Christmas, Jul, Noël, Natividad... is the celebration of the birth of the ''unvanquished sun'' (sol invictus for the romans), Natalis Deis (day of birth) celebrated on winter solstice day. On this date, the sun is reborn, days are longer.
The Celts who associated a tree for each month celebrated the winter solstice also as the day of the rebirth of the sun. Logically, the epicea was chosen to symbolized childbirth and fertility.
It is also the solstice celebration which is at the origin of Scandinavian Christmas, Jul, very important celebration as we go farther north and the days get shorter in winter.
In the 4th Century, the church unable to suppress the old traditions, decided to disguised the pagan holidays and December 25 (which was at the time, the day of the winter solstice according to the Julian calendar) was chosen to celebrate the birth of Christ (probably born in autumn). As the church thought of Jesus as the sun Christ, the date was assimilated for the church purposes, as many other pagan holidays.
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