Did you know, for instance, that Dec. 25 wasn't designated as the day to mark Christ's birth until the fourth century A.D., because church officials hoped to tone down raucous, end-of-the-year pagan partying? -SNIP- The underlying roots of Christmas stem from something called Saturnalia, the winter feast and mega-party celebrated by the Romans of ancient times, says Thompson. -SNIP- What commenced was a party that makes those "Girls Gone Wild" videos appear tame, say experts. "The reason the church created this (religious) festivity in the fourth century is because the pagans were having too much fun," says Penne Restad, a...
