Why Do The Big Holidays Happen In The Cold?

Seriously, why do Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years all have to happen during the coldest months? Whoever was responsible for setting all these dates didn't think them through very well.

Thanksgiving:
I don't know history too well, but I think Thanksgiving is actually celebrated at or near the time when the Pilgrims did way back when. Its a celebration of their harvest from the summer and fall and all that, so November seems like about the right time to have this holiday. Besides I'm ok with having one holiday in the cold, just not all of them.

Christmas:
Historians don't know what time of year Jesus was born, so we don't actually know the appropriate date. From what I've heard, the best guess is not at all near Dec 25th. I believe the early Catholic church decided to celebrate Christmas on an existing pagan holiday in order to try to win some converts. I believe a better strategy would have been if the church had made Christmas during June, and said "Pagans, look at our superior religion! We even have holidays during reasonable months, unlike your crap-holidays which occur while its freezing balls outside."

New Year's:
As far as I can tell, the person who declared when the old year ends and the new one begins could have declared this to have occurred at any arbitrary location in the earth's circle around the sun. (I know, there's a nerd living inside of me.) The fact that they chose this to happen on January 1st when the weather is awful just goes to show that this person was an ass.

Alright, alright, sorry for the grouchiness, Christmas isn't really that bad. I normally enjoy the celebration of Christ's birth, the holiday cheer, and so on. I just don't think this year its going to go down so well. I've been sick for at least a week straight. I've got a runny nose and feel all puffy and groggy. I've actually been so congested that sometimes it gets hard to breathe. Real annoying. But at least I'm not alone. I hear a lot of the kids at college have been getting sick and a fair amount have even ended up in the hospital. I'm just glad I've got a cold; I'm pretty sure I won't end up in there.

Well I doubt I'll post again before Christmas is here and gone, so I wish everyone a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
(even if it is so cold that even Frosty's balls have shrunk :) )

-Jim!