Glad you're home..enjoy these last few "alone" days.
The Bible gives no certain answer to the date of Jesus' birth, but it does give clues. Luke 2:8-14 speaks of shepherds living outdoors and tending to a flock of sheep. The text reads, "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night." Scholars of the Bible have concluded that this would be highly unlikely in the month of December, for the weather conditions would be too cold to live outside or tend to a flock of sheep. In addition, it is also unlikely that Augustus would force Jews to trek to their home cities under the cold and rainy seasons.
Before the Romans converted to Christianity, they celebrated the popular holiday Saturnalia, a festival of feasting and revelry held in December in celebration of Saturn, the god of agriculture, and the winter solstice.
"In 350, Pope Julius I declared that Christ's birth would be celebrated on December 25. There is wide acceptance of the belief that Pope Julius I was trying to make it as painless as possible for pagan Romans, who remained a majority at that time, to convert to Christianity. The new religion went down a bit easier, knowing that their feasts would not be taken away from them." Moreover, in ancient Babylon, December 25th was the feast of the Son of Isis, Goddess of Nature, was celebrated with, "Raucous partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were traditions of this feast.
Ancient Druids, a member of an order of priests in ancient Gaul and Britain who appear in Welsh and Irish legend as prophets and sorcerers, were known to place evergreen branches over doors to frighten away evil spirits. The origin of the Christmas tree is started in Germany where it was worshiped by German pagans believing in Thor, the Norwegian God of thunder. In order to convert these pagans a Christian missionary told them that his God is more powerful than theirs. To prove this fact he said that he can cut Thors' tree down without being punished by the Gods. Henceforth after that the Christmas tree was the evergreen.
No more traveling for at least 4 weeks 
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