is christmas a pagan holiday?

Answer 1

Yes! No matter how people try to cover it, paint it, or dress it.If you take the label off of a bottle of poison and put a root beer label on it, is it now root beer? Christmas was birthed out of pagan practices which are actually described in the Bible that we followers of Jesus use as an instruction book to life. Jeremiah 10:3-4, 3. For the customs of the peoples are futile;
For one cuts a tree from the forest,
The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
4. They decorate it with silver and gold;
They fasten it with nails and hammers
So that it will not topple. So fellow believers ask yourselves why are you taking part in this ungodly activity.

Answer 2

By the third century CE, there were many religions and spiritual mysteries being followed within the Roman Empire. Many, if not most, celebrated the birth of their god-man near the time of the solstice. Emperor Aurelian (270 to 275 CE) blended a number of Pagan solstice celebrations of the nativity of such god-men/saviors as Appolo, Attis, Baal, Dionysus, Helios, Hercules, Horus, Mithra, Osiris, Perseus, and Theseus into a single festival called the "Birthday of the Unconquered Sun" on DEC-25. At the time, Mithraism and Christianity were fierce competitors. Aurelian had even declared Mithraism the official religion of the Roman Empire in 274 CE. Christianity won out by becoming the new official religion in the 4th century CE.

Any record of the date of birth of Yeshua of Nazareth (later known as Jesus Christ) has been lost. There is sufficient evidence in the Gospels to indicate that Yeshua was born in the fall, but this seems to have been unknown to early Christians. By the beginning of the 4th century CE, there was intense interest in choosing a day to celebrate Yeshua's birthday. The western church leaders selected DEC-25 because this was already the date recognized throughout the Roman Empire as the birthday of various Pagan gods.

Many symbols and practices associated with Christmas are of Pagan origin: holly, ivy, mistletoe, yule log, the giving of gifts, decorated evergreen tree, magical reindeer, etc. Polydor Virgil, an early British Christian, said "Dancing, masques, mummeries, stageplays, and other such Christmas disorders now in use with Christians, were derived from these Roman Saturnalian and Bacchanalian festivals; which should cause all pious Christians eternally to abominate them." In Massachusetts, Puritans unsuccessfully tried to ban Christmas entirely during the 17th century, because of its heathenism. The English Parliament abolished Christmas in 1647. Some contemporary Christian faith groups do not celebrate Christmas.

Answer 3

Most folks have good intentions when they celebrate Christmas.. they say it is in celebration of the birth of Jesus. What if the truth of the matter is that not only is the exact date of Jesus' birth unknown, but no matter WHEN it actually is, Jew's of Jesus day did not celebrate their birthdays? Would you still do it in celebration of a man's birthday who never celebrated His OWN, and who did not ask US to do it in his honor? What then? Isn't that totally disrespectful?
As for the date that is celebrated, look in any reputable encyclopaedia under Christmas. You will learn that December 25 corresponds with the date of a pagan, Roman holiday known as Saturnalia, where gifts were given, feasting went on, lights were lit, all to entice the god Saturn to return in the spring and bless the peoples crops. It was incooperated into the Christian church as a way to bring in pagan worshippers. The birth of the SUN became the birth of the SON... so you decide. Is Christmas pagan? Is celebrating it truly what God wants of us?

Answer 4

No, Christmas means Christ's Mass. It's a religious holiday.
The Christian church, in order to convert more pagans, and make the conversion easier, borrowed the pagan holiday of The Return of Light at the winter soltice.
It's not known when Christ was born, not even the time of year. It certainly was not as the church claims. The Romans kept exact records of everything. None show that a censes was taken at that time.
So , no Christmas is Christian. Return of Light is Pagan.

Answer 5

It's origins and traditions are Pagan. The only thing that makes it a Christian Holiday is the name "Christmas" which was given by the Roman Catholic Church "Christs Mass". I don't see many Christians outside of the RCC doing Christs Mass.... *wink*

And sorry to disappoint some here, but there are plenty of Pagans that still celebrate Christmas.... of course it goes by other names, but it is still celebrated. And for many of the same reasons Christians celebrate it. Osiris and Apollo both were born on Dec 25th (as well as many other Pagan Gods/Godmen). Those who follow those Gods usually view them as "Saviors" - especially since that was a title given to them. They were called "The Light, The Truth and The Way" (as was Mithras). They were also called Redeemers of mankind. So, unfortunately for many Christians who wished that us Pagans would leave them alone about this, there are many Pagans out there who really do follow, Truthfully, their religions and religious holidays.

But what is truly funny about it all, is how so many Christians say they want Pagan holidays banned....... rofl!!!! Christmas and Easter would be the 1st one's to go. *wink*

Answer 6

No, Christmas is a Christian holiday, with its primary reason directly drawn from Christian beliefs - ie, the birth of Christ. The particular timing may have been purposefully chosen to coincide with Pagan holidays (specifically as a form of competition), and some of the traditions may have Pagan origins, but the holiday itself is definately Christian.

Answer 7

started that way until the Christian Religious Belief System took over Christmas ( and several other Pagan Holidays ) in order to more easily convince and convert these same Pagans into Christians by keeping many of the celebrations and dates they were used to.

Answer 8

Yes. In the Roman world, the Saturnalia (December 17) was a time of merrymaking and exchanging of gifts. December 25 was also regarded as the birthdate of the Iranian mystery god Mithra, the Sun of Righteousness. On the Roman New Year (January 1), houses were decorated with greenery and lights, and gifts were given to children and the poor. To these observances were added the German and Celtic Yule rites when the Teutonic tribes penetrated into Gaul, Britain and central Europe. Food and good fellowship, the Yule log and Yule cakes, greenery and fir trees, gifts and greetings all commemorated different aspects of this festive season. Fires and lights, symbols of warmth and lasting life, have always been associated with the winter festival, both pagan and Christian” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th Edit. Vol. II, p. 903).

Jesus commanded his followers to celebrate his death. If celebrating his birth were important, wouldn't he have had his disciples celebrate that too?

Answer 9

No. It is a Christian holiday. It began, as did all of Christianity, at a time when the world was "pagen". But it has taken what was a pagen holiday, and turned it into a celebration of the birth of Christ. That is what Christian does with everything. It takes things/people that were "pagen" and turns them into things/people who celebrate Christ. There is no one today who still celebrates the pagen feast on December 25th. Most people could not even tell you what god was feasted on that day or how it was done. But they know that Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ. Christian has "redeemed" that day.

Was December 25th a pagen holiday? Yes. But I would like to have somebody saw me a day during the entire year that is not or was not a holiday for some religion some where. So whatever day Christmas was celebrated on, it would have been the same as some earlier "pagen" holiday. So the date does not make it "pagen". What does is celebrated does not change the reason for the celebration - the birth of Christ.

What about customs like Christmas trees and yuletime logs? Again, these may have been used by "pagens" at some point, but name a ritual that hasn't been? Whatever their origin, they have been converted. They are now Christian symbols, and have Christian allegory and analogues connected to them. When the yule log is burned, it is a celebration to Christ, not a pagen ritual. None of these things have changed Christian doctrine or teaching. Rather Christianity has changed these things into celebrations of Christ.

Christmas is not a pagen holiday. Rather, it shows the truth of the Christian message, the birth, life death and ressurection of Christ can take anything and change it so it brings glory to Him.

Answer 10

Christmas is a mix of paganism and Christianity and was brought about in an attempt to convert pagans to Christianity. The problem with this is that it polluted true Christianity. God has always warned his people not to pollute their worship with the worship of the surrounding nations. Doing so is a total disregard and lack of respect for God's word. But it was foretold in the Bible that some would fall away from the true teachings and be led astray, so it shouldn't come as a big surprise.