Since the day Christmas is celebrated has so many origins from pagans/other non Christian peoples?

Question

Why was it picked by the Church to celebrate Christ's birthday on? As others have said, the rituals we Christians partake in on Christmas such as Christmas trees, yule logs, gift giving etc. came from pagan origins. Why was that same day picked to celebrate Christ's birth? Shouldn't they at least have picked another day?

Answer 1

it's so they wouldn't feel left out on those days...

people would be celebrating their own holiday, and wouldn't partake in the other holidays...

Answer 2

This is something that plagues me also, there is a pamphlet that speaks on this that my parents had, but I honestly can't remember what it is called or where it's from, it's been awhile since I've seen it. It says that gifts of dolls and whatnot came from the practice of sacrificing children in the fire.
What I believe the conclusion was, and I agree with this, is that the church compromised their beliefs, because the people they were trying to convert did not want to give up their holiday, and because of this, they intwined them, to get the pegans to start celebrating Jesus while not taking away the "fun" that they had always had. So they intwined the two holidays and winter solstace became the official time to celebrate Jesus' birth. There is historical evidence to the fact that it wasn't even December that Jesus was born, but most likely it was around September.

It's an interesting thing, most of the people today though, forget about Jesus, so it's not like winter solctace changed.
I don't celebrate christmass, never have, but instead celebrate Christ's birth sometime in the fall. I do enjoy the colors and the lights and the deserts though. :)

Answer 3

The day was chosen specifically because it was a far too-popular pagan festival in the Western Roman Empire . Christians were persisting in celebrating it even after converting, so it was determined that it would be better to at least get the faithful into a good Christian commemoration for part of the time. Why do people insist upon making such a big deal over that?

Answer 4

Christmas/solistice/yule is a time when many different religions for all over the world had a time of rebirth of thier gods. Even the time of celebration for christ's bith is fro pagan origins. Records suggest that christ was actually born in September.

Changing the celebration of his birth to the end of December was a ploy to convert pagans to christianity.

Answer 5

A lot of people here are mentioning that the premise for this date was due to influence pagan participation. While that is a factor in keeping the day here, it does not mean this is why Christmas is celebrated on this day. The early Church celebrated Christmas in order to evade persecution. There were many holidays all persons of Rome were required to engage in, in some capacity. So, celebrating the birth of Christ fell on this day to appear outwardly orderly, and yet still maintain an opportunity to remain pure in their faith. This is very similar with Easter, which is actual celebrated in tandum with Ishtar, the god of Life/Creation/Birth (hence the bunnies and baby chicks).

Answer 6

Yule celebrated originally by the Norse December 20-31

Celebration of the Norse New Year; a festival of 12 nights. This is the most important of all the Norse holidays. On the night of December 20, the god Ingvi Freyr rides over the earth on the back of his shining boar, bringing Light and Love back into the World. In later years, after the influence of Christianity, the god Baldur, then Jesus, was reborn at this festival. Yule signifies the beginning and end of all things; the darkest time (shortest hour of daylight) during the year and the brightest hope re-entering the world. During this festival, the Wild Hunt is at its greatest fervor, and the dead are said to range the Earth in its retinue. The god Wotan (Odin) is the leader of this Wild Ride; charging across the sky on his eight-legged horse, Sleipnir; a very awe-inspiring vision. In ancient times, Germanic and Norse children would leave their boots out by the hearth on Solstice Eve, filled with hay and sugar, for Sleipnir's journey. In return, Wotan would leave them a gift for their kindness. In modern times, Sleipnir was changed to a reindeer and the grey-bearded Wotan became the kindly Santa Claus (Father Christmas).

Answer 7

The feast of the Unconquerable Sun seemed appropriate to celebrate the Feast of Jesus 'Birthday since he is the Unconquerable Lord of Light "I am the Light of the World'
Just about all the rituals and feasts in the Old testament are "borrowed" from pagan sources. Adapting pagan days and customs is perfectly biblical

I'm glad that Christmas is at the beginning of winter.

Answer 8

It is a societally accepted holiday where even non christians can get together with family and friends and share the season without building a nativity and praying over a bible. The same type of question could be (and has been) asked of christians for celebrating a pagan holiday. )O(

Answer 9

God does not care what day we celebrate His Son's birthday. Humans are bound to time but not God. Days, weeks, months years are meaningless to Him.
He never even commanded us to celebrate the birth, but to recognize that Jesus has indeed come to this earth to redeem it and claim it for His own.
Christianity in its truest form is all about freedom. We can celebrate or not celebrate or can decorate a tree, or not decorate a tree. God is the least bit worked up about the technicalities and neither should we.

Answer 10

December 25th was also the day the birth of Mithras was celebrated. Mithras was the sun god whos attributes were given to McJesus when Constantine decreed Rome's new religion.

Constantine was a follower of the sun god, so of course he's going to get his licks in when founding the new state religion.

Answer 11

Two main reasons:

1 - To get the pagans comfortable with Christianity.
2 - To erase the memory of their old ways.