The Holidays and History

Caleb and I are studying ancient history this year and I am finding it, as I do all history, very interesting.  I have recently become especially interested in the origins of  our holidays.   I just did a  study on Halloween, All Hallows Eve (the eve before All Saints Day), Samhain, the Celtic observance of the end of summer, kind of like our Harvest Festivals.  A lot of legends and traditions are mixed into this day to bring us trick or treating, wearing masks and carving Jack-O-Lanterns. Very interesting stuff, some things things that make you say hmmmm but not really an exceptionally evil beginning.

Of course Thanksgiving is a no brainer on its beginnings, all of us have read "Squanto", but how it actually became a national Holiday is interesting;
http://tarrytown.patch.com/articles/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-thanksgiving-but-were-afraid-to-ask-2

Now I have started looking into the origin of Christmas, Wow, Very interesting stuff here, how did I get to be 53 years old believing in so many things that are not true?  No Santa? Really? (haha jk) It seems  that Christmas tradition is really a hodge podge of all sorts of old pagan Druid celebrations that "the Church" tried to get the people to forget by introducing the celebration of the Christ Child's birth  (that was not really even in December!).
I am really a little put off at the thought of being spoon fed these very nice ideals that are untruths made up by some old bishops during the time of the Roman persecution, and I am feeling rather moronic that I have so staunchly defended "keeping Christ in Christmas" when He really is not the "reason for the season", that would be the Roman Saturnalia, a winter festival that marked the winter solstice- the return of the sun-and honored Saturn, the god of sowing. Pretty crazy huh?


Now, no need to worry, I nor any of the family will be wearing togas on Dec. 25th this year and none of this has anything to do with my belief in the Gospel truths surrounding the birth of Christ, the Messiah. Please don't call an exorcist. lol  I am just stating that for me knowing the 'true' history of things is very important.