This Christmas of 2013 has already brought snow to many peoples’ homes. And there is this Christmas a shorter time to do our shopping by six fewer days. As we settle into our present day Christmas season, I can’t help but think of Christmas past. The first recorded celebration of Christmas appears to have been  A.D. 336: “25 Dec.: natus Christus in Betleem Judeae.” December 25th, Christ born in Bethlehem, Judea. This day, December 25, 336. Around the 13th century Christmas carols were introduced into the holiday celebration. And Christmas trees were common in Germany by the 16th century. It was rumored that Luther may have cut the first tree and…