Actually December 25th originated as a pagan holiday the winter solstice, which was reformed by Ancient Rome as Saturnalia. It was a holiday of lawlessness where people can be happy, drunk, merry. They sing naked in the streets, have fights, and even rape, all in the consent of the Empire. This holiday was celebration to the birth of the sun god in Northern parts of Europe where it was called Yule, and in Rome the rebirth of the Sun as the god Saturn. In 350AD the pope integrated this holiday as Christmas and declared Jesus' birthday on December 25th. In actual fact, following history, Jesus would've been born sometime in September, some even say February. The Christmas tree was from a pagan ritual of Yule, that was also integrated. It was to give hope that after winter, harvest will begin again. The tree was decorated, and put comfortably in their homes as a reminder. The gift giving was originated for the most despised people of the Roman empire to give tribute to the emperor, which then became localized to every family. Saint Nicholas was a bishop that was born in Turkey and became a small cult sect by the celtics, Germanians and later the Dutch, which then became popularized a few novelists and illustrator from 1822 to 1886, and then finally put in everyone's mind as a Coca Cola campaign in 1920 with his iconic red and white coat and hat.
