There isn't a SEP field around this fic by any chance?  I know I've checked the forum several times since the fic was posted but I missed it everytime!  I only found it cause I saw Bob's reply on the eyrie comments page (which I only read cause I was looking for the bonus fic mentioned on the Eyrie post threads) and decided to go back and look for the fic.

I can't speak for anyone else but to misuse a song title I view it as just another winter (well nativity) tale.  It was nice to read but I doubt I will be giving it much thought tomorrow.

As to the date of Christmas or the nature of the star.  A couple of things I read on line but I probably can't find the links to again.  I don't know if the timing matches but I read a suggestion that there would be a symmetry if the baby was born on Passover.  I also saw a different site that suggested the "star" was a conjuction between Jupiter and Venus in the constelation Leo near the star Regulus around 2BC.

There might be a hundred reasons why neither idea makes sense but I will leave that to people with more knowledge of the subjects.

Mark