Christmas Card Ideas

Warm wishes

The winter images shown here have been discontinued but the basic card design is a fun one that shows a great way to use the mini clothespins. Stamp the solid bar with chocolate brown ink and then attach the clothespins with crafter's pick. It's our favorite glue for a project like this, the paper will tear before the clothespin will fall off.

Items used:

Crafter's Pick

4813E - thick stripe

Clothes Pins - natural

Encore ink - honeydew

Three Presents

We love to use the blocks in creative ways. Here three different sized blocks were stamped with gold and merlot inks. After masking each block, word stamps were stamped over them. Notice how the words are offset so they appear to wrap around the box. Slits were made for the ribbon and each box was then wrapped with different but coordinating ribbons.

Items used:

4546A - small rectangular block

4545C - rectangular block

4547B - block

4835B - holiday cheer

4831B - merry christmas

Happy Holiday tag

These tag cards are quick and simple to make. Stamp the snowflakes and blocks with a gold pad. Then go back and stamp the fun winter images over the blocks of gold. Finish off the card with a bit of ribbon to add a festive touch. These tags fit in Memory Box slim envelopes.

Items used:

4547B - block

4821D - happy holidays

4723B - snowflake

Encore - gold

Colorbox ink - merlot, alpine

Swirl Star Tree Card

Don't forget to use the idea of attaching a tag to a card for an embellishment. We love to use our favorite silver metallic cording to further enhance the project.

Items used:

Impress Ink - olive green

Metallic Cord

Sticky Stuff

Create holiday magic using a fun product called Sticky Stuff. It's a powder that when heated, becomes sticky. To make this card, first stamp an image and color it in. Then take a block stamp and stamp it over the image using Versamark ink. Apply the embossing powder as usual. Heat it until it gets shiny and then sprinkle on the prisma glitter for a perfectly shaped oval that sparkles!

Items used:

Sticky Stuff

Prisma Glitter

4838E - Oval Stamp

Heavenly Joy

To make a card like this, use canvas white PolyShrink. First lightly sand the Polyshrink. Then stamp your image onto it using black Brilliance ink. Color the image with prismacolor pencils and cut it out. Use a heat gun to shrink the plastic. A stencil was cut out of paper and blue ink was applied to the edges to create the clouds.

Items used:

PolyShrink - Canvas white and Sanding blocks

Silver paper

Prismacolor pencils

(Source: impressrubberstamps.com)

Christmas Gift Ideas-In Low Budget

Here's a few of favorite inexpensive gift ideas...

1. Gourmet coffees with a personal coffee cup

2. Pound of pistachios

3. Child's artwork, framed

4. Journal with special inscription inside

5. Teacup with box of herbal tea

6. Deck of cards and book of card game rules

7. Homemade cocoa mix in a pretty jar

8. Collage of special photos

9. Gel pens and pretty stationary

10. Bottle of sparkling cider

11. Home baked bread, include recipe

12. Disposable camera or rolls of film

13. Basket filled with deli cheese and fruit

14. Craft supplies

15. Holiday serving bowl or platter

16. Pretty basket filled with special jams or mustards

17. Decorative napkins and napkin rings

18. Fancy chocolate bars tied with a ribbon

19. Gardening gloves with a plant or flower seeds

20. Photo album, hand decorated is even better

21. Makeup tote

22. Prepaid photo developing envelopes

23. Homemade cookie mix with instructions for baking

24. Variety of bread mixes

25. Special coffee cup filled with candy

26. Fancy magazines tied together with a pretty ribbon

27. Gourmet popcorn and flavored oil

28. Locally made barbeque or steak sauce with basting brush

29. Pancake or waffle mix and a bottle of real maple syrup

30. Movie theater gift certificates

31. Board games

32. Jar of sourwood or pure honey with biscuit mix

33. Note cards and book of stamps

34. Picture frames, buy them on sale!

35. Specialty cookbook

36. Pretty glass jar filled with candy

37. Collectible sports cards

38. Muffin mixes with muffin pan

39. Books, there are still a few for under $10

40. Set of dish towels and dish cloths

41. Nail polish kit

42. Pretty night shirt

43. Basket filled with kitchen gadgets

44. Video rental gift certificates

45. Pepper mill and fresh peppercorns

46. Handwritten copies of your favorite recipes

47. For the pets, gourmet dog biscuits or cat treats

48. Baking pans and supplies

49. Prepaid long distance phone cards

50. Small clock or radio

51. Pretty box for keepsakes

52. Colorful Post-It notepads

53. Address book

54. Christmas ornaments

55. Puzzles

56. Blank video or cassette tapes

57. Sewing supplies

58. Flashlight with batteries

59. Favorite quote embroidered on a nice handkerchief

60. Makeup brush set

61. Expensive socks, still under $10

62. Special soaps and bath puff

63. and don't forget my absolute favorite... home baked cookies!

Hope you will be inspired by this list, after all, it's not the amount of money you spend for a gift that matters the most, but that you cared enough to give something special.

(Source: www.betterbudgeting.com)

Top 10 Traditional Christian Christmas Songs

1. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

Rudolph is in my heart for the top Christmas song. Again, because memories of childhood come back to me when I hear this song. The Character Rudolph was created by Robert L. May with as part of his employment with Montgomery Ward in 1939. Johnny Marks adapted May's story of Rudolph into a song, and was sung by none other than the legendary Gene Autry in 1949.

2. Frosty The Snowman

Frosty the snowman, was a jolly, happy soul! Well, you know the rest, but for some reason, the more "Fairy-Tale"Christmas songs really have my heart. I guess because they bring me back to by childhood years, and all the magic that was Christmas. Jack Nelson and Steve Rollins wrote the song in 1950 after being inspired by "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer". The song was sung by the legendary Gene Autry.

3. Jingle Bell Rock

This popular Christmas song was originally sung by Bobby Helms in 1957. Despite the name "rock" in the title, it was actually performed in the crossover style called "Rockabilly" which sounds more country today. It also makes reference to the song "Rock Around The Clock". This song has become a Christmas classic. It's upbeat, and definitely gets you in the Christmas mood!

4. Let It Snow

This song, written and composed in 1945, was never intended to be a Christmas song. It was written as a love song, but with its snowy cheerfulness, it became very popular at Christmas time. This song was also #1 on the Billboard charts in the 1940's. I love this song for it's cheerfulness and it's upbeat tune.

5. Silent Night

This song has a very beautiful, unique history to it. This song originated in 1818 in a small church in Austria. The St. Nicholas church congregation were performing the story of the birth of Christ a couple of days before Christmas. After the play, Pastor Josef Mohr decided to take a long walk home. He sat atop a hillside, looking down at the town, and all its peacefulness and beauty. It reminded him of a poem that he had wrote a few years earlier. The next day, he decided his poem would make a great song. He went to the church's organist, Franz Xavier Gruber, who wrote the music for the song, and the congregation sang it on Christmas Eve. I have also linked that website to this article if you would like to read more about it.

6. Joy To The World

There is very little history to this song, because the song is not that old. The scripture based words are by Isaac Watts, and the music was arranged by Lowell Mason.

Some of the most popular recordings are from the 1950's, such as the instrumental version by conductor Percy Faith in 1954. This song has sparked some great parodies, but we won't talk about those here.

7. Deck The Halls

This song has a very interesting history to it. In the 18th Century, Mozart used the tune to "Deck The Halls" for a piano and violin duet. The song is actually Welsh, however and dates back to the 1700's. Different cultures have different versions of the song, and some even have made completely different songs to the same tune. It is a very popular, world wide song though.

8. The First Noel

This song is thought to have become popular in France in the fifteenth century. Though little is known about it's origin, it was widespread in England in the 1800's where it was sung on Christmas Eve. Noel is Latin, which means "birthday". The song explains about Christ's birth in vivid detail.

9. Jingle Bells

This classic Christmas song dates back over 150 years ago. It was written by James Lord Pierpont and copyrighted in 1857. The original chorus had a more classical melody to it. It is unknown when it was changed with the modern, most popular form of the chorus. Also - did you know that the word "jingle" is intended to be used as an imperative verb, and not an actual type of bell?

10. Twelve Days Of Christmas

I may not remember all of the 12 days, of Christmas, but I still love this song! I have found the origin of the song and it's actually a quite interesting story. England prohibited the Catholics to practice their religion publicly and privately in the periods of 1558 to 1829. The 12 days of Christmas was written as a "catechism song" to help young Catholics with the tenets of their faith.

(Source: www.associatedcontent.com)

How to Blend Christmas Tradition and Religion

Christmas traditions such as Santa Claus, setting up Christmas trees, exchanging gifts and hanging Christmas lights are fun ways to celebrate the holiday. Families with a religious background often feel the need to abandon these traditions in order to teach their families the religious importance of the holiday. Blending religion and tradition allows families to take part in fun Christmas traditions and still honor the religious reasons for celebrating Christmas.

1. Decorate the outside of your home for Christmas. Decorating gets your family excited about the holiday and by setting up a nativity scene or other religious decorations you can spread the spirituality of Christmas.

2. Read traditional and religious Christmas stories. Rotate back and forth between secular and religious Christmas stories. Encourage your family to enjoy both sides of the holiday.

3. Listen to religious and secular Christmas music. Point out to your family the difference between the two and reinforce the meaning behind songs such as "Silent Night" and "Away in a Manger."

4. Attend church on Christmas Eve after exchanging gifts with friends and family. Enjoy the feeling of giving to others and then experience the joy of worshiping on Christmas.

5. Believe in Santa Claus. He is a wonderful Christmas tradition and you can easily incorporate the giving aspects of Santa Claus with the religious reasons for celebrating Christmas.

6. Create your own special family tradition that incorporates the tradition of giving and religion. Find a religious charity to support or volunteer at a shelter during the holiday season.

(Source: www.ehow.com)

12 Day Christmas

The twelve days of Christmas begins on December 25 and end just before Epiphany, that falls on January 6. Epiphany is a Christian feast intended to celebrate the 'shining forth' or revelation of God to mankind in human form, in the person of Jesus Christ. The observance originally included the birth of Jesus Christ; the visit of the three Magi (Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar) who arrived in Bethlehem; and all of Jesus' childhood events, up to his baptism in the Jordan by John the Baptist.

The Origin
The feast was initially based on, and viewed as a fulfillment of the Jewish Feast of Lights known as Chanukah. This was fixed on January 6 , but over time the western churches decided to celebrate Christmas on December 25. The eastern churches continued to treat January 6 as the day marking Jesus's birth. This has given rise in the west to the notion of a twelve day festival, starting on December 25 and ending on January 6, called the twelve days of Christmas.

Feasting And Merrymaking
In the Middle Ages, this period was one of continuous feasting and merrymaking, which climaxed on Twelfth Night, the traditional end of the Christmas season. During the twelve days of Christmas, traditional roles were often relaxed, masters waited on their servants, men were allowed to dress as women, and women as men. Often a Lord of misrule was chosen to lead the Christmas revels. Some of these traditions have an echo in modern day pantomime where traditionally authority is mocked and the principal male lead is played by a woman, while the leading older female character, or 'Dame' is played by a man. 

The Song
This period is referred to in the song Twelve Days of Christmas. Twelve Days of Christmas is a traditional Christmas song, or Christmas Carol. The Twelve Days of Christmas are the days from December 25 to January 6 or the Twelfth Night. The date of the song's first performance is not known, though it was used in European and Scandinavia traditions as early as the 16th century. 

The 12 Days of Christmas" is in a sense an allegory. Each of the items in the song represents something significant to the teachings of the Catholic faith. The hidden meaning of each gift was designed to help Catholic children learn their faith. The song goes, "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…" The "true love" mentioned in the song refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. i.e. the Church.

1st Day: The partridge in a pear tree is Christ Jesus upon the Cross. 

2nd Day: The "two turtle doves" refers to the Old and New Testaments. 

3rd Day: The "three French hens" stand for faith, hope and love. 

4th Day: The "four calling birds" refers to the four evangelists who wrote the Gospels-Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. 

5th Day: The "five golden rings" represents the first five books of the Bible, also called the Jewish Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. 

6th Day: The "six geese a-laying" is the six days of creation. 

7th Day: The "seven swans a-swimming" refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. 

8th Day: The "eight maids a milking " reminded children of the eight beatitudes listed in the Sermon on the Mount. 

9th Day: The "nine ladies dancing" were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit found in Galatians: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. 

10th Day: The "ten lords a-leaping" represents the Ten Commandments.

11th Day: The "eleven pipers piping" refers to the eleven faithful apostles. 

12th Day: The 'twelve drummers drumming" were the twelve points of belief expressed in the Apostles' Creed: belief in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, made man, crucified, died and arose on the third day, that he sits at the right hand of the father and will come again, the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting.

(Source: www.christmas-day.org)

The Religious Aspect of Christmas

Apart from the fun and enjoyment, knowing the religious aspect of Christmas is equally important. As per the Bible, there is no set of rules or procedure, according to which Christmas has to be celebrated. Thus, there is an immense number of customs that surround Christmas, and it varies from country to country. Many aspects, such as the Christmas tree, the Yule Log and the exchange of gifts are taken from the earlier pagan holiday of Romans. In most Western countries, Christmas celebrations have both religious and secular aspects.

Because of the lack of Biblical instructions, Christmas rituals have been shaped by the religious and popular traditions of each culture that celebrates the holiday. Traditionally, the sacred Christmas season starts with Advent, which begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and continues to Christmas Day. The sacred season ends on Epiphany, January 6. 

The Advent
During Advent, Christians make preparations for the commemoration of Jesus' birth on December 25. Each of the four weeks symbolizes a different way in which believers perceive Christ: through the flesh, the Holy Spirit, death, and Christ's judgment of the dead. The Advent wreath, which consists of four candles anchored in a circle of evergreen branches, originated with German Lutherans; the tradition has been adopted by many churches and families. At the beginning of each of the four weeks preceding Christmas, Christians light an Advent candle as they say a prayer.

Christmas Eve
On the Christmas Eve, churches around the world hold evening services. At midnight, most Catholic and many Protestant churches hold special candlelight services. The Catholic "Midnight Mass" was first introduced by the Roman Catholic Church in the 5th century. Christmas Masses are sometimes solemn and sometimes buoyant, depending on the particular culture that conducts them. On this day the worshipers enter the church in communal processions. Church services often feature candlelight and music. Some also include a dramatization of the Biblical story of Jesus' birth. 

Christmas Day
Christmas observances have also assimilated remnants of ancient rituals such as the custom of burning Yule logs; the Yule log symbolizes the victory of light over the darkness of winter. The tradition of lighting the Yule log is still observed, especially by Europeans. Families light the log on Christmas Eve and keep it burning until Epiphany. 

The Exchange Of Gifts
Christians traditionally exchange gifts as a reminder of God's gift of a savior to humankind. Gift giving also recalls an ancient Roman custom of exchanging gifts to bring good fortune for the new year. In most cultures that celebrate Christmas, a mythical figure delivers gifts to children. Since the 19th century, Santa Claus and other mythical gift givers have become increasingly gentle, generous, and forgiving.

(Source: www.christmas-day.org)

Christmas Tradition

The Tradition of Christmas festival has gradually evolved from times that long represented the Christian period. All the traditions and customs performed on this day are only the extension of Roman Pagan to Christian ceremonial. The tradition of Christmas include the 12 days of Christmas, the bright fires, the yule log, the giving of gifts, carols, the feasts, and the church processions, can all be traced back to the early times.

With the passage of time, the nature of Christmas celebration has undergone tremendous change and every year a new tradition begins. Christmas, celebrated to remember and honor the birth of holy Jesus, has evolved from a staunch religious affair into a merry hearted event that include carnivals, cookies and off course Santa Clause. 

The Traditional Elements Of Christmas:

Yule Log
The burning of the Yule Log was taken from ancient sun worship rituals. Yule Logs are supposed to be cut from red oak trees and burned all of Christmas Eve and into Christmas Day. 

Snow
Christmas has been widely associated with snow fun activities such as skiing, snowboarding, sled riding, snow mobile riding, or hiking with snowshoes. 

Wreath
To worship evergreen holly is taken as a sign of eternal life because it did not brown or die in the winter. Some religious groups say that the crown of thorns placed on Jesus' head was made of holly. The berries were supposedly white but turned bright red from Jesus' blood. 

Mistletoe
Mistletoe is rarely used in churches because it comes from the ancient Druid ceremony celebrating winter solstice. This once pagan tradition started when a girl would stand beneath the hanging plant and a boy would walk up, pick a berry and then kiss her.

Cookies
There is no exact date recorded but the idea of leaving cookies for Santa started sometime in the 1930's. Naughty kids use them to bribe Santa at the last minute and nice kids use them as a way of thanking him for all his hard work on Christmas Eve.

Santa Claus
'Santa' has been around since the 4th century. Originally known as Saint Nicholas, the patron of children and sailors, the bishop was immortalized because of his generous and loving nature towards children. 

Lights
The very first person to have Christmas lights on their tree was Edward Johnson who worked for Thomas Edison. The use of decorative light has been imperative on the Christmas Day.

Christmas Tree
The tradition of the Christmas tree comes from Germany. The very first trees were oak, the same tree used for the Yule Log. Trees have been a symbol of good luck since the Middle Ages. 

Caroling
The custom of singing Christmas carols is said to have come from 13th century Italy where a man named St. Francis of Assisi led songs of praise. It is very bad luck to send carolers away empty handed. It is customary to offer food, drink or even a little money. 

Rudolph

The invention of Rudolph was an advertising gimmick. The red-nosed reindeer was born in 1939 when a 34-year old writer for Montgomery Ward named Robert L. May was asked to invent a Christmas story. The company gave copies of the story to customers during the holiday season as a promotion for their stores.

(Source: www.christmas-day.org)

Christmas Story

The story of Christmas dates back over 4000 years. During this era, Rome was a great Empire ruled by Caesar Augustus and Israel was governed by King Herod. In a small village of Nazareth, Israel, lived Joseph and Mary. Joseph was a carpenter and Mary was a young virgin who would soon become his wife. Mary told Joseph of a dream in which she was visited by an angel who told her she had been chosen to bear a Son and his name was to be Jesus.

The Notice
When Mary was pregnant, the emperor sent notice that all persons were to register for a new tax. Therefore, they were instructed to return to the towns of their birth. Joseph and Mary left Nazareth for Bethlehem. Mary who was with child, and close to the birth, rode on a donkey while Joseph walked beside her. They traveled for many days and only rested at night.

On Reaching Bethlehem
When they reached Bethlehem it was night. They looked for a place to rest but there were no empty rooms when they reached the inn. As they were being turned away Joseph mentioned his wife was with child and close to birth. The inn keeper took pity on them and told them of some caves in the nearby hills that shepherds would stay with their cows and sheep.

The Birthplace
So Joseph and Mary went up into the hills and found the caves. In one cave was a stable room. Joseph cleaned it and made beds of fresh hay. He found a feeding trough which he cleaned and filled with hay to use as a crib. The next night Mary gave birth to a son and they named him Jesus, as the angel had said.

The Shepherds
When the child was born a shining star appeared over Bethlehem that could be seen for miles around. In the fields nearby shepherds were tending their flocks. An angel appeared to them surrounded by bright light. The shepherds were frightened and tried to run. 

"Fear Not," said the angel, "For I bring you tidings of great joy. For unto you is born this day in Bethlehem - a Saviour who is Christ the Lord." 

"And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." 

Suddenly the sky was filled with angels, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men."

After the angels departed the shepherds set out for Bethlehem. When they reached the cave they found the stable and inside was the child wrapped in swaddling clothes.

The Three Kings
As the star shined over Bethlehem, in the east three kings would see it. They knew it was a sign and they set off to follow the star. There was Caspar - the young King of Tarsus, Melchior - a long bearded old man and leader of Arabia, and Balthazar - the king from Ethiopia. They traveled on camels for many days over the mountains, and through the deserts, and plains. Always following the bright star. 

When they finally arrived in Bethlehem they found the child in the manger. The three kings bowed to their knees and offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They would stay the night in the cave and the next day returned to their lands to spread the news.

(Source: www.christmas-day.org)

Christmas History

The history of Christmas dates back over 4000 years as the various custom and tradition associated with the festival of Christmas were celebrated centuries before the birth of Christ. The exact day of the Christ child's birth has never been pinpointed. Traditions say that it has been celebrated since the year 98 AD. In 137 AD the Bishop of Rome ordered the birthday of the Christ Child celebrated as a solemn feast. In 350 AD another Bishop of Rome, Julius I, choose December 25th as the observance of Christmas. 

The History Of Christmas can be traced to some of the popular festival celebrated by early civilization that gave way to Christmas. 

Mesopotamian: New Years
Many of these traditions began with the Mesopotamian celebration of New Years. The Mesopotamians believed in many gods, and as their chief god - Marduk. Each year as winter arrived it was believed that Marduk would do battle with the monsters of chaos. To assist Marduk in his struggle the Mesopotamians held a festival for the New Year. This was Zagmuk, the New Year's festival that lasted for 12 days. 

Persians and Babylonians: Sacaea
The Persians and the Babylonians celebrated a similar festival called the Sacaea. Part of that celebration included the exchanging of places, the slaves would become the masters and the masters were to obey. 

Europeans: Winter Solstice
Early Europeans believed in evil spirits, witches, ghosts and trolls. As the Winter Solstice approached, with its long cold nights and short days, many people feared the sun would not return. Special rituals and celebrations were held to welcome back the sun.

Scandinavia: Yuletide
In Scandinavia, during the winter months the sun would disappear for many days. After thirty-five days scouts would be sent to the mountain tops to look for the return of the sun. When the first light was seen the scouts would return with the good news. A great festival would be held, called the Yuletide, and a special feast would be served around a fire burning with the Yule log. Great bonfires would also be lit to celebrate the return of the sun. In some areas people would tie apples to branches of trees to remind themselves that spring and summer would return.

Roman: Saturnalia
The Roman's celebrated their god Saturn. Their festival was called Saturnalia which began the middle of December and ended January 1st. The celebration would include masquerades in the streets, big festive meals, visiting friends, and the exchange of good-luck gifts called Strenae. 

The 25th was not only sacred to the Romans but also the Persians whose religion Mithraism was one of Christianity's main rivals at that time. The Church eventually was successful in taking the merriment, lights, and gifts from the Saturanilia festival and bringing them to the celebration of Christmas

(Source: www.christmas-day.org)

Christmas Origin

The origin of Christmas differs as the precise date of the birth and historicity of Jesus are much debated. Christmas, literally meaning the Mass of Christ, is a traditional holiday in the Christian calendar. The festival of Christmas takes place on 25th December, every year to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas is also celebrated as a secular holiday throughout the world, including countries with small Christian populations like India. Various theories of the origin of Christmas exist that give a clear insight into the celebration of Christmas. 

Date Of Christmas
Christmas is celebrated on December 25 in all Christian churches including Eastern Rite, Roman & Protestant. Since most Eastern Orthodox churches have not accepted either the Gregorian calendar or the Revised Julian Calendar reforms, December 25 will fall on the civil date of January 7 for the years from 1900 to 2099. It is believed that the nativity was set on December 25th by a Roman bishop around the third century A.D. 

The Roots Of Christmas
Christmas is from Christes Maesse, which means Christ Mass. It is referred that during the 4th century, the celebration of Christ's birth on December 25 was gradually adopted by most Eastern churches. In Jerusalem, opposition to Christmas lasted longer as according to them the exact date of birth of Jesus Christ is unknown. It is said that December 17-24th was the period of Saturnalia, a well-known festival in pagan, Rome. December 25th was the birthday of Mithra, the Iranian god of light. This day was adopted by the church as Christmas to counteract the effects of these festivals.

The Acceptation
Though the true origin of Christmas is filled with controversy and compromise, today, Christmas has turned out to be one of the most popular festival that fills joy, happiness and love in people's life. The festival of Christmas has absorbed various customs and traditions of world and 25th December has emerged as the most important day for Christians, irrespective of its roots. It is taken as a day that reflects the power, glory and salvation of Jesus Christ and his message of hope to the world.

Various Theories Of The origin of Christmas
As the origin of Christmas has been a debatable issue, various theories has been suggested, supporting the date of 25th December as the birth of Jesus. Few of them are: 

-Roman festival of Saturnalia
It is an appropriation by early Christians of a day on which the birth of several pagan gods, Osiris, Jupiter, and Plutus, or the ancient deified leader Nimrod, was celebrated. It is an appropriation of the Roman festival of the birth of Unconquered Sun, celebrated on the day after the winter solstice, or the Roman festival of Saturnalia. 

-Jewish Festival of Lights
It derives from the tradition that Jesus was born during the Jewish Festival of Lights that falls on 25th December.

-Date of Good Friday

The date of Christmas is based on the date of Good Friday, the day Jesus died. Since the exact date of Jesus' death is not stated in the Gospels, early Christians sought to calculate it, and arrived at either March 25 or April 6. Then, wishing to calculate Jesus' birthday, they followed the ancient idea that Old Testament prophets died either an anniversary of their birth or of their conception. In Jesus' case, they reasoned that he died on an anniversary of the Incarnation so the date of his birth would have been nine months after the date of Good Friday-either December 25 or January 6. The date of 25th December became popular.

(Source: www.christmas-day.org)