Christmas History

Guest: Bruce Forbes, PhD, Chair of the Philosophy and Religious Studies department at Morningside College and author of “America’s Favorite Holidays”  Every year we hear the lament: Santa Claus is a commercial invention. Christmas is about Christ. We’ve forgotten the true meaning of the holiday. And there are calls to return to the pure spiritual roots of Christmas.  Except, the true roots of Christmas have nothing to do with Jesus Christ. And once the holiday was considered so pagan it was banned in America. Anyone caught observing Christmas in any way could be fined five shillings in Massachusetts. That was back in 1659 when the Puritans ruled the roost.  So how did Christmas become America’s favorite holiday?