A castle is obviously only as good as it weakest point and this castle's Achilles heal is in a spot you wouldn't guess in a hundred years.
   Many castles have had to withstand a lengthy seige which can only be endured if the water supply holds out and there is sufficient food for the garrison. For this reason, all castles were built where a well could be dug that led to an underground stream that never dried up and which could not be dammed or interferred with by the beseiging army. Farm animals were kept so that there was always enough on the kitchen table for the hungry soldiers and the families who cared for them. When soldiers weren't taking on the much needed calories, they would be boiling black pitch in massive cauldrons on the upper battlements ready to be poured over the enemy if they were foolish enough to approach the wall without the protection of a sort of above ground tunnel.
   A tunnel in the ground was dug beside one of the four square towers of the Keep to Rochester Castle during the War of the Roses (1455-85). The devilishly cunning plan was to dig away the soil underneath the foundations of the tower and support them with great wooden props. Having taken away the ground from beneath it, the scroundrels set fire to the props thus causing the tower to collapse in a heap of useless stones. The defenders were pretty annoyed by the scurrilous tactics and cried "foul," to little effect as the invading hordes made good their advantage. Later the tower was rebuilt, but modern thought had moved from square to round towers, hence Rochester Keep has three square towers and one round one.
   Treachery was the easiest way to capture a castle with the simple strategy of bribing someone, like the Captain of the Guards, to turn traitor and lower the draw bridge and raise the portcullis at a pre-arranged signal. This method avoided any of the besiegers blood being spilt or worse, being on the receiving end of a cauldron full of boiling tar. The turncoat rarely survived to spend his ill-gotten gains as he would have been disposed of before he could do the same thing to his new masters as double-dealers have a habit of always being a Judas.
   But the gates of Christmas Castle were not opened by a deceiver, nor were any tricks or subterfuge employed to render it an open house. No tunnels were dug under it nor were massive cannon balls shot at the walls in an attempt to breach them. No, the defenders opened wide the great iron studded portals and invited the invaders to come inside and share their feast -- because it was Christmas Day.