These days theres no consensus on that, is there?  It's different for everyone.  For retailers and manufacturers its profit.  For we Christians its about celebrating an important birth, for pagans its...whatever it is for them, for some its just about family and friends and presents, and for some there is no meaning at all.

Depends on to whom.

Historically, Christmas was developed as a way to try and get converts to Christianity from paganism in the fourth century.  The Roman Empire of the time, headed by Constantine, collaborated with the early church fathers to graft the Jesus story onto existing pagan traditions of the winter solstice (celebrations like Saturnalia and … Read more