Hey,
just want to show you a video I made at a traditional Christmas event in Latvia.
We still use the old name for Christmas - Ziemassvētki - which means winter celebrations, and the name Jesus wasn't even mentioned during the whole thing,
but there were quite many folk songs and dances.

What's very pleasant is that there were many kids there, as well as teenagers, who participated in dances, etc., so it's nice to know the culture continues.

You are welcome to see the event for yourselves @ Dailymotion
Part 1 - music (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3yf5h_ziemassvtki-rtu-christmas-folk-conc_music) (The first band is more postfolk, the second is more traditional)
Part 2 - dance (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3z0h2_ziemassvtki-rtu-christmas-folk-danc_music)

By the way, the second dance is called Witch's dance.


I posted this in Human science because I want to look at it from the antrhopological stand point, as well as to show that Europe is still a colourful place with old traditions still being alive.

The music and dances are quite nice too.


p.s. Oh, I met one couple from Chicago, USA there. :D

Christmas was invented by early church fathers to compete with the Roman pagan holiday of Saturnalia. No one knows on what date Jesus was born, so the church simply chose a convenient date.

Hum,
interestingly, Mithra was born on the 25th December, in a cave, and was visited by shepherds etc.

http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=61362

Christmas was invented by early church fathers to compete with the Roman pagan holiday of Saturnalia. No one knows on what date Jesus was born, so the church simply chose a convenient date.If, for the sake of argument, we are to take Jesus as a true historical figure rather than a myth, the biblical references to Roman tax season and to shepherds out with their flocks indicate that his birth occurred in springtime, at least three months later than traditional Christmas. Then the celebration of his birth has been adjusted for our convenience, just like that of George Washington and Martin Luther King Jr., but by a much greater number of days. :)