Christmas carols are littered with layers of other cultures projecting their own norms and expectations onto the story. Snow on the ground? What little snow falls in Bethlehem generally melts promptly. Winter? The timing of Christmas is its own discussion, but likely chosen to co-opt as many pagan winter solstice festivals as possible. Stable as a wooden building? Not typical of the region. Visitors in an inn, with pity taken by the innkeeper who is full-up? A very European concept; Jews of that era would almost certainly have stayed with relatives.
And don't get me started on the beautifully haunting Huron Carol, in which Native American hunters encounter a choir of angels sent by "mighty Gitchi Manitou," leading them to the bark lodge wherein baby Jesus lay wrapped in pelts.
Christianity asserts that its claim to validity is the historicity of the events. Jesus really was born of a virgin. Jesus really died on the cross. Jesus really rose from the dead. The apostle Paul was very explicit that none of this matters if it's all just allegory:
If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.18 Then those also who have fallen asleep [died] in Christ are lost.19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
- 1 Corinthians 15:13-19
If it didn't actually happen exactly the way they say, Christians are the most pitiful people of all. I couldn't agree more! So it's quite confusing that they sing about all these things that aren't even accurate to their own holy book.
But on another layer, there's nothing unusual about that – or at least, there shouldn't be. When you separate a mythology from historical claims, you bring it great freedom. The mythology can be recast and reinterpreted to meet the needs of each culture and individual. You embrace stories as representing ideals and archetypes which give you meaning shared with the people around you, regardless of whether they're actually, literally true.
This is exactly the origin of Satanism and many other modern religious movements. They are "invented religions," religions whose practitioners make them up as they go along and they're okay with that. The mythical story of Satan is recast from villain of Christian lore to heroic rebel against the tyrannical despot. Far from being a "roaring lion seeking to devour," Satan is the symbol for inquiry and striving for justice even when the cause seems lost.
Christians vehemently deny that this is what they do. The Bible claims to be a work of history, despite the lack of archaeological evidence for much of the Old Testament, despite the lack of historical evidence for the crucial events of the New Testament. And yet, looking at the ways the Christmas story is constantly recast into the culture of the hearers, it's clear that this is exactly what Christianity does.
Hail Satan! Amen.