Christmas - A Pagan Festival An extract from The Paganism that is Modern Day Christianity Let us now move on to the "birthday of Jesus", Christmas. Jesus (pbuh) is commonly considered to have been born on the 25th of December. However, it is common knowledge among Christian scholars that he was not born on this day. It is well known th at the first Christian churches held their festival in May, April, or January. Scholars of the first two centuries AD. even differ in which year he was born. Some believing that he was born fully twenty years before the current accepted date. So how was the 25th of December selected as the birthday of Jesus (pbuh)? Grolier's encyclopedia says: "Christmas is the feast of the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated on December 25.... Despite the beliefs about Christ that the birth stories expressed, the church did not observe a festival for the celebration of the event until the 4th century.... since 274, under the emperor Aurelian, Rome had celebrated the feast of the "Invincible Sun" on December 25. In the Eastern Church, January 6, a day also associated with the winter solstice, was in itially preferred. In course of time, however, the West added the Eastern date as the Feast of the Epiphany, and the East added the Western date of Christmas". So who else celebrated the 25th of December as the birth day of their gods before it was agreed upon as the birth day of Jesus (pbuh)? Well, there are the people of India who rejoice, decorate their houses with garlands, and give presents to their friends on this day. The people of China also celebrate this day and close their shops. The pagan god Buddha is believed to have been born on this day when the "Holy Ghost" descended on his virgin mother Maya. The great saviour and god of the Persians, Mithras, is also believed to have been born on the 25th of December long before the coming of Jesus (pbuh). The Egyptians celebrated this day as the birth day of their great saviour Horus, the Egyptian god of light and the son of the "virgin mother" and "queen of the heavens" Isis. Osiris, god of the dead and the underworld in Egypt, the son of "the holy virgin", again was believed to have been born on the 25th of December. The Greeks celebrated the 25th of December as the birthday of Hercules, the son of the supreme god of the Greeks, Zeus, through the mortal woman Alcmene. Bacchus, the god of wine and revelry among the Romans (known among the Greeks as Dionysus) was also born on this day. Adonis, revered as a "dying-and-rising god" among the Greeks, miraculously was also born on the 25th of December. His worshipers held him a yearly festival representing his death and resurrection, in midsummer. The ceremonies of his birthday are recorde d to have taken place in the same cave in Bethlehem which is claimed to have been the birth place of Jesus (pbuh). The Scandinavians celebrated the 25th of December as the birthday of their god Freyr, the son of their supreme god of the heavens, Odin. The Romans observed this day as the birthday of the god of the sun, Natalis Solis Invicti ("Birthday of Sol the invincible"). There was great rejoicing and all shops were closed. There was illumination and public games. Presents were exchanged, and the slaves were indulged in great liberties. Remember, these are the same Romans who would later preside over the council of Nicea (325 AD.) which lead to the official Christian recognition of the "Trinity" as the "true" nature of God, and the "fact" that Jesus (pbuh) was born on the 25th of December too. In Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Gibbon says: "The Roman Christians, ignorant of his (Christ's) birth, fixed the solemn festival to the 25th of December, the Brumalia, or Winter Solstice, when the Pagans annually celebrated the birth of Sol " vol. ii, p. 383. Christmas is not the only Christian festival which was borrowed from ancient paganism and foisted upon the religion of Jesus (pbuh). There is also Easter the Feast of St. John, the Holy communion, the Annunciation of the virgin, the assumption of the virgin, and many others have their roots in ancient pagan worship. --------------------------------- For some reason I feel that I am about to recieve a flaming...
You didn't know that? Have no fear, most people don't. This is another example of the parallels in and of the world's various religions. And to think so many die concerning who's god is the real/right god.....
Yeah, the early Roman Catholic church though it would help convert the pagans if they moved original Christian celebrations to be on the same date as known pagan festivals. They chose the winter solstice for this one. The tree, giving of presents, yule logs are all pagan. Christians don't focus on that stuff. We focus on the birth of Jesus Christ and how the circumstances of His birth fulfilled like 50 prophecies from the Old Testament. The exact date doen't really matter because many celebrate His birth every day. Even on Easter, some churches still say Easter Sunday while others refer to it as Resurrection Sunday. The early catholic church tried to associate this occasion to a spring fertility festival to the goddess Ishtar. Eggs, bunnies, chocolate are all pagan. (What Chocolate? j/k) Christians focus on His sacrifice (catholics call Good Friday) and resurrection. This is central to our faith, more highly regarded than the circumstances of His birth. This definitely should be celebrated everyday. Another holiday Catholics tried to "convert" was Halloween with All Saints Day, but I don't know many church's who celebrate anything on that day. I'm sure there are others.
hell . . . .. somethign is special about that day i guess The history of the christmas tree is a bit to gory for me Rocket River
I'm a Christian, and I reject Christmas as a religious holiday for two reasons: (1) As you said, it's roots are in paganism and (2) it has no basis in the Scriptures. I enjoy Christmas as a time to get together with family, etc. We do put up a tree and partake in some of the other things surrounding Christmans, but I also sometimes read Greek mythology. It doesn't mean I buy into the religious aspect of either. Not to mention that my wife has this thing hanging on the wall that has a pictire of something that I'm convinced is a pagan fertility god. I don't buy into that either, but the decoration will remain on the wall.
you reject Christmas?? or do your reject the decorations and the like we associate with Christmas?? As a Christian, I do not reject Christmas. I see nothing wrong with setting aside one day in the calendar and acknowledging it specifically as the birthday of God incarnate...even if it isn't the specific, unknown day he was actually born. And honestly, things like the Christmas tree that brought my family together one evening to decorate it...I don't think anyone buys into those as specific Christian items...but they are inextricably associated in my mind with my own celebrations of the birth of Christ throughout my life...and in that way, they're entirely spiritual. And I think God not only accepts that...but I think he appreciates it and works through it. God has amazing ways of using unexpected things and people for His glorification.
Good article. Although I am agnostic, I don't mind setting aside a day to show appreciation for loved ones and life in general. I find it interesting how many other cultures share the myth of a virgin who produces a living god. Put "Jesus myth" into your Google search and see what I mean.
I am History...I am forgotten. I am ignorned. I teach, but the people won't listen. I see things happen too many times the same...History is grateful to be remembered...That is all...
MadMax, I don't celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. My reasoning goes something like this: I believe that if God wants us to do something, he asks us to do so in his word. We've been asked to remember the death of his son, for example (The Lord's Supper). We've not been asked to remember the birth of Jesus with a holiday. We don't even have any reliable information about when Jesus was born. The general consensus is that it wasn't December 25th. As stated, that day was borrowed from paganism. I just choose not to celebrate Christmas religiously for these reasons. I don't put up nativity scenes or anything like that. I treat just like any other national holiday. The same basic thing goes for Easter. I certainly believe the resurrection is important--in fact, absolutely fundamental--but I don't believe in a one-Sunday-a-year holiday related to it. God was certainly capable of instituting and asking us to observe either of these holidays. He didn't do so. We're told that "faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17 ESV). Since the word has nothing to say about such holidays, I can't do such by faith--not biblical faith, at least.
The Option of X-mas has been must debated in my house very much. I am a Christian and have been struggling with this decison. My Parents are Christians and they reject X-mas, But I don't really know how to feel yet since I really don't think about it except on December 25th when everyone else in the church is opening presents.
Just weighing in... I'm surprised so many Christians on this board don't celebrate Christmas. Personally, I really enjoy Christmas... for once, Christianity and its spiritual meaning are embraced by the world. Sure, it may fade away in January, and I get tired of the corporate commercialism, but at least people spend time helping one another, being positive, and reconnecting with their families - and singing songs and telling stories about the life of Christ. This is making me miss Christmas already... wishing I could get my Trans-Siberian Orchestra album back out... Easter, on the other hand, appears to be a bit much for the secular world to handle. There's the bunny and egg stuff for the kids (and yes, we all know about the pagan origins of our holiday customs, but what's more important than where it used to come from is what we do with it now). For adults, there's not much on Easter unless you believe in its religious meaning, so at least it hasn't been commercialized as badly. I would still like to see more of a celebration then, as theologically it's more important than Christmas. I'll always love Christmas, though.
i understand your position...just don't agree with it. The Bible also says, God works through all things. I personally don't believe that if God didn't say it, we can't worship Him through it. I don't see any indication that God said to use saxophones to worship Him...but I've heard countless jazz musicians glorify God. I think whenever and whereever we honor Him...and remember Him...it is of significance to Him. It's not about following strict rules, in my opinion...it's about developing a relationship with the Creator and feeding that relationship with worship. At Christmas time I spend time with family...my heart is softened more than usual to the world around me...I contemplate the gift of Jesus as outlined in Biblical accounts of his birth...I teach my son about his birth...I go to church and celebrate his birth. I don't think God is upset about those things...in fact, I think those things further my relationship with Him... I am totally with you that the consequences of Easter should be celebrated all year....and quite frankly, they are...in churches across the world there is communion (remembrance of last supper) on a regular basis..and certainly the themes we rely on from week to week all relate back in one form or another to the ultimate gift of Jesus Christ....but by making one day entirely special...and commemorating the event in particular...it holds more significance. This is simply how humans celebrate events...I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with it, as long as your heart and soul celebrates God throughout the year.
