In this episode we try to defend against the arguments of those who debunk the Christmas myths. Some claim Christmas was originally a Christian festival that pagans adopted rather than a pagan festival that Christians adopted and gave it the name. We share the similarities and how the claim that all the decor of Christmas was originally Christian, even when it has no relation to Christ in itself outside influence from pagan belief.
This is not to shame people for celebrating Christ’s birthday at this traditional time, but we have to state the facts and correct the claims.
Listen to “Christmas of Christian Origin or Pagan?” on Spreaker.
When I speak about the origins of Christmas to people they shutter in anguish over me even questioning such thing. How can I, a supposed Christian, make such a big disclaimer against the precious time celebrating the birth of Christ? Heck, even the name depicts what it is focused on.
My problem isn’t as much with the point of the festival of the season we traditionally hold, my issue is when Christians claim it did NOT originate by a pagan festival on a pagan calendar using a celebration of a pagan date. The why on the same solstice in the same manner as the pagans?
The one thing is proving it is even Christ’s birth date. Christians defend this is actually when he was born, so the pagans stole their celebration from Christians. Yet we have evidence of letters proving Saturnalia and other festivals predate Christ by hundreds of years. Even the decor; greenery, mistletoe, berries, etc all coming from fertility worship celebrating (pleading) that the sun rebirth and re-ignite life. even gift giving was a tradition of making offerings to the Sun gods. Christians also adopted that practice. But when they do, they claim it is carrying on a tradition of when gifts were given to the Messiah at his birth and is in the Bible. Okay, then why do we give gifts to one another in proxy of that? It isn’t in the Bible to carry on, nor is there any writings close after to celebrate the birth. Simply a carryover of the pagan practice.
Symbolism points to the celebration of Sol Invicti – the salute to the Unconquerable Sun towards December 25. The solstice is around Dec 21, but the date of Dec 25 became popular. When the Christians needed a date for the birth of Christ they didn’t have record of the exact date so they too adopted THAT day. So who copied who?
Christians also defend what harm is it to adopt a pagan day if we blanket it with Jesus? We took over the holiday and succeeded in suppressing paganism. Christ has overshadowed any pagan relevance therefore “we won.” It is now ALL about Jesus and his birth. Well then let’s explore that claim.
Some claim it is now overshadowing the secularism with things of Christ, and is ALL about the birth of Christ. I’ll ask a simple question. Then why all the festivities in the same season as the original pagan ones? Why do we invite so much commercialism? Why are people stressed out and gone broke after the holiday? Why do we adorn trees and highlight greenery and lights as the pagans started? Why do we still emphasize Santa, elves, and magic of the season? And why do we associate secular songs like Tis the Season, Jingle Bells, Deck the Halls, even Santa Claus is coming to Town I hear on the Christian radio stations?
Maybe you have your own answers. Maybe you have justified it. My point is you cannot justify it denying the roots were pagan, you can at best admit Christians took the pagan festival and Christianized it. However, I will say you are mistaken since even the aspects of the paganism are still present in many ways which have nothing to do with Christ, only adopted with it.