How Christmas Works

The Christmas we celebrate is a mangled matrix of mistletoe; Christmas trees and shopping sprees; Peace, Paxil and parties. But did anyone ever suggest that Christmas could be dangerous?

You know about the shepherds and the angels and the wise men from the East.

You’re familiar with Joseph and Mary and the “little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.”

These characters are known to us all, and our visions of them leave us with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

But maybe you suspect that there is more than sweetness to this story. Scratch the surface of any Christmas card image, and you’re going to uncover greed and passion, danger and death.

How does Christmas really work?

One place to begin to answer this question is the Internet, which conveniently enough includes a site called “How Christmas Works.” It’s a one-stop shop for all your questions about the holiday.

Questions like, “Why do people give each other presents on Christmas Day?” Or, “Is December 25 really the day Jesus was born?”

Then there’s the mistletoe mystery. What does it have to do with the Christmas story? Absolutely nothing.

And how about the 12...