Name one Christian symbol/holiday thats not originally pagan?

Question

I can't think of one...

Eg.

cross - "An ancient pre-Christian symbol interpreted by some occultists as uniting the male phallus (vertical bar) and the female vagina (horizontal bar). It is also a symbol of the four directions"

"Jehovah's Witnesses, noting the pre-Christian use of the cross symbol and disputing its early use by Christians reject it as essentially pagan in origin. They hold that the "cross" on which Jesus died was really a single-beamed "stake"."

Christmas - Yule (Jesus was actually born in spring)

Easter - Ostara


(If you answer please come back - i want to see whether or not what you say was actually christian to start with! I'll post here if it was or not - all things mentioned are on internet somewhere so look it up!)

amancalledj - I'm not trying to take away the importance of any of these things away from you. So long as you don't try and convert me I have no problem with anyone being christian - I grew up with a christian family I ust couldn't think of one symbol that was 'purely' christian.

Also not trying to be an 'expert' on any of this - If I was an expert I wldnt ask - I'd state! I completely admit I'm stuck on both the fish symbol and Satan (Although Satan was ust the horned God - not the person Christians have made him out to be)! But in the sense that that person meant it I agree I can't think of another religion that believes in evil!

And for about the millionth time today pagans DO NOT believe in Devil whoever it was that said that...

I'll come back to you all about the others.

Fish - "is not a Christian owned symbol at all, but was derived from a sexually related image. The fish symbol was often drawn by overlapping two thin crescent moons, signifying a woman's cycle"

St Patricks Day (17th) - Ostara (20th - 23rd)

The word 'Sabbath' was taken from - Sabbat although 'sunday' as a holy day is actually christian

As for Easter I wasn't talking about the word I was talking about the DATES. (Although the word was also taken from our word)

I have to admit I'm stuck on the others!


And once again... sorry to those I offended, was not trying to make paganism seem 'superior' or belittle your religion. People have the right to believe what they want. Just wondered as I cldnt think of one

(Though I have to say I like this quote - "Satan has no room in the craft. He is Christian and they can keep him, we don't want him." Thanks!!)

Thanks - hebraic princess I stand corrected! Fall would make sense

Answer 1

Greetings!

To make people think! What an idea! It seems to have worked very well, and several posters added to the list-

"Satan" indeed,was an invention, and while having no connection to Herne or any "Horned God" the xtians still try to make that work. The idea of Good versus Evil, Light versus Dark, came from the concept of Ahriman and Ahura Mazda, and was introduced into xtianity at a point when the Church was losing it`s hold over vast sections of followers.

You see several posters trying to fight back in a feeble manner, but you have driven the stake through the Heart of the giant blood-sucking monster.

Good work!Great timing!

Have a Happy SamHuin!

/!\

Answer 2

Well, most Christian holidays have striking similarities with older Sabbats that pre-Christian Pagans celebrated, probably (as has been said) to help convert country dwellers (where the word Pagan comes from) and make the process more appealing to them.

So I would say that any of the feast days of the "newer" saints would be considered as Christian only, since they do not have traditions that pre-date Christianity. Although, I know that some Christians consider the worship of saints to be pagan in and of itself, since many believe that a person should only worship one God.

It should be noted here, however, that regardless of the origins of religious traditions, now, thousands of years later, Sabbats and holidays take on a new meaning for people, and that meaning may be different than the original one. I believe that it is wise to understand the background and history of your religious traditions, but if they mean something altogether different for you, that's ok. It is your holiday to celebrate how you want to, and often family traditions of the past few decades have more resonance with a person than the original intended tradition of thousands of years ago. The important part is that you celebrate what is in your heart without feeling the need to put down another religious tradition as wrong or immoral. Just because it is wrong to you, doesn't mean that it isn't special and holy to someone else.

I know that it horrifies some, but I am fascinated by the links between Christianity and Paganism, and I believe that if we were to focus more on the similarities between all religions, there would be much less judgement and religious discrimination and persecution among us, the citizens of the Earth.

Blessings, and a peaceful Samhain.

Answer 3

This is an interesting question...

Yes, I do believe the church chose December 25 around existing celebrations deliberately to allow converts to hang on to some of their traditions. (We all know that Jesus was actually born in the spring.) Christmas as it now exists is really more of a secular holiday anyway.

The beauty of Jesus, to me, is that there's nothing inherently wrong with traditions as long as they don't become more important than the events/person they are supposed to honor or commemorate. Why can't a Native American use the sweating rituals as an offering to God in the name of Jesus? How does this differ from other means of physical purifications (for lack of better word) such as fasting?

But what's really interesting is the Jewish connection...all of the major events in the life of Jesus are tied to Jewish holidays. That "Easter" coincides with Ostara is interesting...it also coincides with the Passover.

I'm curious as to how the Ichthus (fish) symbol was used in the Pagan religion. It was used as a "code" among early Christians. Some things are so diverse they can have multiple meanings for different people or applications. A fish is really just a fish...what it symbolizes is totally subject to interpretation. And they idea of early Christians incorporating an icon others used as symbol for the "va-jay-jay" as a code connecting to the miracles of Jesus is just pure brilliance. Whoda Thunk it?

Answer 4

Feast of the Immaculate Conception - December 8. It is not the feast of the incarnation of Jesus but the conception of Mary, Jesus' mother, in the womb of St. Anne. The feast of the Ascension which falls on the sixth Sunday of Easter. It celebrates Christ's ascending into heaven. Pentecost, which falls on the 7th Sunday after Easter, is the feast celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and Mary. It is also known as the birthday of the church. The feast of Christ the King which falls on the Sunday five weeks before Christmas. The feast of the Annunciation which is March 25 celebrating the Angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary that she will be the mother of the saviour. The feast of the Assumption, August 15, which celebrates Mary's going to heaven. Ash Wednesday which is the beginning of Lent or 40 days of prepartion for Holy Week. Holy Week, which commemorates Christ's passion and death on the Cross and is culminated on Easter Sunday, the day of His resurrection.

Answer 5

Paganism was around long before Christianity, so they used a shape similar to the cross before Christians.... However, this certainly doesn't mean that the cross Christians use was originally pagan... Had Christ been nailed to an Octogon, they would use an octogon.... and in their context, it would be a sacred symbol.

Christmas was chosen to overshadow the feast of Saturnalia, the timing with Yule is coincidental at best.

Answer 6

A lot of christian holidays are placed on pagan ones to make the locals easier to convert, like one poster said. But you might also acknowledge that about 90% of Jesus' life story, including his birth and death, was all ripped off from Mithras anyway. Who was a much more popular god around the time Jesus was supposed to have lived.

Answer 7

While some things are borrowed the CONTEXT is completely different. I assure I celebrate no ones birth at Yule. In my tradition it's not even about the birth of the sun. There is actually a lot of connotation with death. Wild Hunt for example.
Point being, they ARE Christian holidays. So what if they are around the same date? So is Hanuka but no one is screaming at the Jews. It is funny to watch the Christians disagree about it though. *G*

Answer 8

St Patricks Day is strictly Christian. It's glorifying a man who killed Pagans in Ireland. He drove the "snakes" out. A good cover-up for what he really did. A shame the only real holiday they can claim is one that has nothing but death about it.

Heathen

Answer 9

It's true that many of the Christian holidays coincide with preexisting Pagan holidays. This was likely because it made it easier to convert Pagans to Christianity. It doesn't make any of the traditions invalid in my mind (although I am not a Christian).

Edit: I'm Agnostic, but I can appreciate traditions of all types.

Answer 10

To answer you truthfully there is none! I believe in Jesus Christ i do but not in religion who have made him into a person that fits their ideal of what a god should be. I want to warn you that it states in the bible that the anti- Christ will come up with the sons of god even to mislead the chosen. christian beliefs have been mixed with pagans practices. i asked a question of the wedding ring, why do Christians wear it when its pagan? JW's answer me at the door it's christian, well so much for my free bible study! Look it up you will find that it is pagan and it's not christian. beware of the ides of march!