Why is Christmas a pagan holiday?

Question

Christmas is the celebration of Christ's birth, the Christ Mass. This celebration was moved to December 25th in the fourth century to compete with and absorb the pagan ritual of Yule, a move that was both religious and political. If Christians celebrate Christmas on the same day pagan's once celebrated Yule, in what way is my celebration of Christ a pagan event?

Has Kwanzaa "stolen" Christmas? Days don't belong to anyone.

Gelfing, I've studied Christian history as part of my major in philosophy and religion. You won't pull that over on me.

Vot:

1. Egyptian Christians liked May 20th.
2. The exact date of Christ's birth is not known. Thus it was not moved. Only the celebration. This is implicit in question 7. Yule is not a celebration of an actual person's birth.
3. Because, as I mentioned, Christians absorbed Yule, especially the symbols. They did this with the halo, too.
4. Because capitalism loves to market Christmas and leaving Christ out is a better way to do it.
5. See, in part, answer 4. And people want to do this so they do. Some places in Turkey have Muslims joining in the fun. And, frankly, the fun is more like the feasts of the Old Testament. See Deut. 14:26. God likes people to enjoy him and each other.
6. so on
7. so on

Answer 1

Christmas is a Christian festival. However, the most of the traditions were taken from Yule. That doesn't mean Christmas is any less meaningful. Some Pagans resent that they're criticised for practising Yule when Christians nowadays celebrate Christmas in much the same way Yule is celebrated. Also, some Pagans resent that when they practise their Yule traditions, people automatically think they're celebrating Christmas.

Yule itself hasn't been stolen, and Christmas isn't Pagan, but its origins are.

Answer 2

The mid-winter celebration of the shortest day known as Yule was taking place long before christianity came along.

Early christians wanted to oust the pagan religion and did so by imposing their own celebrations on the same days. The same was done with Easter which was a pagan Spring festival and has no more to do with the supposed date of jesus' crucifixion than December 25th has with the supposed date of his birth.

Christmas trees are pagan fertility symbols representing erect male sex organs... perhaps you should remember that when you place your gifts (pagan offerings) beneath one

Answer 3

Well said Dog Sneeze. A couple of things I have a hard time with though:
1) The motivations behind picking that day were wrong.
2)Based on your statements here then this should abolish all questions regarding "Why do non-believers celebrate Christmas?" as you said days do not belong to anyone.

Answer 4

Baal-berith Lord of the Tree. His appearance or rebirth at Yule shows his victory over death. In early Rome, the 25th of December was observed as the birth-day of the unconquered Sun, the day when the victorious god reappeared on earth in the form of a tree.

Answer 5

Okay, assuming everything you say is a fact;
1. What day was Jesus' birthday celebrated before they moved it to Dec 25?

2. Why would they move a celebration of someone's birthday from his date of birth to the date of birth of someone else?

3. Why is it that there are a lot of symbols of the pagan holiday in Christmas?

4. I don't know how exactly people in the US (I assume you live there) celebrate Christmas, but if Hollywood pictures are to be believed, why is there almost no reference to Christ in the celebrations?

5. Why do people use Christmas as a time to do everything in excess? Over drinking, overeating, revelries etc?

6. Why is it that on Jesus' birthday everyone else gets presents except him?

7. Why is it that Jesus' birthday is celebrated when neither he nor the early Christians celebrated his or their birthdays?

Seven simple questions, all on the assumption that what you said is true.

Answer 6

The celebration was not moved. It did not exist. Also, the word 'Christmas' is pagan, or rather heretical, because it is held to be Christ's Mass. Mass is a hangover from Roman pagan practice used by Roman patricians and emperors to keep the plebeians under control. Nothing much has changed, so all you workers are obediently doffing your caps to your employers when you have your 'Christmas' in the time off they 'kindly' give you from work.

Enjoy, if you can.
.

Answer 7

Tru Blu, Heathen Daughter, and others said it well. We celebrate the birth of Christ. SO what? It is not pagan at all. Some people just want to make things difficult, cast stones, and be immature.

Answer 8

The context of Christmas is not stolen, it is for Christians. The TRADITIONS and dates were borrowed, but I don't blame you guys. They are fun!

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Yule!

Answer 9

umm....the simple fact that our Messiah wasn't born on a pagan "religious" holiday?! He was born in September/October, around the Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Tabernacles

The fact that Christians keep the Roman Saturnalia Festival known today as Christ-mass makes it even more erroneous by the fact that mass is a ceremony held on behalf of the dead - not on behalf of one's birthday. And Yeshua is not dead - but living!

Answer 10

Plagiarism but a lot of religious people will say it is coincident. Do some research on December 25th, the day, and not Christmas.You will gain more knowledge.