Who Decides That Christmas Is On Dec 25?

My bad. It seems I took Goodgulf's original question as facetious rather than literal...

Unlikely as Christianity was spread by people who claimed to know him, including in Jewish communities and in Israel/Palestine soon after his (alleged) death. There is no reliable external (for example, Roman) evidence, but it just doesn't add up that the religion (or as it was often seen at the time, this new variant of Judaism) could be spread successfully among people who could easily have known if it was invented. Of course there were numbers of itinerant preachers at the time and it's even possible that a few stories about deeds or words got mixed in from them, just as I might "remember" person A saying something when actually it was person B.

As for the date, well, does it matter?

Christmas day is acknowledged as being on 25th December the day of Jesus birth, but Good Friday when he was supposed to have died varies in date every year?

So Goodgulf you might have a case for rearranging Christmas day.

Not looking for a debate, but I'm not aware of any eye-witness accounts. More likely re-tellings of re-tellings. Your other points are valid. The teachings are based on something other than imagination, but reformer preachers were rampant at the time, the composite theory is very likely. Heck the mythology is based on Mithra so everything is based on something.

And, no, the date really does not matter.

Your stories are ALWAYS welcome, Goodgulf, any time of year!

A few years ago you posted an April Fools snippet where the Aunt leaves a joke note for her niece instructing her to ask her Uncle for a spanking. One of my favorite holiday stories ever!

Wow - I didn't think I'd start so many discussions. Mostly I just wanted to vent over not having enough time to finish that story - and I may end up posting it after Christmas.

Stories about a common event - be it Christmas or April's Fools Day - tend to resonant with people because each reader brings their own memories of that day. Thankfully the library has a category for Christmas, which makes Christmas stories easy to find.

Here's a quick listing of mine - and a brief summary of each one.

Making It Home For Christmas - After making a huge mistake in laying out her budget a college girl needs cash to make it home for Christmas. Luckily there's a video producer who needs a constant flow of new talent for his website. Since she's sure no one she knows will ever visit that website she agrees to do just enough to pay for a round ticket home.

Christmas Gifts (1&2) - A brat discovers that her "friends" (or rather their parents) have sent her "gag gifts" for Christmas. Each of the gifts is something that can be used on her bottom as a cure for her brattyness - but what are the odds that any will get used?

Home For Christmas - a college girl returns home from Christmas. Her parents' Christmas party is boring for her, which leads her off on an unexpected adventure with a neighbour she's known all her life. (F/f)

Getting Into The Christmas Spirit - One of the girls sharing a house at college still believes in Santa. Her belief summons one of Santa's Helper who has to give special treatments to her roommates. (M/fff)

A Christmas Wish - due to a misplaced magic wand, someone gets her wish for Christmas. (/f)

Christmas Across The County Line - this is in the library as a series, but it was written as long story. A very long story.
Basic setting: The government collapsed, stayed down for a while, then there was a rebuilding that was involved accepting that the laws would no longer be the same everywhere, This happened decades ago and is all backstory to explain why some areas now have completely different laws than other areas.
Wellington County is more or less normal, a lot like the modern world, but if you go next door to Hazard County you'll find that spankings are legal, encouraged, and the norm. A girl plots to spend Christmas across that county line in hopes of luring her bratty little brother to where she can spank him, but her plans don't work out quite as she hopes. (many, many spankings)
-Note: the Wellington County/Hazard County setting appears in other stories I've written - check for series that include words "The line" in the title.

I am drawn to birthday stories, and have written several myself, but I've only written one Christmas story, "A High Stress Christmas". Birthday spankings provide a great platform for a story, but who would have the temerity to redden the bottom of the Christ child? I'll bet that Mary was forgiving even when Jesus as a young boy disappeared, no doubt causing her great distress, only to be found much later in the temple discussing theology. Now if he had been a John or a Joshua, you can bet that his mother would have put him on the straight and narrow right quick.

For point A....Google Max Ernst's painting of "Mary Spanking the Infant Jesus in front of three witnesses"

For point B, I always thought of that story when after looking all over for him, he says something about, "why didn't you think I would be in my father's house?" ..............and I picture Joseph standing there mumbling, "yeah, keep rubbing it in."

Birthday stories can be great - especially if a playful birthday spanking is involved.

Stress can be a huge factor at Christmas, and stress can lead to spankings. At one time in certain cultures there was a tradition of giving spankings on the Feast of Holy Innocents to remind the kids about that bit of suffering - but a better Christmas story involves getting (or giving) a spanking for Christmas.

Imagine filling out a letter to Santa and on Christmas day there's someone under the tree for you to spank - or to spank you (your choice). Now that's Christmas story worth reading.

LOL I love it.

An after thought regarding Joshua's youth, imagine the hidings he must have received from his parents when he was practicing to blow the ram's horn around the house.