2006-12-09 15:49:16 · 15 answers · asked by binu m 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Christmas
Because before Christianity, Pagans celebrated Yule on the winter solstice. When Christianity took over they couldn't get the Pagans to stop so they figured if they put their own holiday in place near it, they could feel like the Pagans were celebrating their holiday while not actually causing rebellion by squelching the spiritual practises of the newly conquered.
Peace!
PS - I know several families that celebrate Yule and the solstice in America.
2006-12-09 16:16:20 · answer #1 · answered by carole 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Christmas is in December because the early Catholics used this month to try and take over the pagan holidays and replace them with Christian ones. I think they got it right because nobody celebrates the winter solstice any more. Look it up. It's some fun reading. There are a lot of similarities.
2006-12-10 00:10:20 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
See, Christ was born in march. But his parents didn't want that to be known by the Romans who took over the Catholics, so they celebrated his birthday on December 25, a Roman holiday, so they wouldn't suspect the Catholics. Over time, people forgot the exact day of Christ's birth, so they just celebrated it on the 25th of December.
Question: ⥠But how do we know he was born in March?
Answer: ⥠There were those cute little baby sheep that the shepards had. Sheep are born in the spring, not the winter.
2006-12-10 10:50:31 · answer #3 · answered by Sam the Man 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the early Christians adapted the Roman Saturnalia festival of the winter solstice. It was a festival held in the last month of the Julian calendar as a celebration of the harvest and to honor the gods in gratitude. It was illegal to remain sober during the festival, as to be sober was an affront to the gods who provided the bounty of the grapes. The early Christians were quick to adapt local pagan holidays to Christian themes in order to win converts.
2006-12-09 23:54:14 · answer #4 · answered by weary0918 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Roman Catholic church decided to "help" pagans who where forced to covert to celebrate the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ by placing those Christian events on already celebrated days. They are placed on days equal to Summer Solstice though I do not remember what they are called.
2006-12-09 23:54:23 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because the Christian church needed a way to get the Heathens and Pagans into the churches. So thee "Church" co-opted the pre-existing Holy Days and put their stamp on it.
2006-12-09 23:54:08 · answer #6 · answered by Black Dragon 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If it were in April, you'd be asking why is Christmas in April.
Will you never be content to just accept that it's in December?
2006-12-09 23:56:32 · answer #7 · answered by ? 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It coincides with a pagan holiday and it is far better to co-opt than kill (takes too much effort and tends to alienate the survivors)
2006-12-09 23:51:44 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, I never thought about it.. it would be nice if we had Christmas every month, wouldn't it? Holiday every month all year long! Cool!
2006-12-10 00:00:01 · answer #9 · answered by Fun Fearless!! 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because although we don't know when Jesus was born, we know He was born around the winter solstice (Dec. 22) so we celebrate it around that time.
2006-12-10 01:02:33 · answer #10 · answered by Cayleen O 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋