by: Gary Whittaker
10. People do not actually know what day Jesus was born on, and there is only a 1 in 366 chaince that is was December 25
9. The popularity of Santa Claus, as he is known today, is largely due to Coca-Cola who ran advertisements for about 35 years starting in 1931. Before Coke, Santa was mostly the chief elf.
8. Jesus was not born on 0 or 1 A.D (A.D does not actually start at 0). While scholars are unsure of the exact year, it is estimated at 4 or 5 B.C
7. Jesus was not white, nor did he have blue eyes. During the crusades, images of Jesus being white were popularized since they had to differentiate themselves from the people they were fighting for the Holy War
6. The christmas tree is a simple of paganism. The church tried to "Christianize" that, and other pagan symbols and they sought to convert unbelievers
5. The original Christians, or followers of Christ, were in fact Jews! One of Jesus' wishes was for his message to be spread to all people. The Jews that stayed loyal to the teachings of Jesus, had to change their names and hid their beliefs for fear of persecution from the Romans.
4. That X-Mas can somehow make the holiday more acceptable for the less religious. The spirit of giving, peace and love are the messages of Christ. Religion is what you make it.
3. That toys are healthy for kids, and are just a part of their normal childhood. Of course, this is true in moderation. But most of yesterday's toys were built for the outside. Today, kids are getting video games and other items that are only used inside.
2. Parents should always talk to their children, and most of all listen to them. That may be true most of the time, but the holiday's are also a time to make sure they are kept in line, and whenever possible, out of the house during the day. Parents are there to set the boundries, and to imflict the wrath of God when those boundries are crossed.
1. That the celebration of the birth of Jesus is lost with all the commercialism and alternate images put in his place. Sorry...that one is true.