Pegans, Is it true that christmas was origonally a Pegan holliday?

Question

Please explane, also how did di become a christin holliday if so?
Just curious, Ive heard that a few times.

Answer 1

Yes it is true. The church absorbed the festival in order to convert the pagans (country dwellers) to christianity. In the east, the church celebrated a january pagan holiday as christmas until the church was directed to observe december 25 as christmas.

CHRISTMAS, WHICH TAKES ITS NAME from Christ's Mass, was first celebrated on various dates from about 200 A.D. but was finally set on December 25 by Bishop Liberus of Rome in 354 A.D. The December date, which almost coincides with the winter solstice, became a popular festival of West Europe during the Middle Ages. But as late as the nineteenth century, Christmas celebration was suppressed in Scotland and New England because of some religious differences.

All Christian nations have traditions which have become a part of the Christmas season. For example, England has contributed the decorations of holly and mistletoe, carolling and gift giving.The Christmas tree is a medieval German tradition and the immortal carol "Silent Night" also comes from Germany. The United States first made Santa Claus popular in New York, popularized the Christmas card about 1846 and made the major contribution to commercializing Christmas.

When Ukraine under King Volodymyr (St. Vladimir) accepted Christianity from Byzantium in 988 A.D. many pagan traditions were in existence which were adapted by the Church to the new religion. Some of those traditions have survived a thousand years and now form a part of today s Christmas celebrations.

Christmas, which had been celebrated on many different dates was finally fixed on December 25th by Bishop Liberius of Rome.

In 354 A.D. he chose the date to replace a Roman pagan festival of sun-god worship with Christ's Mass, a Christian event.

Answer 2

PAgan, with an A.
Emperor Constantine, in Rome, fixed it so that the new christian followers ceebrated the birth of JC on the same day as an existing pagan celebration - Yuletide or the Winter Solstice. This so that the pagans, who were more or less being forced to follow this new religion, wouldn't feel too put out. They still had their celebration, didn't they?
There, I have explained. Note the spelling. Holiday has only one 'L'. I've has an apostrophe for a reason. Originally contains no 'O'. Christin is not a word.
What is it? English not your first language? If that is so, I apologise. If it IS - do something?

Answer 3

I am Christian, but there is some truth in what you say.

Originally, Christmas was supposed to celebrate the birth of Christ. That is where the name comes from. However, the early church became paganized by Constantine, who changed all holidays to line up with pagan festivals at the time. December 25 was the feast day for Mithra, the sun god.

Genuine Christians over time , by tradition, just kept the same calendar date as Constantine, since they no longer knew when Jesus was born, and celebrated it as the birthday of Christ. Recent studies have now revealed that Jesus was born in the Fall of the year, around September or October. But since, all societies have December 25 on their calendar as a national holiday to get off work, no one wants to change the calendar. It is too much trouble. So we continue to celebrate on the wrong. day.

Answer 4

The winter solstice was an important day to ancient people because it was the turning point of winter. The sun stopped getting lower in the sky every day and starting rising farther north. Candles and bonfires (Yule log) were a form of sympathetic magic, inviting the sun to return.

It had many names: Yule, Saturnalia, Dies Sol Invictus. The church decided to celebrate the birth of Christ on the same day in an effort to get the pagans to convert to Christianity. They did this with other holidays, too.

The reason St. Nicholas became associated with Xmas is that his feast day is in December. He was the patron saint of children.

Answer 5

What is a "Pegan?"

It is based on the winter solstice. A lot of other religions use that time of year and the Roman Christians just stuck it over an existing festival.

Answer 6

It was under Constantine that the pagan celebration for their sun god became the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus. This was done despite the fact that even if Jesus isn't just another myth there is no way he was born in December. His "real" birthday would have been in March or April.

Answer 7

Yes, Yule is a winter festival celebrated in Northern Europe since ancient times. In pre-Christian times, Germanic pagans celebrated Yule in late December or early January on a date determined by a lunar calendar.[1] During the process of Christianization and the adoption of the Julian calendar, Yule was placed on December 25, in order to correspond with the Christian celebrations later known in English as Christmas.[2] Thus, the terms "Yule" and "Christmas" are often used interchangeably[citation needed], especially in Christmas carols.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule

Answer 8

The pagans lowered the guard and the Christians took over?
edit: Christianity is not that original after all!

Answer 9

Yes...

Christmas was originally a pagan holiday called Yule.

When the Church grew to be a powerhouse in Europe, it realized the best way to gain converts was to hold similar festivals and holidays. Easter and Halloween/All Saint's Day are also holidays that were assimilated to gain converts.

Answer 10

still is

Dec 25th is Tammuz birthday. The Roman CC wanted the pagans (well their money) in the Church so they adopted that day as the birth date of Jesus

Jesus is god.....eternal....has no beginning so no birth date. The bible says the "thing" in Mary

Luke 1:35
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

was the son of God not her.

Jesus was born mid Sept according to the scriptures.

so yes it is and always will be a pagan celebration

look at the warning in the first few verses of Jeremiah 6