Christmas and pagan?

[Shari]

I was wondering as I was talking to some other friends, how the day of Christmas came to be on Dec. 25th. And other Pagan traditions that have been included. I have tried to research, and found that Dec. 25th is the date for some pagan god. And things like the Christmas tree are from pagan traditions. Since we don’t really know when Jesus’s birthday is why would it get put on a day for a pagan god. I have also read things like the Christmas tree and other traditions were taken from pagan culture to entice them to become Christian. Does anyone have any info on this, or good sites I might find more info on. Thanks.

 

[Rolltide]

Christmas is on December 25th for the same reason that Kwanzaa begins on December 26th… many popular Roman holidays were celebrated around that time, and people would already be off of work. It also made it easier to attract converts. People were already used to having their major holidays at that time of year, and so they would be able to keep the tradition of celebrating at the same time of year, but the ability to replace their old pagan holiday with the new Christian one.

There is also the symbolism of December 25th being very nearly the shortest day of the year. Jesus is the light of the world, and the hours of daylight become increasing longer from that day on in the calendar.

 

[deb1]

I was wondering as I was talking to some other friends, how the day of Christmas came to be on Dec. 25th. And other Pagan traditions that have been included. I have tried to research, and found that Dec. 25th is the date for some pagan god. And things like the Christmas tree are from pagan traditions. Since we don’t really know when Jesus’s birthday is why would it get put on a day for a pagan god. I have also read things like the Christmas tree and other traditions were taken from pagan culture to entice them to become Christian. Does anyone have any info on this, or good sites I might find more info on. Thanks.

I have heard various opinions as to whether this is true or not. My response is always, so what? If it is true, or a christian forefathers were geniuses. This means that they understood that traditions mean a lot to people. They might have taken some older traditions and gave them Christian meaning.

Really even if it is true, have you become pagan from celebrating Christmas all these years?

Some people get very caught up in the so called ‘pagan’ origins of some Christian traditions But the fact of the matter is that our religion did not start culture from scratch. It built on the existing cultures around it. Wedding rings are pagan inventions also, as are the names for the days of the week and months. No one gets upset over that.

We don’t celebrate the exact birth day of Jesus because we don’t know the exact day. We do celebrate his birth and the light that came into the world. What does it matter what day we celibrate?

 

[LSK]

Remember too that one of the great gifts of the Holy Mother Church is the ability to assimilate cultures into her embrace. If, as I have read, the pagans celebrated the ‘coming of the sun’ in the middle of winter, what a wonderful way to teach them about the TRUE source of Light - The Son - by appropriating the celebration for Christ!

 

[deb1]

Remember too that one of the great gifts of the Holy Mother Church is the ability to assimilate cultures into her embrace. If, as I have read, the pagans celebrated the ‘coming of the sun’ in the middle of winter, what a wonderful way to teach them about the TRUE source of Light - The Son - by appropriating the celebration for Christ!

I also think that God gave the pagans some elements of truth so that they would be able to accept the bigger, fuller truth of Jesus.

 

[KarenElissa]

I was wondering as I was talking to some other friends, how the day of Christmas came to be on Dec. 25th. And other Pagan traditions that have been included. I have tried to research, and found that Dec. 25th is the date for some pagan god. And things like the Christmas tree are from pagan traditions. Since we don’t really know when Jesus’s birthday is why would it get put on a day for a pagan god. I have also read things like the Christmas tree and other traditions were taken from pagan culture to entice them to become Christian. Does anyone have any info on this, or good sites I might find more info on. Thanks.

here and here are a couple of interesting articles that say the date of Christmas isn’t linked to pagan traditions.

 

[Jennifer_J]

touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=16-10-012-v

Here’s an interesting article as well.

Jennifer

 

[FCEGM]

I was wondering as I was talking to some other friends, how the day of Christmas came to be on Dec. 25th. And other Pagan traditions that have been included. I have tried to research, and found that Dec. 25th is the date for some pagan god. And things like the Christmas tree are from pagan traditions. Since we don’t really know when Jesus’s birthday is why would it get put on a day for a pagan god. I have also read things like the Christmas tree and other traditions were taken from pagan culture to entice them to become Christian. Does anyone have any info on this, or good sites I might find more info on. Thanks.

I think this excellent article, “The Antichrist At the Manger”, from THIS ROCK will help you in your discussion with your friends - and bring you peace of mind:

catholic.com/thisrock/1993/9312fea1.asp

 

[LSK]

I also think that God gave the pagans some elements of truth so that they would be able to accept the bigger, fuller truth of Jesus.

ABSOLUTELY! That is a wonderful way to look at it - as well as being right smack in line with Catholic teaching…do you mind if I appropriate this and use it as part of the explanation to the kids?

 

[deb1]

ABSOLUTELY! That is a wonderful way to look at it - as well as being right smack in line with Catholic teaching…do you mind if I appropriate this and use it as part of the explanation to the kids?

Yes, please do use it.