Thanks for the info. I knew they considered him a prophet, but didn't realize to what extent, or that they'd have any Christmas-type celebrations at all regarding his birth.
Interesting about Mary; didn't know about that. I remember that during the Gulf War I saw video of Iraqi women praying to the Holy Mother at some kind of open air shrine. I didn't realize they also had an attachment to her. I thought they were just covering their bases. : )
Hmmm...we honor Christ's memory in Easter, too...I wonder, could that have been his real birthdate, and could he have chosen it to make his sacrifice beforehand for that reason?
I would think it would depend on the weather. Sheep are pretty hardy animals and don't really need to be brought in during winter, except during the harshest times, and even then they only need a windbreak. In many societies, the animals are brought in each night, although that's mostly the less hardy cattle. In any event, in most societies, unlike the case in the US and a few others, people would generally live in town, and go out to their farms and grazing areas each day, rather than living on the land is common in rural America. They'd often have community barns and would share the task of watching over the animals. Often it would be the younger people who would keep the animals, thus the term "Goose Girl" for example. Unless the weather was really bad, and often isn't in the Bethlehem area, I would expect the shepherds to be out tending the flocks at least until the more severe weather of January and February, and generally even then.
In the ranch country of the US, at least during the heyday of the "Old West" cowboys, the cattle would be left to their own resources for the winter. Thus the need for a "roundup" to recover and sort them out. (and also thus the need for branding them).