Few people can say with certainty why the United States celebrates Christmas on December 25th. And I imagine even fewer people know why we give gifts, or why we are horrified when we find ourselves under mistletoe. The answers to these questions lie beneath a thick layer of rich human and mythological history. For me, most of these discoveries were absolutely shocking: Christ was never at Christmas. Sol Invictus is the Roman sun god whose birthday falls on December 25th. Scholars agree that this date was most likely chosen because the Roman calendar lists the 25th as the winter solstice. Interestingly, evidence suggests that there was an undeniable overlap between the sun god Sol Invictus, Judaism, and Christianity from the 1st to 3rd centuries AD. This makes little sense because this time period was very tumultuous for both Christians and Jews. The Sol Invictus mosaics in the synagogues of Israel are still visible today. Why have the Jews ignored an obvious pagan reference in their places of worship for over a thousand years? Or perhaps more importantly, why were the mosaics put there in the first place? Emmanuel Friedheim explains his reaction: “The appearance of Helios [the Greek variant of the Roman Sol Invictus] sparked a stormy academic debate which intensified when the ancient synagogue of Hammath Tiberias was excavated. . . this is the first example of a representation of the sun god, and it appeared in one of the most important Jewish centers during the Talmudic period. point, substantially rooted in Jewish culture. Although scholars may never know, it is possible that this is why Christmas is celebrated at...... center of card...... Religious customs, history, legends and symbols from around the world; Supplemented by a bibliography and lists of Christmas websites and associations. Detroit, Michigan: Omnigraphics, 2003. Print. Henderson, Helene, and Sue Ellen Thompson. Holiday Symbols and Customs: A Guide to the Legend and Lore Behind the Traditions, Rituals, Foods, Games, Animals, and Other Symbols and Activities Associated with Holidays and Holy Days, Feasts and Fasts, and Other Celebrations, covering antiquity, calendar, religious, historical, folklore, national, promotional and sporting events, observed in the United States and around the world. Detroit MI: Omnigraphics, 2009. Print.Restad, Penne L. Christmas in America: A History. New York: Oxford UP, 1995. Print. Salusbury, Matt. "By Jove! It's Christmas." History Today 59.12 (2009): 6-7. Academic research completed. Network. December 10. 2013.