Is it True that Christian hijacked Winter Solstice to celebrate Christmas ?

Question

I am reading David Mills's "Atheist Universe". In page 78, he refered as it

Atheists celebrate the Winter Solstic, which has been recognized since ancient times as the shortest day of the year ( December 25th by the Julian calendar). The ancients celebrated this day because they realized that they had "rounded the corner" and, soon, the days would grow longer and longer, and their crops would once again provide sustenance.

Duraing the early days of Christianity, believers tried to persuade the ruling authorities to establish a legal holiday to commemorate Jesus' birth. But the governing authorities refused. So the Christians deided that "if you can't beat them, join them" and there after clebrated Jesus' birth on an already-estiblashed holiday: the Winter Solstice (December 25th). Pope Gregory XIII later revised the ancient Julian calendar; and so the clandar we use today - the Gregorian clandar - moves the Winter Solstice back a few days to December 21st.

Whereas Christmas continues to be clebrated on the 25th.

Answer 1

More accurately, it was probably a hijacking of the celebration for the birth of Mithras. Mithras was the god in Mithraism, a Zoroastrian decended religion popular in the late Roman empire, and his birth was celebrated on what is now December 25.

Answer 2

I do not celebrate the festival or holiday of Christmas or Easter, because of their ancient pagan roots. Don't get me wrong, I use to be just like everyone else; Christmas trees, dyed Easter eggs etc. until one day when hearing out loud that the name Easter was the name of an ancient pagan goddess of fertility I fell on the floor and cried for hours. In that instant I knew that this was not what the LORD wanted me to do . . . ever again. After learning more about the origins of these two beloved 'Christian' holidays I came to realize that God would never accept this type of worship and I have never celebrated them again since that day of light. I do believe that mainstream Christianity or at least the majority do have a cult-like following of Christmas and Easter. Be Blessed:-)

Answer 3

... Winter Solstice is really more of a Pagan than Atheist thing. There's a decently long bit of mythology involving a god and goddess (hardly Atheist, really). You see Paganism is just as strong-going as it was a while ago. Now "hijacked" is not a great word because it makes all Christians look like crazy missionaries, which they aren't. Though it is true that most Christian holidays are basically ripoffs of the original Pagan holidays (ie Yule, Eostara).

Answer 4

Firstly; Christmas & the pagan worship of the winter solstice was the day chosen by the early church fathers to introduce Christianity to the pagan world - a compromise you might say. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." Paul the Apostle was an excellent example of meeting people half-way,( "I am all things to all men"). To imply that Christians had malice in doing so can be liken to houses made of wood are an attempt by Christians to implement wooden crosses upon non-believers - utter foolishness. The Christian motive was one of compromise not malice. In all reality, the birth of Jesus can be placed sometime in the spring. Further; the governing authority of the time was Emporer of Rome and the first Pope. By the way, did David Mills include Stalin and Hitler in his "Atheist Universe" book?

Answer 5

Atheists? Not really. The Druids celebrated around December 25th, and would run around looking for young virgins for the ceremonial fire.
The Catholic church wanted to 'bleed out' the heathenism by introducing a POSITIVE influence to the celebration, and to convert them to Christianity.
The same is true with Easter. A fertility rite. That is where we get the Easter bunny and Easter rabbits from. The Church tried to make a more positive influence out of the heathen practice.
I think we are better off celebrating Christmas in the current form (referring to the birth of Christ) as opposed to knocking on doors demanding a virgin for the fire (after her heart was cut out, of course). The same with Easter.

Answer 6

True for the most part with several inconsistencies. The Christians used many things so that pagans and non-Christians could relate to it. They used the pentagram (five pointed star) to symbolize the five wounds of Christ. Saint Patrick used the three leaf clover to show the people of Ireland a natural example of the Trinity. Rabbits are symbols of fertility, and the resurrection is about "new-life" so bunnies and eggs are symbolic of the New life of Christ. The Evergreen tree is also symbolic of fertility because it does not die in the winter, so it became a symbol for Christmas to represent the birth of Christ.

These things do not mean Christianity "stole" them, they used them so that people could relate to it. Jesus did the same kind of thing in his sermons, he told them stories and parallels so they could relate to it. "I am the vine", "I am the good shepherd" etc.

As to Christmas, though, we know Jesus was born in April or May because we read in the Gospel of Luke that Mary became pregnant in the Sixth Month. The Jewish calendar had thirteen months, but nine months after the sixth month (nine months of pregnancy) would be in April/May... So the conception day of Christ in the womb of Mary would be August/September. In reality, Christ's true birthday must have just recently passed.

Answer 7

Yes. Jesus was probably born in the spring or fall. His actual birthday is not known so Constantine (I think) chose December 25th to discourage pagan celebrations of the Winter Solstice.

Answer 8

Most Pagans now celebrate the Winter Solstice on the 21st.

Answer 9

That is very true. The Christians turned many Pagan holidays into their own thinking that if they celebrated their stuff on Pagan holidays then the Pagan's would be more willing to convert to Christianity. I don't know about Atheists though. I have never looked stuff up for Atheists.

Hugs

Answer 10

Xmas has absolutely nothing to do with God. It was originally called Yuletide, which is a pagan festival from the Babylonian Mystery religion of SUN worship.