McGrath--re: ...Candlemas, which is February 2nd.

Candlemas? CANDLEMAS? Who gives a rat's patoot about Candlemas--February 2nd is Groundhog Day (here in the states, anyway), for crying out loud. Hmmmph--Candlemas indeed. :-)

Liz--re: Xmas is just the abbreviated form, X being the cross.

I think you'll find that the "X" is the Greek letter chi, the first letter of the word "christ" written in Greek. That it appears to be a cross is merely coincidental.