2006-11-20 11:47:28 · 24 answers · asked by martin 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
YES! The original christian church usurped a pagan holiday in order to enforce christianity on others. Some folks don't like to know these things... but the Easter Bunny is also of Pagan origin...
2006-11-20 11:49:45 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 7⤊ 2⤋
Christmas is the holiday of Yule the Catholics took from the ancient Celtic religions in order to force their religion upon their expanding empire. Most Christian holidays are in some way a stolen holiday from another religion. It's they way of attempting to force their religion upon others. There is also Hallows Eve, or as its come to be called, Halloween, another festival taken from the pagans by an Christian society. Even Easter falls on the same day as an ancient Celtic holiday that involved snake eggs. So yes, in a way Christmas is more or less a holiday stolen from the pagans by the Christian church, but so are many holidays and traditions that they have now. As a Druid myself, I think we should be honored that they'd rather help us celebrate our holidays than their own, even if they did take them and twist them into their own perverse ideas.
And as far as these people saying Christmas was originally a Christian holiday that the pagans tried to destroy or copy. They need to remember the original Druids, Wiccans, and Pagans were around thousands of years before Christianity. And the ancient religions have always celebrated Yule and/or Winter Solstice on December 21st. So yeah... We had it first.
2006-11-20 20:00:45 · answer #2 · answered by lavos1412 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Christmas was an early Christian celebration of the Nativity of Jesus Christ. By the name, it obviously became called "Christmas" as the RC's became more powerful for they were the ones who celebrated the MASS. ChristMASS would be the celebration of the MASS in recognition of Christ's birth; likewise CandleMASS, etc.
In order to make it easier for the newly converted pagans, the Church (if the actual date was unknown) chose the date for a Christian festival or holy day at such a time as to provide the former pagan with a Christian celebration instead of their old pagan orgies.
Now, in many post-Christian countries that still use the name of "Christmas" for their winter celebration, the new-pagans have replaced the Christian celebration with modern orgies.
So, NO, Christmas is NOT in reality an ancient Pagan Celebration. Christmas was a Christian celebration replacing a pagan celebration; Now pagan celebrations replace Christian Celebrations of Christmas. And, finally, many in post-Christian America have decided to even do away with the term "Christmas" and, certainly, with the term "Christ".
2006-11-20 19:57:01 · answer #3 · answered by kent chatham 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Almost all major religious celebrations are conveniently located upon the dates of pagan religious celebrations (equinoxes for example). This was used as a way to build compliance in the masses by invading groups (Romans, the whole crusade thing etc).
2006-11-20 19:53:00 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Christmas is the official Christian celebration of God's greatest gift to mankind.
I don't know what pagans, or others might be celebrating on that day.
That's up to them.
2006-11-21 01:38:38 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yule is December 21st on the winter solstace (shortest day of the year) a lot of christian holidays were arranged to be the same time as pagan holidays. It is so people would celebrate christian holidays instead of the pagan ones.
2006-11-20 19:51:19 · answer #6 · answered by apuleuis 5 · 5⤊ 1⤋
December 25th is one of the oldest celebrated days; this can go back to the Ancient Egyptians man
2006-11-20 19:52:06 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Yes, it is.
And I'm very imprssed with the knowledge of some of the posters here!
Note to parasite god, re:
"As a Druid myself, I think we should be honored that they'd rather help us celebrate our holidays than their own, even if they did take them and twist them into their own perverse ideas."
Yeah, well, if they were more willing to SHARE I'd be happier about it. But no, it's all gotta be Christmas, no recognition of other people's holidays, even the holidays they "borrowed" so much from.
Remember, y'all, the "reason for the season" is the earth's axial tilt!!
2006-11-20 21:07:32 · answer #8 · answered by Praise Singer 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I don't know of any pagan religion that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Perhaps some pagans have feasts on the same date, but so what? There are thousands of pagan celebrations and feastdays, and only 365 days in a year. You should expect some overlap of dates.
2006-11-20 19:52:01 · answer #9 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 2⤊ 4⤋
Well, kinda. We celebrate the birth of Jesus on Dec. 25, but that date also coincides with a pagqan ritual. The early Catholic church combined them. Jesus was actually born in the spring time.
2006-11-20 19:53:43 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋