Hi bob3160,
Commercialization is mixing up the Festival Season big time. We just have to celebrate Sint Nicolaas (at the eve of Dec 5th), a typical children's' festival in Dutch speaking areas, before we are going to prepare for Christmas.
In pre-christian days these were all representatives of the old gods- Sint Pieter (Frisian), Sint Maarten, Sint Nicolaas (who became SantaClaus in the States through Dutch influences = Sinterklaas), commerce want to introduce everything everywhere as long as people consume - Halloween in Germanic areas (an old Gaelic festival) - عيد الفطر Sugar Festival for Muslims, Motherday, Fatherday to replace the old rural festivities like the Easter Oxen, St,Cathryn's day where the milk was given to the hand and maid if the cows were still out in the pasture then (on November 10th), St. Andrew's (last day of November) also a very nice Polish festival ( Andrzejki (znane też jako Jędrzejki lub Jędrzejówki). So Polonus wishes you all an old-fashioned traditional Christmas as you know it, that it may be merry and bright and if it could be white,
polonus
