Pagans. Christmas occurs when it does because the Church wanted to co-opt the pagan winter solstice celebration of Saturnalia. We do not know the exact date of Jesus' birth, but we know that it was NOT in winter because of Luke 2:8
"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night"which they would not be doing in winter
I know some pagans who would be obnoxious enough to send SEA-TAC an "include us too or we sue" letter
LOL.
While I don't make issue about when Jesus was born, the time of year wouldn't be based on that verse about sheep. This is the second time I've come across this on FR and I find it a dumb argument. One shouldn't assume that every sheepherding enterprise 2000 years ago had access to a warm barn or whatever when bad weather approched. Plenty of sheepherders get stuck outdoors in modern times in bad weather. I guess some might have gotten barns, but all surely did not.