Traditions of Christmas

From Dr. Seuss to Charles Dickens, Christmas stories have always captivated people. Many of us can remember sitting at someone's knee to hear a folkloric tale of Kris Kringle and his helper elves. Heck, the entire holiday has storybook elements! You have the magical Christmas tree decorations, a special Christmas dinner, and a mysterious gift delivery with all you've wished for. We all accept these as simply Christmas traditions but have you ever stopped to wonder, what's the real history of Christmas?