[NYer]

To cite an example from the above link:

Candlemas & Groundhog's Day:
Candlemas is the Mass Christians used to celebrate "the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple" and the "Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary." Celebrated 40 days after Christmas, Candlemas is the true end of the Christmas holiday season for traditional Christianity. By the late 19th century, however, this ancient feast in honor of Mary had been transformed by American Protestants into Groundhog's Day. There's nothing religious about the date in American culture at all anymore.

Very interesting history at the link posted above.

[fproy2222]

As I was growing up I was taught that
Christmas came from two words.

It is in remembrance of the “Christ Mass”.

[Alex Murphy]

...[Mark Shea] makes the very good point that the whole Advent and Christmas season (lasting right up to Candlemass on February 2) was a long sacred holiday that celebrated the Incarnation of Our Lord, and it was the Protestants who yanked all the sacred festivals and observations. The ironic thing is, they often pulled them with the argument that the festivals were 'pagan'.

See related thread:
ACLU Judges Nativity Scene as "Non-Biblical," Drops Lawsuit

[IbJensen]

To All My Liberal Friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of th e onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2009, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preferences.

To My Conservative Friends:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

[MayflowerMadam]

Some history I’ve read on the Puritans noted that they wouldn’t celebrate Christmas. One of them (maybe Bradford) wrote something to the effect that it’s an evil papist invention — the “mass” part was mentioned. Just a comment, FWIW...