Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihuxq.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!ihuxq!amigo2 From: amigo2@ihuxq.UUCP (John Hobson) Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish Subject: Re: How do you deal with Jewish Holidays and WORK? Message-ID: <727@ihuxq.UUCP> Date: Thu, 1-Mar-84 12:45:09 EST Article-I.D.: ihuxq.727 Posted: Thu Mar 1 12:45:09 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 3-Mar-84 07:10:37 EST References: <963@pegasus.UUCP> <202@masscomp.UUCP> <1016@pegasus.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 22 Ephrayim J. Naiman asks: >> Someone once told me that Jesus was born on the first day of >> Chanukah, the 25th day of Kislev; and the Christians observe >> Christmas on the same day, twenty-five, of the approximately >> equivalent month in the solar calendar, December. >> >> Anyone know if this is true? Sorry, Ephrayim, but the reason that Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December is that the Romans had a Winter Solistice feast (the Saturnalia) on that date, and it was pre-empted by the Christians because it was popular. On a related subject, St. Valentine's Day on February 14 is the "lovers festival" because February 15th was the Roman feast of the Lupercalia, which was a fertility festival, and one chose a partner for it on the previous day. John Hobson AT&T Bell Labs--Naperville, IL ihnp4!ihuxq!amigo2