Why do so many religious holidays almost, but not quite coincide with the winter solstice?
2007-12-19 13:07:12 · 9 answers · asked by Frst Grade Rocks! Ω 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Because to the ancients with the observable eye on the 22nd is when the sun stopped rising to the south. It was not until the 25th that the sun was seen rising to the north thus heralding longer days and the beginning of the end to winter.
This was seen as the Sun slowly dying, being dead for 3 days, then being resurrected. Sounds familiar hey?
2007-12-19 13:19:31 · answer #1 · answered by teamuni 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Christmas's date is based on the Roman holiday Saturnalia, which was celebrated on December 25. The solstices and equinoxes move around relative to the calendar, and there has been calendar reform a few times, so probably Saturnalia was originally on the date of the winter solstice.
2007-12-19 13:13:26 · answer #2 · answered by moon watcher 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Winter solstice is December 22
2007-12-19 13:11:13 · answer #3 · answered by tebone0315 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yeah Solstice!!!
2007-12-19 13:12:50 · answer #4 · answered by A Rose by another name 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
winter solstice between dec 20-23 / latin meaning of winter solstice is sun stand still in winter.dec 25 /pagan/birth of the unconquered sun this date was fixed by roman emperor aurelian, 70 years later bishop liberus of rome fixed dec 25 as a christian celebration to commemerate the coming of the son of god.
2007-12-19 13:26:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because none of them are meant to be celebrations of the solstice. Which holidays were you thinking of in particular?
2007-12-19 13:10:32 · answer #6 · answered by Somebody else 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
They can't have all their celebrations on the same day, then it would be to obvious that they, like life on earth, have a common ancestry. Only in this case the ancestry is the solstice.
So each religion picks a slightly different day and this allows them to believe that their celebration is unique.
2007-12-19 13:18:00 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The Grand PooBaah's probably don't want to be accused of being theological copy cats.
2007-12-19 13:12:14 · answer #8 · answered by valcus43 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because they have lost their megalith and there's no shaft of light penetrating the Earth.
2007-12-19 13:27:38 · answer #9 · answered by bountifiles 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋