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Link: https://slatestarcodex.com/2019/12/24/acc-should-you-have-a-merry-christmas/

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[This is an entry to the\\xa02019 Adversarial Collaboration Contest\\xa0by Cindy Lou Who and the Grinch]

Christmas Day is a a time full of laughter and cheer which is held in the West at the end of each year.

Believers in Jesus traditionally think the day marks his birth; scientists disagree. They point to the shepherds; when carolers sing about fields full of sheep, that occurs\\xa0in the spring. The Star of the Magi provides further doubt. Simulations can tell us what star it\\u2019s about: it was most likely\\xa0Jupiter shining near Saturn, but it\\u2019s only in autumn one sees such a pattern. It is proven in space and it\\u2019s proven on Earth \\u2013 Christmas isn\\u2019t the real time of Jesus\\u2019 birth.

One of the most popular Yule celebrations is handing out gifts to one\\u2019s friends and relations. Parents offer the story these presents appeared due to Santa, a jolly old man with a beard. Originally a\\xa0historical saint, his tale was embellished, with little restraint. He flies through the air in a reindeer-pulled sleigh, and visits all households on Earth in a day. This tradition seems pagan, with some scholars noting the details are pulled from\\xa0a legend of Odin. Though sources like\\xa0NORAD\\xa0appear to support Santa\\u2019s presence, we think that their data\\xa0fall short. After reading the pros and the cons, we both feel the consensus perspective is Santa\\u2019s not real.

And what are these gifts\\u2019 economics effects? According to\\xa0Goeddeke and Birg, it\\u2019s complex. Since presents are valuable, one might assume that their giving would cause stores and markets to boom. You give to your parents! You give to your boss! But economists say it is all\\xa0deadweight loss. You would spend the same money on\\xa0something, you see, and presents are chosen incompetently. Others\\u2019 preferences aren\\u2019t as clear as our own, so when we buy for others, their needs are unknown. Presents don\\u2019t increase welfare and don\\u2019t increase growth; all the papers agree they are harmful to both.