Look it up in Roman Constantine time history.
2006-11-22 17:35:59 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
At the time of Constantine.....the 25th of Dec. was considered winter solstice...it does change as we follow the solar calendar and not the more accurate lunar calendar....LOOK IT UP!
2006-11-22 17:39:41 · update #1
I'm a christian and you are absolutely right! I can't stand christmas it has absolutely nothing to do with Christ. If I'm going to celebrate Christ's birthday I will celebrate it when He was actually born. September/October.
2006-11-22 18:01:17 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would tend to disagree based on my studies of Hellenic history including both before and after the beginnings of the Byzantine Empire. The celebration known as Christmas in english-speaking countries has little to do with pagan celebrations of the winter solstice. In point of fact, the Hellene pagans of Attic (Athenian) Greece did not have a corresponding festival at that time of year. The closest in timing would be the lesser Dionysia festival.
There is a MODERN hellenic pagan festival around that time called Heliogennia, but there is nothing in the ancient sources that corresponds.
The Roman festival of "Sol Invictus was adapted from Persian Mithraism and is what most christians who are against the secularization of a festival honoring Christ's birth beleive was co-opted by the Byzantine emperors. The evidence for this is sketchy at best if you look at the records of the Orthodox church in Constatinople of the time.
The main religious celebration of their year was the Paschal celebration in the spring.... Christmas (or Chrisougennia) was strictly secondary in the scheme of things for them.
2006-11-22 17:46:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anne Hatzakis 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It may be but it makes no difference anymore. People around the world, even non-Christians celebrate Christmas in honour of the baby Jesus. Nothing in the world these days surpasses it.
Don't forget to sing Happy Birthday Lord Jesus. And have some cake and ice cream. Put 2 candles(for 2000 years).
I Cr 13;8a
11-22-6
2006-11-22 17:44:56 · answer #3 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
no very close i believe the solistice falls on the 21st of december and the summer falls on the 21st of June for thiose of you in the U.S anyway, in reality I suppose it would depend when the first Christmas was officially celebrated it was also the festival of another pagan God the 25th , if your going to make a statement that you want us to agree with or disagree relevant sources where it can be looked uup would be helpful
2006-11-22 17:37:24 · answer #4 · answered by harro_06 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If we cant tell a Pagan they're Christians if they have a Bible in the house, you cant say Christians are Pagan because of Christmas.
Christians and Pagans do many of the same things.. both pray, both praise, both sing, both worship the difference is to WHOM they devote these things to. Same goes for the holidays.
2006-11-22 17:40:20 · answer #5 · answered by impossble_dream 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Christianity usurped (and/or defiled) the gods, goddesses and holy days of many indigenous cultures, often building Christian churches on ground sacred to the natives.. once conquered and demoralized it was easier to convert the people to Christianity if it was made it somewhat familiar to them.
2006-11-22 17:45:48 · answer #6 · answered by nebtet 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It started out that way, but was adopted for celebrating Jesus' birthday by the early Church even though there is some evidence that Jesus was born in the spring.
2006-11-22 17:38:10 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes... the "birth of the sun god" was stolen by Christians and renamed the "birth of the son of god"
2006-11-22 17:51:04 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Read about Mithraism.
2006-11-22 17:50:12 · answer #9 · answered by ohnoitsadel 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
; ) ... the witches aren't coming dear, we're already here!
2006-11-22 17:44:41 · answer #10 · answered by Helzabet 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋