Christmas - Pagan Origins

The Winter Solstice was traditionally celebrated on December 21 in the northern hemisphere. Well before the birth of Jesus, the ancient people marked the Winter Solstice, with celebrations and joy that the coldest part of the year was behind them. From December 22 the days begin to lengthen and the days gradually get warmer.

Christmas celebrations are to some extent, the modern equivalent of the Winter Solstice celebrations.

The actual birth of Jesus is not widely believed to have occurred in December. However, the celebrations of the birth of Jesus occurs in approximately the same day as the winter solstice. Christmas, now is the celebration of winter for the northern hemisphere. Of course, in the southern hemisphere, Christmas falls in mid summer - around the time of the summer solstice.

Saturnalia was also a celebration of Winter Solstice that occurred in ancient pagan Rome. Saturnalia was celebrated to honor the god of agriculture, called Saturn. During the Saturnalia, slaves and peasants spend time with and celebrate the festival with people from upper classes, which certainly did not occur in the rest of the year. The Saturnalia festival in itself could take up to a week in Rome. During this time, people rejoiced all over Rome. The phrase 'eat, drink and be merry' was played at its best.

So celebrations at the winter solstice were well established before the birth of Jesus but for some specific Christmas traditions with which we all know?

Do you think the Christmas tree tradition originated as a Christian? Well, think again - In Scandinavia during the winter solstice, the men and their sons went into the woods to cut a tree down. After the tree was felled, a good business record has been cut off, and the men would carry the log back home. This log was called Yule Log and the Christmas log was burned in the fireplace. The weather around the Yule Log burned, the family would feast. Again, this was a tradition of Winter Solstice, rather than a specifically Christian tradition. Often, the Scandinavian Yule log might burn for twelve days as a whole! Today, the Christmas log is represented in the form of log-shaped cake iced, and is associated with the Christian experience of Christmas.

Since the strain Christmas burnt sent sparks of fire and sparks from the fireplace, the family would count the sparks, as they believed that each spark represents a farm animal that would be born on their property the same year. These beliefs have little to do with the beliefs and celebrations of Christmas, but Christmas stock is now firmly associated with Christmas in the minds of many.

Even the Christmas story is considered by some to have been influenced by a pagan myth. But despite that, the story itself and all the traditions that have come to be associated with it form an integral part of Christmas for millions living in both northern and southern hemispheres. So if you celebrate Christmas in the snow or the beach, most likely to identify with Christmas Christmas trees, logs, lots of food, and family time.