragraph isn't really true. most Christmas traditions postdate the Christianization of the region, there was just a lot of variation in regions before the modern era started homogenizing the holiday

It was 7 years ago and I didn't realize that at the time.

I'm also not resharing it other than here.

I'll still tell people to piss off if they wish me a Merry Christmas at the beginning of November, though.

the history of Christmas and Christianity in general is fascinating. and it can be used against the insistently Christian. like ask them how old they think their sacred traditions that must be respected actually are

Also the likelihood that Christ, if he did exist, was likely born in the spring or summer, not the winter.

the whole Bethlehem story probably never happened, so we have no idea on the birth date. Dec. 25 was chosen mainly for theological reasons, based on an apparently Hellenized Jewish belief that great prophets died on the same day they were born. but for Jesus, since he was Son of God, they put his soul's birth date at the time of conception-

-so birth would be nine months after Passover

if modern Christians wanted to show their faith, they'd celebrate the 12 days of Christmas until Epiphany. after Dec 25

Yeah.

IIRC, the story of baby Jesus mentioned lambing, which would mean it actually took place in spring. You know, when lambs are typically born.

Yeah, that's what I'm basing it on. Though I suppose it's possible lambing is at a different time in the Middle East.