Few people can confidently say why the United States celebrates Christmas on December 25. And I imagine even fewer people know why we give gifts, or why we pucker up when we find ourselves under some mistletoe. The answers to these questions are under a thick layer of rich human and mythological history. For me, the majority of these discoveries were absolutely shocking—Christ was never in Christmas.
Sol Invictus is the Roman sun god whose birthday celebration falls on December 25. Scholars agree that this date was most likely picked because the Roman calendar lists the 25th as the winter solstice. Interestingly, evidence suggests there was an undeniable overlap between the sun god Sol Invictus, Judaism and Christianity during the 1st through 3rd centuries CE. This makes very little sense because this time period was very tumultuous for both Christians and Jews. Still visible to this day are mosaics of Sol Invictus throughout synagogues in Israel. Why did the Jews ignore a blatant Pagan reference in their places of worship for well over a thousand of years? Or perhaps more importantly, why were the mosaics ever put there to begin with? Emmanuel Friedheim explains his reaction:
“The appearance of Helios [the Greek variant of the Roman Sol Invictus] aroused a stormy scholarly debate that intensified when the ancient synagogue at Hammath Tiberias was excavated . . . this is the earliest example of a depiction of the sun god, and it appeared in one of the most important Jewish centers during the Talmudic period.”
Perhaps it is safe to conclude, then, that the Greco-Roman sun gods were, at some point, substantially rooted in Jewish culture. Though scholars may never know, it’s possible this is why Christmas is celebrated on th...
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... Religious Customs, History, Legends, and Symbols from around the World; Supplemented by a Bibliography and Lists of Christmas Web Sites and Associations. Detroit, Mich: Omnigraphics, 2003. Print.
Henderson, Helene, and Sue Ellen Thompson. Holiday Symbols and Customs: A Guide to the Legend and Lore behind the Traditions, Rituals, Foods, Games, Animals, and Other Symbols and Activities Associated with Holidays and Holy Days, Feasts and Fasts, and Other Celebrations, Covering Ancient, Calendar, Religious, Historic, Folkloric, National, Promotional, and Sporting Events, as Observed in the United States and around the World. Detroit MI: Omnigraphics, 2009. Print.
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Salusbury, Matt. "By Jove! It's Christmas." History Today 59.12 (2009): 6-7. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.
Source 1 displays the aspects of the Indigenous culture and spirituality during the festive season. It acknowledges the native Indigenous Aboriginals of Australia; specifically their land, sea, and their inhabitants. This source is almost a manual, giving instructions to what is to be done, being a step by step process in acknowledging “the light Jesus brought into the world”. “The light”, as Jesus is described, is a symbol of Truth and Righteousness, opposite to Darkness as that of Hell and Evil. The ceremony starts with a spiritual act of a coolamon being placed with stones every week, including the act of placing
Ah Christmas, it is said to be the most wonderful time of the year. In the United States Christmas is a time of giving and receiving, spending time with your family, and in most Christian families, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas is hands-down the most highly commercialized holiday celebrated by Americans. In fact, according to CBS news, the average American will spend $700 on gifts this holiday season, totaling for a whopping $465 billion spent nation-wide. From mall Santas as far as the eye can see, to hearing Christmas music in every retail store you enter. Christmas is a time of high spirits and high spending in the U.S.
Christmas was originally supposed to be a celebration of the birthday of Jesus Christ. Modern historians suggest that Christ was actually born sometime in April, but that is hardly the point; the point is that a day on which to celebrate his birth and life was needed, and so one was chosen. During the season surrounding this holiday -- especially since it coincided with that of other, similar holidays -- it was thought right to honor Jesus by acting as he did, i.e., in a kind, generous, and forgiving manner. Out of this sprung the custom of giving gifts to loved ones on this holiday.
Although Santa has become the main staple of the Christmas season it is important to remember the true reason for the season. Jesus’ birth is what December 25 began as until Saint Nicholas day merged with it. Even though the character that has developed and encountered extremely drastic changes, he has almost always been a giving generous figure in society. “Santa is ‘an invention of the advertising industry’ and ‘a representative of consumer society,’ according to Bonifatiuswerk der deutschen Katholiken [Boniface of German Catholics], which seeks to restore St. Nicholas to his proper place in the Christmas season” (Sweas).
Ancient Egyptians tried to understand their place in the universe. This is why their mythology is centered on nature such as the earth, sky, moon, sun, stars, and the Nile River. There are many Egyptian myths of creation, but the Heliopolitan Tradition, Hermopolitan Ogdoad, and the Memphite Theology are the most commonly used. They all have some common elements and gods. For example, many of t...
...nse to the lavish celebrations of the Winter Solstice, did the Church, some sixteen hundred years ago, begin to create a high holy day of the birth of Christ and attempt to transfer the focus of the celebrations from the sun in the heavens to the Son of God. The Winter Solstice was overlaid with Christmas, and along the way, we lost some of the deep connections of our celebrations to the seasonal, hemispheric event. Many people today are looking to regain the connection; and perhaps, the impulse to hold onto certain traditions; such as candles, evergreens, feasting and generosity; are echoes of a past that extends back in time many thousand of years.
Although it was never celebrated in biblical times, Christmas is celebrated in local churches here in Visalia, California in praise of the fact that God loved us so much; he sent his one and only son to earth. He was wholey god and wholey man. Whereas we have succumbed to the temptations of this earth, Jesus was able to overcome all temptations and live a sinless life. He was then crucified as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. One cannot understand why we celebrate the birth of Christ without seeing the other end of his life. He was crucified for our sins and resurrected.
Christmas, few people stop to think how it originated. Started as a pagan holiday during the time of Romans, it developed in to a Christian celebration dedicated for Christ. People in different age groups, both kids and adults, enjoy the season of Christmas. Christmas has been very big and an inspiring holiday for many families around the world for many centuries. Packed with busy shoppers, jingle bells, colorful lights and Santa Claus, Christmas is thought by many people to be “the most wonderful time of the year”. Winter, snow, Christmas tree, decorations and Santa Claus are very important things which makes us think that it is the most beautiful day of all the year. Everybody waits for Christmas, because that day has varies meaning for different people. But for kids, rather than shoppers, colorful lights, Santa Claus is their main reason why they count the days till Christmas eve. Even though one might say that Santa is just a big lie, Santa Claus brings a whole new meaning to the season of Christmas. Although almost everyone has already figured out that Santa Claus is a big myth, kids, who are younger than 12 or 13 years, should have the right to be fascinated, to speculated, and to use Santa Claus as a possible role model.
Another important record was that the first official mention of December 25 as a holiday honoring Jesus’ birthday appears in an early Roman calendar in 336 A.D. In support to this information from another source, while there is one record of Christmas being celebrated in Antioch (Turkey) on December 25 in the middle of the second century, there is no record of its being observed on that date in Rome until the year 336 AD. In 350 AD, Pope Julius I declared December 25 the official date and in 529 AD Emperor Justinian declared Christmas a civic
It is a time to spread the love that Jesus so happily gave to us and it is a time to share His story. How will today’s children ever know the meaning behind Christmas if someone does not tell them? It is important that children today not only believe in Santa and have great imaginations, but, that they believe in Jesus Christ and Him being the reason we celebrate Christmas. It is important that children obtain real world knowledge and begin obtaining that knowledge at a young
Christmas was created by Christians as a religious feast day, to combat the feast day that pagans celebrated. Now it is still a major feast day, however the religious aspect
Christmas traditions across the country varies. Around Christmas time, you see almost every house covered in Christmas lights, wreaths, and yard decorations. Although, all the world is not Christian, and Christmas is a Christian holiday; everyone has made their own Christmas that fits the culture that they are living in. Even though the environment, excitement, and the mood of celebration differs, the main spirit remains all the same. In America, hanging stockings, baking cakes, and giving fruit, and candy as gifts has been a long standing tradition that is being passed down to generations.
The Christmas tree has many symbols that correspond to life. Because of its ability to live through the year, the evergreen tree is a symbol of everlasting life and growth (Rice). The Christmas tree symbolized an everlasting light, and a testimony of power to the Romans (Symbolic). To Christians, the Christmas tree was a symbol of the birth and the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Symbolic). Japanese and Chinese people used the Christmas tree to symbolize longevity and immortality (Symbolic). The Celtic people used the Christmas tree to represent the life of deities of life (Symbolic). Because it was exhibited as a Pagan symbol, most people believed the trees should not be put up at Christmas (Symbolic). The Christmas tree was also a symbol of
I was very surprised to find that Christmas, what I thought was an American holiday, is actually a celebration observed in many countries around the world, including the country of Uganda (“Uganda”). Since Christmas is an important holiday to me, and is commonly observed in the United States, I thought it would be interesting to learn about other cultures’ Christmas traditions and celebrations.
passing like it was a circus parade" (444). Christmas has already been referred to as looking "more lonely