So you think you know a little about Christmas?  What you think you know and what you don't know may astound you.  Did you know that Christmas is a pagan holiday?  The majority of traditions that are part of Christmas and other celebrations during the winter solstice are largely of pagan origin and have deep roots in ancient history.  These celebrations were centered around the Winter Solstice and the rebirth of the sun.  Remnants of many of these traditions are still practiced as part of these holidays today.  Did you know that Old Saint Nick was a Norse god?  Did you know that the yule log was intended to bring strength and health to the sun?  Did you know that the story of the birth of Christ is almost entirely borrowed from Persian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and other pagan sun-god myths?  Did you know that the three wise men are based on a star constellation and also have a long history in pagan sun-god cults?  Did you know that Christmas trees are references to the eternal tree of life and were brought into homes during the celebration of Yule?  

In this class we will explore these questions and more as we take a journey through the history of the ancient traditions that have shaped and have become a part of the celebration of Christmas.  This is not a class about the Nativity story and will not present any religio-centric perspective.  It is instead an exploration of the popular pre-Christian traditions that were eventually incorporated into the holiday. This class will be presented from a secular and strictly scholarly and objective perspective as we look at the ancient historical, mythological, and archaeological data related to ancient cultures and customs and their contributions to the celebration of the modern holiday.  This class will consist of a Powerpoint lecture and open discussion.  Students will be presented with various topics, and asked questions, and encouraged to participate in class.  There are no pre-requisites for the class and no background knowledge is necessary.  

Topics include:
Immaculate Conception
Jesus, Hercules and other Demigods
Syncretizing Pagan and Christian Traditions
Saviors and Messiahs
Earth-mother goddesses
Sun gods and the birth of the sun
The pagan virgin mother and princely son and its transformation to the Virgin Mary
The celebration of winter solstice
Roman holidays:  Saturnalia
The rise of Mithras:  The savior or humanity
Origin of the name of Christ
The pagan Star of Bethlehem, the manger birth, and the three wise men
Nordic gods to Santa Claus
Celebrating Yule
Leaving cookies for Santa 
The significance of mistletoe and holly
Origin of the Christmas Tree