Good tidings of great joy

This does not necessarily mean that the birth took place in a stable, let alone in the close company of mooing cows and bleating sheep. The Gospels are silent on those points, and it's possible the family spent the night in the open. That would be consistent with the nearby presence of shepherds.

Did three wise men visit the baby Jesus?

This is another beloved feature of the Nativity story. Matthew refers to an unspecified number of "Magi" (Greek for wise men) who "came from the East to Jerusalem and asked 'Where is the one who was born king of the Jews?'"

After being summoned to confer with King Herod, they made their way to Bethlehem, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. (See Matthew 2:1-11.)

Sceptics allege that these are further embellishments, included by Matthew to "fulfil" Old Testament prophecy (e.g., Numbers 24:17, Psalm 72, Isaiah 60) and to link the young Jesus from the outset with non-Jewish peoples.

Again, however, there are historical facts bolstering the Gospel account. Many scholars have postulated that the Magi were highly-born astrologer-priests, most probably from Mesopotamia. I will come presently to the "star" which, according to tradition, guided them to Judea and, ultimately, Bethlehem.

Did Herod order a "massacre of the innocents" in consequence of Jesus' birth?

According to Matthew's Gospel, some time after Jesus' birth, Herod arranged the slaughter of all boys in the vicinity of Bethlehem who were two years old and under (Matthew 2:16). Herod's plan – which failed, because Mary and Joseph escaped to Egypt – was to "get" Jesus at all costs and thereby eliminate a potential threat to his rule.

Once again, many sceptics dismiss this episode as an invention to "fulfil" prophecy (in this case Hosea 11:1 and Jeremiah 31:15). It is true that there is no specific mention of the event by Roman historians, but Josephus in Jewish War I mentions a similar mass-execution order by Herod. The account in Matthew's Gospel is at least consistent with what is known about Herod's tyrannical rule.

(It would also provide further confirmation of a birth date of c. 6 BC. Jesus would have been a toddler at the time of Herod's edict, which would likely have been issued near the end of Herod's life, in 5 – 4 BC.)

***

Enough of history. Although atheists and agnostics may sneer, it is apt to examine some supernatural elements of the Christmas story. (Of course, these are all secondary to its most vital element – Jesus' divine identity – but that is a massive subject on its own.)