The answer is: True

The original significance of 25th December is that it was a well-known festival day celebrating the annual return of the sun. 21st December is the winter solstice (shortest day of the year and thus a key date on the calendar), but 25th December is the first day that ancients could clearly note that the days were definitely getting longer and the sunlight was returning. On this day the Romans worshipped the 'Unconquered Sun' or Sun god.

The date for Christmas was chosen by the Roman Catholic Church. Because Rome dominated most of the "Christian" world for centuries, the date became tradition throughout most of Christendom.

So, why was 25th December chosen to remember Jesus Christ's birth? Since no one knows the day of his birth, the Roman Catholic Church felt free to choose this date. The Church wished to replace the pagan festival with a Christian holiday. The psychology was that is easier to take away an unholy (but traditional) festival from the population, when you can replace it with a good one.

The selection of December 25th for Christmas may initially seem a universal acceptance of Jesus' birth, but peel back the layers and you find it’s more like an intriguing tapestry woven from different ancient threads. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia around this time, a raucous festival featuring feasting, gift-giving, and lights – reminiscent of what we see in modern Christmas. This tie between celebration and winter's playful spirit ensures much of our holiday is deeply rooted in these earlier traditions.

It’s fascinating why the early Church wanted to supplant a well-loved holiday. Winter did call for instinctual warmth and togetherness. So, even as people exchanged candles (reminding ancients of the burgeoning sunlight), they soon began to welcome the heartwarming tales of the child born in Bethlehem amidst the darkness of Roman oppression.

Including these cultural traditions also meant that, though the celebration had a new name, it resonated with the experiences of the people: joy in survival, renewal of life, and hope. We can even spot echoes in other cultures at this time. Hanukkah celebrates resilience, and Yule, a pagan festival, also heralds the return of light.

Thus, every time a light twinkles or a candle burns, it serves as a reminder of this blend, showing how beliefs evolve and intermingle over time, ultimately creating something refreshingly new and universally relatable.