00:00 The hosts discuss their Christmas traditions and the historical accuracy of the Gospel accounts of Jesus' birth.

04:19 The hosts discuss the historical accuracy of the census in the New Testament and suggest that the story of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem was retrofitted to fulfill prophecy. They also highlight the enduring themes of the Christmas story, such as the contrast between greatness and smallness and the preaching of peace. Christmas did not seem to be celebrated in the first two centuries of Christianity, and the influence of Saturnalia on Christmas is not considered adequate to explain why it is fixed on December 25th.

08:45 The date of Christmas coinciding with the Roman festival of Sol Invictus is not supported by solid evidence, but it is clear that the winter solstice has historically been a time of celebration and cheer. For the first 1500 years of Christmas, it was more about feasting, partying, and misrule rather than silent contemplation and peace.

12:40 Christmas celebrations in Anglo-Saxon times involved feasting, merry making, and a sense of shared celebration, with the rich hosting the poor, but over time, Christmas became more privatized and focused on the individual rather than the collective.

16:41 The Puritans were anxious about Christmas because they believed it was a takeover of pagan festivals and celebrated by engaging in activities associated with pagan gods, leading to a debate between privileging the festive aspects of Christmas or focusing on saving lives.

20:25 Christmas in the next 100 years after the restoration is barely mentioned in diaries and is not a big deal, until the English export the traditional celebration of Christmas to America and it gets brought back to England, leading to the rise of American traditions of celebrating Christmas and the question of whether Santa Claus is a reincarnation of Odin.

24:37 The tradition of St. Nicholas merges with the tradition of Father Christmas in Britain, and German imports, along with Prince Albert's introduction of the Christmas tree, contribute to the re-invention of Christmas in the 19th century as a private family-based celebration. Charles Dickens and his story "A Christmas Carol" play a crucial role in creating the template for Christmas as we know it today.

28:24 The tension in Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" between the celebration of family and the commercialization of Christmas is still present today, as Christmas is cast as an escape from the grind of making money while also requiring significant spending.

32:05 The Christmas truce during World War I, where British and German soldiers came out of their trenches to play football, is a subject of debate among historians, with some arguing that soldiers embellished their accounts for personal gain.