Every year this bickering over who "owns" Xmas comes along; every year people fulminate over Xmas becoming commercialised; every year priest and people preach against the paganistic roots of this celebration.

Even educated Christians to-day realise that there was no census. The Romans didn't get to take over most of the known world by being fools. Could you imagine the uproar in Australia if, every year at census time, we all had to go back to our original place of birth? And the further uproar if, having duly gone trotting off to England, Europe, Dubbo or Dubai, the Government decided not to record the results anywhere? The Romans, who were more anal than our Government about keeping records, never, anywhere, recorded a census at this time or place - though they recorded quite minor ones for tin-pot places no-one has ever heard of.

The colours of Xmas - red and green - were the colours of the holly and holly berries, the sacred misletoe was revered. The pagan "Green man" (carved into countless Churches all over Europe) always visited, the twelve days of Yule ending Jan.6 when the Lord of Misrule reigned, were incorporated into Christian celebrations for centuries with the sanction of Holy Mother Church.

What on earth does it matter? You choose to celebrate because of one thing, I for another. The important thing I consider is that, pagan or Christian, this is traditionally a time of goodwill, hospitality, friendship and family. Whatever its roots, we desperately need a period where such things are celebrated in our lives, every year.

Some people choose to bust the budget and buy tacky gimgracks, others to do good deeds, others to sing and feast, others to get drunk.However we exercise our free will to celebrate, every time we wish a stranger Merry Xmas or Compliments of the Season we are passing on good will to our fellow-beings.

In my opinion Xmas - as it has done for thousands of years - rocks!

Very well said, Romany.

Hi Poly:
"aAAh CJ... so it's not only 'Christians' who have their myths :)"

Indeed, I do love myths. And I took pleasure in fooling my kids into believing that Santa existed (along with the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy).

But as a parent I knew that it was time to fess up and quit the fairy tales when the children were about six and started having doubts and asked a zillion questions, such as,
"Why doesn't Santa just give everything to the children in poor countries?" (after seeing World Vision ads)
or
"Bunnies don't have fingers, how can they paint eggs?"

My daughter, who's over two years older than my son, LOVED being part of the game. The wiser, older sister, tricking the younger brother into believing in Santa- it was all just so sweet.

How old were your children when you fessed up about the non-evidence of God's existence?

I sometimes wonder what it would be like if humanity did achieve enough scientific knowledge to categorically prove the missing link, the accuracy of evolution and gave defining answers to the origin of man, life on earth and the universe.

I rather suspect many simply wouldn't listen.

Thanks guys/gals.
I appreciated all of your comments and your poem Foxy.
Just wanted to get across the 'great santa deception' from a Bible point of view:)

Once again, let's all celebrate the message of anti-materialism, poverty and sacrifice in a massive orgy of gluttony, greed and avarice.

Any other time of the year, a suspicious looking man in a funny suit giving kiddies sweets to sit on his knee would be treated rather differently.

We'll do it all again soon enough but next time with chocolate eggs and a magical invisible rabbit.