Christmas (Winterval) From Pagan to Christian to Pagan

In England the Birmingham Council calls Christmas "Winterval" and as Christianity fades in England the Pagan roots of December 25 are the new reason for the Season.
Here is a bit from the Guardian's Special Report Christmas 2000

The National Secular Society's learned work examines this "traditional" Christmas story that is so much under threat and finds that it was always a moveable feast, morphing from one religion to another, using the same stories and symbols from one culture to another to celebrate the rebirth of the sun. Since we are now a secular society - only 7% churchgoers - Birmingham was right: winterval is exactly what we do celebrate. As for the particulars of kings, stepfathers and shepherdesses, we are only following age-old tradition in adapting the story to modern purposes.

There is likely a reason for the dismissing of Christmas by many throughout the world. Though the attacks on Christmas in this country have deminshed this year somehow I don't think the battle is over. It is funny that a federal holiday is the focus of this political correctness. It may be that we should get used to saying we are living in a post modern and post Christian age. It has been true in Europe for a while now and may soon be true here in America.