The (actual) reason for the season -warning, it's long-

     One of my friends asked us to address this, and then I found myself extremely curious. A few questions...

Why x-mas? Are you really just that lazy?
Why does Jesus' Resurrection have anything to do with bunnies, or eggs?
Where did Santa come from?
Why do Pagans and Christians alike claim these holidays?
What do Jews do on Christmas? I don't know but the word sounds gross...
What the heck is Kwanzaa?
Who doesn't celebrate these days?

     Okay first x-mas, I assumed it was just a shorthand, but many claim it's people trying to take God out of a holiday they hold dear. Actually it turns out that it is a Greek translation issue. The term x-mas is actually as old as the holiday, and it has nothing to do with Atheists. Apparently the first letter in the Greek word for Christ is 'Chi' and it's symbol looked something like an X. Spell it out, and if you see the abbreviation, inform people, they may love to tell others that Jesus is even in that spelling for the day :)
     Next Easter, and that bunny with the eggs. Apparently the egg comes from the Druids, yes like the class is WoW, but not exactly the same thing.
          "The origin of the Pasch [Easter] eggs is just as clear [as the origin of Easter]. The ancient druids bore an egg, as the sacred emblem of their order. In the Dionysiaca, or mysteries of Bacchus, as celebrated in Athens, one part of the nocturnal ceremony consisted in the consecration of an egg. The Hindu fables celebrate their mundane egg as of a golden color. The people of Japan make their sacred egg to have been brazen. In China, at this hour, dyed or painted eggs are used on sacred festivals, even as in this country [England]. In ancient times eggs were used in the religious rites of the Egyptians and the Greeks, and were hung up for mystic purposes in their temples. From Egypt these sacred eggs can be distinctly traced to the banks of the Euphrates. The classic poets are full of the fable of the mystic egg of the Babylonians."
     Find the link here http://godkind.org/pagan-holidays.html I don't agree with everything on this page, but the information when cross referenced appears to be accurate.
     This time happened to jive with Jewish passover and the Christian Resurrection. To be honest many other religions use this time for a holiday, not just Pagans and Christians. Jews, and specifically Catholics have a holiday around this time, all with ancient influences. It is really interesting, there is more information on it's origin than I don't have time to read at the moment, as we like to say... Just Google it. I will have to add that the bunnies and eggs also come from the Pagan holiday of fertility. As in, they do it like bunnies, and of course eggs are always associated with the fertility of every animal.
     Okay, on to Mr. Santa Clause. Shew all literate children from the computer...

  It comes from Germanic legends that Santa Claus punishes naughty children with the knout, hmmm, scary. I always thought the Santa thing was a little scary anyway, and I'd like to add that I never actually believed in him, didn't scar me any, I promise. Santa can also be linked back to the legend of St. Nick, he gave widows money so that they could marry off their daughters. German art started shaping his look in the eighteen hundreds, Coca Cola finished him off with his festive red and white.
     It appears that so many religions practice these days because they are linked to endings and beginnings, the solstice, or other important times. Pagans where much disliked by the Christians, and the Christians wanted to convert them, so they just superimposed their holiday over it, (no one will notice, right?). Interestingly the Christmas tree comes from the belief that tree branches in the corners of homes will scare away ghosts. The wreath came from Pagans decorating for feasts.
     Chanukah (Hanukkah) First off a link http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102911/jewish/Chanukah-in-a-Nutshell.htm
    When they sought to light the Temple's menorah(the seven branched candelabrum), they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks; miraculously, the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.
Hanukkah is meant to teach kids about charity, and it also celebrates the freedom of the Jewish people.
I will go more in depth when I specifically study Judaism.
      Kwanzaa? Well turns out its a cultural holiday, not a religious one. It is a time of gathering for African people, it was also a time to thank their creator. The celebration of this holiday is growing as some African Americans try to reconnect with their roots. The holiday celebrates family, charity, and purpose among other things. It lasts 7 days, it is not an alternative to Christmas as it is not religious, many African Americans celebrate both.
     Who doesn't like gifts? Well some Christians don't apparently, due to certain verses in the Bible, and the Pagan roots. Jehovah's Witness' don't because of the pagan roots. Muslims and Jews have their own holidays, as do most other faiths. Atheists do sometimes celebrate, but just as a get together, yes even Atheists like presents.

The Christian Perspective- or at least my perspective
     Why I celebrate- I think it's my right to celebrate the birth of my Savior. As with gifts on Christmas its the thought that counts. I know he wasn't born on December 25th, but this is when we choose to celebrate, Pagan holiday or not. It is a time when I can tell my family the wonderful news in a different way than we do it all year. It brings families together, and it makes us happy. I love to think about Jesus as a baby, before all the strife and the huge burden he had. Also now that I have a son it makes an even bigger impact on me, I don't think if I was asked to give him up I could, him or my daughter, what a hard thing to do.
     If you don't believe the way I do, it doesn't mean that you should rain on our parade, you could always just humor us, spell out the word, and don't tell me that none of us remember the reason for the season. Christian is not synonymous with uneducated. In my desire to educate myself I have found all these interesting facts, can't argue with em, don't have to like em, but I will continue to celebrate, because that's what faith is about.
                                                  
                                                                                                           Sara