Is it the same?

Question

this is for wicca. is christmas and yule almost the same thing?

likie giving presents and tree and stuff like that.

Answer 1

Christmas is a holiday the Christians developed to help in their quest to assimilate the Pagans as Christianity marched throughout Europe. It closely coincides with Yule and share some of the same aspects and symbols so as to make it familiar enough that it wasn't a huge jump for converting Pagans. Also, Christmas was first developed amongst the Germanic tribes, thus much of what we have today is associated with that (Santa, the suit he wears, the sleigh, etc.)

Yule is a celebration of the rebirth of the earth. It is the shortest day of the year and from there the days get longer, the earth starts to come alive again as we head toward spring. It is linked with the rebirth of the God by the Goddess.

From Wikipedia:

Many of the symbols and motifs associated with the modern holiday of Christmas are derived from traditional pagan northern European Yule celebrations. The burning of the Yule log, the decorating of Christmas trees, the eating of ham, the hanging of boughs, holly, mistletoe, etc. are all historically practices associated with Yule. When the Christianization of the Germanic peoples began, missionaries found it convenient to provide a Christian reinterpretation of popular pagan holidays such as Yule and allow the celebrations themselves to go on largely unchanged, versus trying to confront and suppress them...Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum ("Ecclesiastic History of the English People") contains a letter from Pope Gregory I to Saint Mellitus, who was then on his way to England to conduct missionary work among the pagan Anglo-Saxons. Pope Gregory suggested that converting heathens would go easier if they were allowed to retain the outward forms of their traditional pagan practices and traditions, while recasting those traditions spiritually towards the Christian God instead of to their pagan 'devils': "to the end that, whilst some gratifications are outwardly permitted them, they may the more easily consent to the inward consolations of the grace of God".

Hope that helped.

Answer 2

December 25th was originally celebrated as the birthday of Mithra who is the protector of truth and justice and happens to be the Persian sun god who was later worshiped by Roman soldiers. The early Christian church in an effort to assimilate the pagan masses decided to make Jesus’ official birthday coincide with the birth of Mithra.

The Scandinavian Yuletide celebrated the return of the sun, the hanging of ornaments on evergreen trees.

One of the traditions was the Yule log. The log was the center of the trunk of a tree that was dragged to a large fireplace where it was supposed to burn for twelve days. From this comes the twelve days of Christmas.

Answer 3

Yule is Northern European. But Christmas is based off the birth stories of many different sun gods - including Mithra, Tammuz. As with many religious holidays, they have been blended together.

Answer 4

In some ways.

In our house, the Winter Solstice is a 10 day event, beginning on the Solstice and continuing through New Years.

Answer 5

I dont think so. Christmas is a christian holiday. Yule is a wiccan holiday celebrating the winter solstice. (Im pretty sure)

Answer 6

xmas is not Jesus birthday

if you really study the bible you will fin he was born around sept 15th

dec 25th is tammuz birthday