December 25 was originaly a pagan holiday?

[colliric]

December 25 is supposedly the “birthday” of the mythological Mithra. The only problem with their theory is that Jesus Christ was born long before the Mithraism cult began; there is no evidence of it before the latter part of the first century AD, and apparently no evidence of that supposed birth date until much later. And so, in reality, this birth date of Mithra would actually provide us with more evidence that Jesus was in fact born on December 25, especially since the Church Fathers told us the Mithraists were mimicking Christianity, as devil worshipers always do (and they always mimicked the true worship of God).

And, as you said, that date for Christ’s birth appears early on in Church history - Julius Africanus, in 221AD, said that Christ was conceived on the Spring Equinox, March 25, 9 months before December 25. And I might add that December 25, 1 BC was a Sabbath day in a Sabbath year, and our Lord Jesus, who was “born under the law” (Galatians 4:4), is the “Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8), and our “Sabbath rest” (Hebrews 4:9). So hold fast to the tradition that has been handed down to us.

yep.

 

[EnchantedEve]

Actually when I studied classical latin and Roman history we read that it was Saturnalia, which occurs earlier in December, which was often accused of being the foundation of Christmas. This was the celebration of Saturn, not Sol Invictus, which as somebody mentioned earlier was a popular cult only in the later Empire, not at the time of the early Church.

On a side note, we also studied that contrary to popular belief, Christmas trees do not come from Germany, taken from Teutonic pagans, but rather were a popular interior decor in winter for the Roman upper classes. The tradition of putting gifts under them came later but again originated in Rome, as part of winter gift giving. Little evidence exists of the custom in Germany until much later, under the Holy Roman Empire.

Good source of interesting info on this and other accusations of “paganism” and Christianity is Ralph Woodrow’s “The Babylon Connection?” Woodrow is a protestant who wrote a anti-Catholic book called Babylon Mystery Religion, but later had it pulled from printing and recanted his connecting the Church to paganism, though oddly not recanting his other errors. He also has books on Christmas and Easter.

Actually suprised no one has asked the origin of the word “Easter” yet…

 

[Aramis]

Actually suprised no one has asked the origin of the word “Easter” yet…

Eoster… Britano-roman goddess of spring.

 

[EnchantedEve]

Eoster… Britano-roman goddess of spring.

Actually, from what I read the Brits got it from the Germans, who got it from Ostara, or Oestre and thereby Eoster. Ostara was the German goddess of the dawn. She woke up every morning and walked across the sky, walking down to the otherside at night. When missionaries evangelized the Germans, they described the Resurrection and the rising of the Son of God. The Germans replied by saying the Son rose like Ostara. Thereby came the Resurrection feast- Feast of the Rising Son. When Ostara’s cult was taken to Britain, she also became the acknowledged goddess of spring (reason she remains popular in Wicca).

As a side note, my wife and I are naming our baby girl Ostara for this reason, because it reminds us of the Resurrection of Christ.

 

[Aramis]

It is in brittan, however, that Eoster’s festal period becomes confounded with Pascha, ca 400-500 AD.

 

[EnchantedEve]

It is in brittan, however, that Eoster’s festal period becomes confounded with Pascha, ca 400-500 AD.

Right you are. It is in Britain that the Feast of the Resurrection became known as Easter.

 

[Callixtus]

There is much good information offered by others here about the history.

The point is that many people try to use this “there was a pagan festival before that time already” to undermine your faith. They set up a straw man - that the church says Jesus was born on Dec. 25 - and then attack it.

The point is, as noted already, that nobody knows nor has claimed to know when the birthday was. Christmas was and is a commemoration of that birth, not the actual birthday.

So there was a pagan solstice festival in late December before Christ’s time. We knew that then, we know that now. So the heck what? This is a cheap way for people to try to attack your faith. It’s one of the oldest in the book.