1) The old Roman calendar of festivals contained a cycle of urban celebrations reaching back to the city's legendary foundation.

2) This month did not exist in the original Roman calendar.

3) The first mention of Christmas Day, as far as we know, was in the Roman calendar for the year 354.

4) Too much need not be made of this, and the Roman calendar will suffice for all but the quite rarest occasions.

5) The Julian calendar began in 45 BC as a reform of the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar.

6) It is the day we celebrate the sun's rebirth or return, because that day in a year the shortest dates, using the Chinese concept says is refers to the winter festival Roman calendar.

7) It is so called because it was the day on which Christmas Day wascelebrated under the Roman calendar, before the adoption of theGregorian calendar.