Although there is a factual question in the OP, I think we departed GQ territory some time ago. Let’s move this over to IMHO.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
I guess I have to shut up then … nothin’ humble about my opinions.
Last comment … I think the OP is exquisitely worded, a wonderful speck of prose. You’ve painted such a detailed picture with so few words. My thanks are always humble.
Those are just the examples I know, there must be more.
I once read a book called The Battle for Christmas which detailed how the celebrating of Christmas changed post industrial revolution. Those particular novels featured prominently. Moving from an agrarian to industrial economy changed many features. The author argued that those three works of literature helped to push the celebration towards a ‘family oriented’ thing, rather than a drinking a carousing celebration that was more typical when Christmas was more like a harvest festival.
Also, Currier and Ives, sold reproductions of paintings very inexpensively. So they were widely distributed. Their winter scenes are still popular for Christmas cards. Now did their popularity cause people to put snow with the holiday or is it the other way around? I don’t know.
I’ll interpret that as a compliment. I’m not getting very many of those lately, I’m afraid.
Thank you! 
I love the fact that they had real snow and a fake sphinx.
I don’t like that there’s snow at Christmas because IMO, snow is terrible. I’ve gotta get out of wisconsin.
Snow in ancient Europe
The island of Crete, where the Minoan civilization thrived (2700-1420BC), sees snowfall in the mountains between November and May. The Roman pantheon included Chione/Khione, the goddess of snow and daughter of Boreas, god of the wintry north wind. Britain was occupied by Roman troops whose attire consisted of fur cloaks, trousers and boots when the weather was snowy.
Christianity took off in Europe
It is believed that Christianity really broke off with Judaism when Paul the Apostle (Saul of Tarsus) wrote the books of the New Testament and set up churches in Europe. He is regarded as a second founder of Christianity. The matter is of course debatable, but still.
But do you like toothpaste? Well, toothpaste makes your teeth as white as snow. 
Move to Minnesota?
It is proclaimed by scholars that the New Testament is out-right hostile and slanderous towards Judaism.
As an ex-Catholic I have often been in deep conflict against New Testament Christians who say that the Jews murdered Christ.
A large part of Christmas imagery doesn’t come from the birth of Jesus. Snow is just another one of those. When you have a holiday set soon after the winter solstice, you’re going to have snow at least sometimes. And if it’s rare, that just makes it more special.
I mean, and I’m surprised no one said this, Jesus was almost certainly not born in winter. The date of Christmas comes from taking Jesus’ age as being exactly 33 years from conception and thus backdating from Easter, along with some traditions around John the Baptist. And, yes, the fact that there was a preexisting holiday around that time helped a lot, too.
Sorry, but you can’t do that BigT! No fair getting us all exited with astounding hints but then not give us the punch-line. So … ? When is his correct birthday (give or take) according to our calendar today?
I am fully convinced that if Irving Berlin (who being Jewish, by definition didn’t celebrate Christmas) hadn’t written that dreadful song nobody would have been bothered with the idea.
Definitely not. The concept of Santa Claus driving around in a sleigh drawn by reindeer is very American to me.