Do you teach your kids about the Winter Solstice celebrations that basically set the foundation for your holiday traditions?
2007-11-27 13:24:55 · 9 answers · asked by I, Sapient 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
You are right Hestia. My bad. I didn't want to call out all religion (not just Christians), but in leaving them out I forgot to mention -- except Pagans.
2007-11-27 13:42:51 · update #1
We must never forget our Pagan roots. It's part of who we are. We were really just another indigenous culture pillaged by the Christian religion, not to put it too bluntly. Knowing our history is never a bad thing despite efforts to diminish it.
2007-11-28 04:30:06 · answer #1 · answered by Shawn B 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Historically, one religion has not included the "roots" section about preceeding religions. Modern Christianity was built on the foundation designed by the Romans during their conquests - assimilation. So the Church assimilated other dieties as saints in polytheistic lands, took up the ritual goods of the ancient Etruscans (which the Papacy still includes to this day), employed the holidays that were still traditionally celebrated from earlier religions as their own, and even included the Communion ritual - controversial at the time because of its origins with Dionysus/Bacchus, god of the vine, and based on some of the earliest and most long-standing rituals of the day that were originally cyclical agricultural celebrations that included actual cannibalism (and that is where the wine-as-blood comes from, Dionysus' "blood" actually was wine.)
So Jesus is a historical and holy figure, whom the followers writing their gospels 35-100 years after his passing "dressed" heavily in Pagan attire to make him easier to market.
It was a huge success, so who is to argue with that? But should churches practice Communion, now regarded as a sacred Christian ritual, but derived from an ancient barbaric pre-Judaic Pagan ritual? Should they not be teaching Kosher eating, which actually is and was a Jewish tradition codified in the Old Testament at great length and detail? Should the Papacy dress themselves as ancient Etruscans? Should the Church, in this day and time, not be celebrating Christmas in the correct season and abandon the advocacy of rabbits and eggs, pre-Christian symbols from spring fertility rites?
2007-11-27 21:57:59 · answer #2 · answered by Amy R 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I taught my 3 yrs old son that we no longer celebrate Christmas, I told him the many reasons one of which it is from a Pagan origin and has nothing to do today with what they originally intended it to be.
Half of the people celebrating this holiday only remembers God at that time...
2007-11-27 22:08:05 · answer #3 · answered by Charity 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have no kids yet, but I'll most probably teach my children that. But since my partner is a Christian, she may feel I'm being too atheistic, and eager to discredit Christian beliefs.
For children, its all about the festive moods and the present. What I would want to tell them, is to look through all the present hoohahs, and come out with the real gist of things.
Although Pagans never celebrated "Christmas", but nevertheless, they celebrated "Christmas" by another name, but with similar connatations and meanings.
2007-11-27 21:38:39 · answer #4 · answered by Dumbguy 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think people need to get over the whole pagan issue.
Do you investigate the possible roots and history of everything you do, go to, eat, before you do it?
People cant criticize christians that dont want to celebrate halloween because of possible pagan connections and then turn around and tell them they shouldnt celebrate Christmas because of possible pagan connections. That isnt very consistent. Either the history or origins dont matter or they do. Pick one.
I pick they dont matter because I dont celebrate Christmas for pagan reasons so who cares.
Pagans NEVER celebrated a holiday known as Christmas. Christians started a brand new holidays and incorporated pagan traditions.
Is Kwanzaa just a morphing of Christmas???? Or is it a brand new different holiday?
2007-11-27 21:31:16 · answer #5 · answered by cadisneygirl 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Not yet. For starters, we are moving away from celebrating Christmas to having a New Year's celebration instead. It won't be so pertinent then. For another thing, our kids are too young yet to learn about the sun god and the phallic symbol that is the christmas tree. When they are older we will tell them, but right now they're too small.
2007-11-27 21:32:25 · answer #6 · answered by Blue Eyed Christian 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Why wouldn't I? As a Pagan they did not just "set the foundation" for my holiday traditions. They ARE my holiday traditions.....
Not ALL religious people are Christians..... Some of us are *gasp* Pagan as well.....
2007-11-27 21:35:09 · answer #7 · answered by Anne Hatzakis 6 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Yes. We home school and we have read about it in "The World of Augustus Caesar" during our studies of ancient History.
Peace Be With You,
Debra
2007-11-27 21:30:30 · answer #8 · answered by Debra M. Wishing Peace To All 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
I was raised by a preacher and a very christian mother and I was never taught about that.
2007-11-27 21:31:04 · answer #9 · answered by k-baby 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋