In the midst of the phoney-baloney "war on Christmas" and "Jesus wasn't really born on Christmas day, so Jesus never existed" junk, there is a gem to be had. Whatever one thinks of "how" Christmas got to be December 25th (Mithraism, Sol Invictus, whatever...), all agree that there is a relationship to the winter solstice. Okay, but so what?
Well, there may be a good reason for that ... the winter soltice has the longest night of the year, and thus there is great symbolism of Christ being born during the time of the longest night to usher in the new dawn.
Listen again to the Canticle of Zechariah (Benedictus), used at morning prayer:
"In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Luke 1:78-79)
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