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From: oleg@quad1.quad.com (Oleg Kiselev)
Newsgroups: alt.flame,talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: Theological Debates
Keywords: Holiday
Message-ID: <1415@quad1.quad.com>
Date: 6 Jan 88 19:11:59 GMT
References: <4032@uwmcsd1.UUCP> <14193@oddjob.UChicago.EDU> <4062@uwmcsd1.UUCP> <14199@oddjob.UChicago.EDU> <4073@uwmcsd1.UUCP>
Reply-To: oleg@quad1.quad.com (Oleg Kiselev)
Organization: HASA
Lines: 16

In article <4073@uwmcsd1.UUCP> markh@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (Mark William Hopkins) writes:
>And lest we think a name makes a holiday, let me ask about what those poor
>Christians did before Christmas was even named so (around 900).

They did nothing.  They did not celebrate Xmass.  The less faithfull and more
pagan-inclined Xtians may have celebrated the Solstice (or whatever) as a 
tribute to the Old Gods (as is common in many Xtianized cultures).  And at some
point the Church decided to do away with the pagan celebration by co-opting it.

You may find it educational to find out what the names for Xmass are in other
languages.
-- 
Oleg Kiselev  --  oleg@quad1.quad.com -- {...!psivax|seismo!gould}!quad1!oleg
HASA, "A" Division

DISCLAIMER:  I don't speak for my employers.