Fun Facts About Xmas Guaranteed To Piss Off Christians

Over the last several years quite a controversy has erupted over the use of the term "happy holidays." I personally used to favor it only because it seemed like a shorter way of saying "merry Christmas and happy new year." But then somehow political correctness crept into the matter, at which point quite a few people began getting their panties in a wad over what they perceived as a war on Christmas.

I used to think the whole debate was just plain silly. Did it really matter which term you used? By arguing the point, weren't we in fact losing sight of the real meaning of the season?

That is why I finally decided to make a stand. It's time to forget the happy holidays crap and return to the TRUE roots of Christmas.... And it has nothing to do with a baby named Jesus.

Saturnalia was a Roman festival that was celebrated around the time of the winter solstice.

"Saturnalia was a big holiday- businesses and courts closed for days. The halls were decked with holly branches and evergreen wreaths. People visited family and attended lavish banquets and holiday parties. Gifts of silver, candles, figurines, and sweets (often tied to evergreen wreaths) were exchanged. It was also customary to light candles and roam the streets singing holiday songs (albeit often in the nude). Even the "Christmas Tree" was a common sight."

So there you have it: Christmas traces its origins to an ancient pagan holiday.

Another interesting bit about Christmas concerns that whole "Xmas" thing. Many religious conservatives decry that as some sort of blasphemous abbreviation. Some have even called the use of the "X" as some sort of attempt to cross Christ out of Christmas.

Well, as it turns out, "X" was commonly used by the Greeks as an abbreviation for Christ. And why should we care about that? Well, Greek was the original language of the Bible. So if you want to ban the use of "Xmas," that's fine, but be aware that you will be banished to an eternity in the fiery bowels of perdition for disparaging the Bible.

I'm seriously tempted to explain all this to Fox News' Bill O'Reilly just to see if his head explodes.