= new reply since forum marked as read
Hey, it's the former English teacher in me! 
As far as the assholishness, I agree. Even Bill O'Reilly, apparently, used to agree. When he started the "war on Christmas" bulldoody, his web site advertised -- are you ready -- "Happy Holiday" cards" to wish your friends and family a joyous holiday.
According to Dr. Sheldon Cooper, Jesus -- if he existed at all - was most likely born in the summer. I think all this "Christmas" crap is about his brother, James; but it's been called "Christmas" because "Jamesmas" was too much of a tongue twister.
one version to think about... 
(must often consider the source)
"How Did Christmas Come to Be Celebrated on December 25?"
"...Roman pagans first introduced the holiday of Saturnalia, a week long period of lawlessness celebrated between December 17-25. During this period, Roman courts were closed, and Roman law dictated that no one could be punished for damaging property or injuring people during the weeklong celebration. The festival began when Roman authorities chose “an enemy of the Roman people” to represent the “Lord of Misrule.” Each Roman community selected a victim whom they forced to indulge in food and other physical pleasures throughout the week. At the festival’s conclusion, December 25th, Roman authorities believed they were destroying the forces of darkness by brutally murdering this innocent man or woman.
...In the 4th century CE, Christianity imported the Saturnalia festival hoping to take the pagan masses in with it. Christian leaders succeeded in converting to Christianity large numbers of pagans by promising them that they could continue to celebrate the Saturnalia as Christians....
....Christians had little success, however, refining the practices of Saturnalia. As Stephen Nissenbaum, professor history at the University of Massachussetts, Amherst, writes, “In return for ensuring massive observance of the anniversary of the Savior’s birth by assigning it to this resonant date, the Church for its part tacitly agreed to allow the holiday to be celebrated more or less the way it had always been.” The earliest Christmas holidays were celebrated by drinking, sexual indulgence, singing naked in the streets (a precursor of modern caroling), etc.......
http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/Christmas_TheRealStory.htm
It's an interesting little myth, but indeed, that's really all it is, is just a myth. 
I suggest both kids and adults watch this British television movie (bit long but it is on netflix stream too) and yes it's from Terry Prachett who incidentally has posed a controversial suggestion on assisted death. which I might not agree with but glad we are free to talk about it. Yes it's silly but it has one poise in it. The above. Oh bother and when the rich SOB is sobbing on the floor for a Reaper pretending to be the hogfather who's giving stuff away for free. What? isn't that what it's supposed to be about. Can't even get that out of Miracle on 34th Street. Kris is not in the habit of giving Macy's or Gimbels stuff out for free. Albeit the latter died an unfortunate death 
