Why does Christmas resemble Paganism more than Christianity?

Question

Christmas symbols are snow, frost, green fir trees. Activities include drinking and partying, feasting and kissing women under mistletoe. Santa was essentially invented by Coca Cola wasn't he?

Christ's birthday was put ON TOP of the pagan festival. Just as Easter was created as a bandaid for the Summer solstice.

Why can't you Christians pray and get the truth from your God?

Christ's birthday was put ON TOP of the pagan festival. Just as Easter was created as a bandaid for the Summer solstice.

Why can't you Christians pray and get the truth from your God?

Answer 1

Christmas falls within days of the winter solstice. This is not accidental. Jesus was likely born in the spring but early Christian converts from the cult of Sol Invictus felt most comfortable marrying Christian substance with Pagan form.

The cycle of Pagan holy days, today abbreviated into eight Sabbats, represents not only the journey of the Sun throughout the year but also fertility. It is not without reason that people kiss beneath mistletoe.

There are references to asherah (denuded trees sat upright) being decorated in Canaan in honor of Asherah (the Goddess). Ashuru Aru is celebrated on December 21 in Natabtu Qodesh (the Sacred Way of Canaan).

December 17 - 23 was/is the Saturnalia, the Roman winter festival in honor of Saturn. People exchanged gifts and partied throughout the period.

December 25 was the Birthday of Sol Invictus, the Unconquered Sun. Constantine was originally a worshipper of Sol Invictus, but it was not a later emperor that Christmas was assigned to the day.

Santa Claus evolved from Pagan Gods into a Christian Saint to a secular character over thousands of years.

Answer 2

Well, Santa wasn't quite invented by CocaCola, no. Do a search for the Turkish bishop Nicholas; he became our "St. Nicholas" or Saint Nick, and he's one of the figures Santa Claus is based on.

Most of the symbols of Christmas that you mention are Northern European in origin - that is, German and Austrian and Scandinavian. When Christianity came to those countries, the local customs were adapted into Christian holy tides. Thus:

Advent wreaths

Christmas trees ("tannenbaum" in German)

Wassail (from the words "waes thu hael" which is Anglo-Saxon for "drink to your health" but eventually came to be the name of a drink made with apples, nummy stuff)

Mistletoe (this has to do with Frigga Allmother and her son Balder, who was killed with a mistletoe dart, but it was partially her fault and to show the mistletoe that she bore it no bad feelings, she proclaimed that everyone should kiss when they are under the mistletoe)

"Deck the Halls" which is a Yuletide song - it doesn't mention Christ or Christmas at all

"Carol of the Bells" which I think originally was not a Christmas song either

Yule log ("yule" being the Old English equivalent to "jul" which means "wheel" and marks the turning of the wheel of the year - so most pagans who think that Samhain/Halloween is the "pagan new year" are not totally correct; Germanic pagans mark Yuletide/Winter Solstice as the New Year)

New Year's Resolutions (from the custom of drinking toasts and boasting of what one will do in the coming year)

12 Days of Christmas (Yuletide is an entire season that begins on the winter solstice and runs to early January)

....whew. I could go on. But you get the idea - all these English and Germanic and Scandinavian traditions got grafted into modern Christmas celebrations.

Answer 3

Because the easiest way for early Christian to celebrate was to have their meetings at the same time as the pagans. Later groups that became Christian did not necessarily give up their pagan beliefs or customs. ( such as knocking on wood). basically what you have is the basic Christian belief mixed with pagan customs and celebrations. ( such as Santa being a mixture of the Turkish saint Nicholas and the Norse god Thor.)

Answer 4

Because Christianity, as deciphered by the Church, simply wasn't fun. And further more, people are creatures of habit, and do not like to give up their traditions.
People simply were going to the Yule rituals instead. So the Church made some concessions and added some pagan traditions. Then the sheep came to the fold,and everyone was happy.

Answer 5

well, if modern Christians were really Christians their winter celebration would look more like Hanukkah. the first and original Christians were all Jews and one had to be a Jew and follow Hebrew Law in order to be Christian. Paul changed all that and opened Christianity, a small Hebrew sect, to the Pagan Gentiles who added their own flavors of celebration and myths to the Jesus deification (ofttimes under duress).

Answer 6

because the whole christmas thing is from paganism and not christianity. and I doubt cocacola invented santa claus, although it would be a nice take on it, they did nice work with the polar bears, I heard they got an emmy.

Answer 7

Actually Santa was a Pagan think too. Mostly just the red suite though.

Answer 8

Those are the activities of Christmas if you are lost, and in darkness. I never taught my children the Santa Claus lie.
As for Christmas itself, we all know that Jesus was not born on Dec. 25th, but it is the day that we have set aside to worship Him, and praise God for His coming as a child, to reconcile God and man. We honor Him, and his birth on this day. That is what Christmas means to me, and my family.
If you do something else, then to you, that which you do is what Christmas means to you.
Just as you can either be a child of God, or a child of Belial, you can choose what each and every day means to you. Christmas, Easter, whatever.
As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord.
What you serve is your choice.

Answer 9

Because it's in fact a Pagan holiday, Ben.

Answer 10

Funny, I thought Christmas symbols were a baby, a manger, and a star. I thought activities were singing praises to God, sharing gifts with loved ones.