Jesus wasn't born on that day, yet we celoebrate it! Does God approve of that day for His Son ? I can understand Christmas, its a poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every 25th of December! If Christmas is a time of love, why do we pay for that love with presents?
2006-12-07 17:12:56 · 15 answers · asked by ZORRO 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Other - Holidays
You will find that many of the pagan festivals were usurped by Christian rituals. So the winter soltice was replaced with the birthday of Jesus. The crucifixation coincided with Spring. Mary was deified to usurp Diana and Pan was depicted as the devil. It was all a ploy to replace the Christian religion for the pagan one. Halloween was the night of the dead which, under Christianity became the night of the saints. Presents at Christmas are supposed to replicate the gifts given by the Magi to Jesus. You should note that Christmas is celebrated in January in Russia.
2006-12-07 17:21:16 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The December 25th date goes back to the old Pagan winter festivals.December 21st is the 'shortest' day, by the the 25th day length noticeably gets longer, it was a festival of hope that spring was around the corner. (The use of Holly and Mistletoe as a decoration goes back to those days too) Another interesting thing, is a lot of the Pre- Christian deities (e.g. The Persian God Mithras ) had 'birthdays' on December 25th. In fact it is really uncanny how Christianity has borrowed from even more ancient religions. Even the Celts worshipped a bearded God called Hesus!
2006-12-07 17:35:56 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Christmas is traditionally celebrated on the 25th because it WAS a pagan holiday and the Catholic Church was initially interested in simply getting as many converts as possible. That's the "in a nutshell" version of why the Church adopted the 25th for Christ's birthday. Same with Easter - it was already a holiday for rebirth in crops and whatnot and was a holiday most people were used to celebrating. There are lots of places to look for more information about this - just start w/ Google.
2006-12-07 17:22:50 · answer #3 · answered by bonapuella 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Most of the WESTERN world celebrates Christmas. And Easter is a pagan festival, too - ever notice how Easter is never the same date each year - but is ALWAYS on the full moon?
The Christians, who were unable to convert the pagans, simply adopted pagan festivals as their own.
I'm sure God does NOT approve of the commercialisation of Christmas, although I'm sure He is glad that we all make the effort to be near our loved ones at least once a year.
And for gifts, how about asking our families to spend the money on a bag of grain for a needy third-world family, or sponsoring a child?
2006-12-07 17:19:00 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Educator is proper in how Christians becan celebrating the beginning of Christ on Dec. twenty fifth. In all truth, Christ was once such a lot like born someday round May or June. It does not trouble me, nonetheless, to have fun Jesus' beginning at the unsuitable day, notably considering we do not even understand what the proper day is. I'm simply glad that He selected to got here and benefit from the occasion of such love that was once given.
2016-09-03 10:28:36 · answer #5 · answered by kernan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Christmas is not pagan. We, Christians celebrate the birth of JesusChrist -God born as a man- all year long, therefore picking an speficic date is not that important. It's a fact Jesus was not born in December; its more likely around August, but no one knows for sure.
Orthodox Catholics celebrate Christmas on January 6th, but roman emperor Constantin changed it to Dec 25th to compete against the pagan celebration of winter's solstice. What's interesting is that Constantin proclaimed "Christianity" as the official empire religion, but there is no evidence Constantin ever accepted Jesus Christ as his personal savior (this means he was not a thru Christian) and imposed this new religion to everyone in the empire. As most people held on to their old pagan traditions, catholic church has tried to somehow match christian (???) tradition and symbols to be accepted.
The truth is Jesus Christ does not ask for traditions and symbols; Bible teaches that God rejects religion. What God wants is for man to love and obey Him from their hearts, and this should show on the outside; while religion just tries to portrait a nice outlook and attempts to gain salvation through our religious efforts.
It is by the grace of God mankind is saved by the blood Jesus gave in the cross in our place for our sins. In other words: Salvation through Jesus Christ is Gods GIFT to humankind. For us Christians, this is why we give presents to each other... love is already there, so we don't need to pay for it. If gift giving is not posible, joy and love remain anyway.
Another interesting fact about Dec 25 (winter solstice): While some pagans celebrate and worship the sun as their god, and it seems Christians copied it; Bible teaches that the devil wants to take God's place. Bible calls Jesus the Sun of Justice. So it's the other way around...
Merry Christmas from Mexico...!!!
2006-12-08 04:00:17 · answer #6 · answered by dieguin1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not sure what paganism has to do with your question, i celebrate yule, tho have throughout my life been brought into the christian ritual of celebrating Christmas. if you don't want to spend money on gifts, believe me, i understand. i know it may sound corny, but i give hand made gifts when i can. if i can. i'll paint a picture or create something from something i find or have laying around the house. i have done chronological photo albums for my children, and family. they tell me it's the best gift they ever got, it didn't cost me a dime. use your imagination. don't participate in the celebration if it does not make you happy. no one forces you to be pick pocketed. only you can spend your own money.what ever you decide to do, do it with kindness and love. merry Christmas!
2006-12-07 17:28:13 · answer #7 · answered by iwondersoiask 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because pagans converting to Christianity in Europe wouldn't give up the End of Winter Celebrations so the priests added the story of the Birth of Christ to the Winter Celebrations.
2006-12-07 17:21:52 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
When Christianity was spreading, it encountered cultures with "pagan" beliefs. Since it was hard for them to let go of these beliefs, the Church coinsided their Christion events in the hope that the pagan belief would eventually be forgotten and the christian remembered. But it didn't always work and the pagan events were intertwined with the christian..ergo Hallowed Eve (the day before All Saints Day) became halloween and all saints day.
2006-12-07 17:27:34 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Christmas was never a pagan holiday. There was pagan holidays
but none of them was called Christmas. [Christ-mass.]
We don't know the date of Jesus's birth. When you don't know the date of someone's birth, most people will pick a day to celebrate their birthday. As for the giving of gifts it is just a way to celebrate Jesus's birhday.
2006-12-07 17:50:40 · answer #10 · answered by Bill W 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋