Schneier on Security

“Jesus is NOT the reason for the season� ?
Well, yes and no – but we should point out the facts:

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. The problem was that there was nothing intrinsically Christian about Saturnalia. To remedy this, these Christian leaders named Saturnalia’s concluding day, December 25th, to be Jesus’ birthday. Correct in that this is not the day he was born.

When was he born?

Since Jesus was conceived six months after John the Baptist, and we have established a likely date for John's birth, we need only move six months farther down the Jewish calendar to arrive at a likely date for the birth of Jesus. From the 15th day of the 1st month, Nisan, we go to the 15th day of the 7th month, Tishri. And what do we find on that date? It is the festival of Tabernacles! The 15th day of Tishri begins the third and last festival of the year to which all the men of Israel were to gather in Jerusalem for Temple services. (Lev 23:34)

I didn't know it was possible to make spam out of squid, but I guess you can make spam out of anything.

"Since Jesus was conceived six months after John the Baptist, and we have established a likely date for John's birth, we need only move six months farther down the Jewish calendar to arrive at a likely date for the birth of Jesus."

That assumes that the stories in that book are at least partly factual. Where are the objective historical references to the events described in the gospels? (Contemporary references. Not stuff written down by christians three centuries after the alleged events.) How about that ridiculous census? That ought to have made it into someone's records.

Says the Squidmas creator:

“SO THE WHOLE SQUID THING IS RANDOM?
at the onset, yes. Now it's about the intelligence of the animal. More than just a protest of ‘Christmas’ it's about USING intelligence and reason.�

Gifted, are they? Expect them to object to objectification, seasonal or otherwise, soon.

December 25 is the day after December 24.

No, December 25th is the day before December 26th. It also happens to be Isaac Newton's birthday (in the Julian Calendar of the day), which is reason enough for celebration.