Which came first? I believe as a pagan in the Solstice for in my belief Christmas Is only under 2000 years old and was brought in to get rid of Solstice and us Pagans. Santa is Coca Colas after all. In other countries He is skinny. What Do Ye think?
2007-12-27 08:51:58 · 13 answers · asked by benfix2001 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Other - Holidays
You have already answered your own question. The pagan solstice festivals came first. Although it is a common misconception/myth that Santa was "invented" by Coca Cola, he is an amalgam of many myths and legends from many countries over hundreds of years.
2007-12-27 08:55:11 · answer #1 · answered by SteveLaw 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Solstice is a real celestial event, not something created by any culture or faith. It's been occuring as long as the earth has existed and been tilted on it's axis.
Cultures, as far back as we can tell, recognized this celestial event, and various beliefs, myths, customs, and traditions sprung up around it.
One of those traditions is Christmas. It is how a certain faith worked the Solstice into their mythos.
No matter what Christians believe or teach, nothing can get rid of the Solstice, because it is a real event, not something they can hide, steal or take away. Yes, they applied their own story to it, but so has every other faith and culture throughout history.
Various pagan faiths, and cultures, outside of faith, still recognize and observe the Solstice in all sorts of ways. It is alive and well!
Many people believe that pagan traditions for the Solstice are alive and well withing the Christmas celebration, that, in fact, Christianity helped to preserve and spread some of those traditions by incorporating them into it's own!
Blending and borrowing beliefs and practices is part of human history. Every culture does it.
I am a pagan pantheist, so I've really never studied the history of Santa, but I do know Santa like stories existed long before coca-cola. From what I have read, it seems that the American image of santa...chubby, big red suit...was influenced by a Coca-cola ad years ago, but the idea of Santa predated that by centuries at least.
2007-12-28 05:29:46 · answer #2 · answered by eiere 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Ancient Celtic Religion came first and there are Monuments to them from Ireland to Italy and beyond.
Several Hundred People turned up for the Winter Soltice in Newgrange or Bru Na Boinne in County Meath Ireland. It is the Ancient Passage Grave where People Brought their Dead after being Cremated to lay them in the Basins in Niches. At the Shortest Day at Sunrise 21/12/07 The Sun Shines through a Window above the Door to Envelop the Chamber with Golden Light . How they were able to align the Building remains a Mystery to this day, there is also Passage Graves at Knowth and Dowth in the same area. A Lottery is Held to see who will be allowed in to see the Spectacle. It is said to be 4,000 – 5,000 BC old before the Pyramids were Built. It was sent on the Internet around the World.
2007-12-27 17:12:03 · answer #3 · answered by janus 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Winter Solstice came first. The equinox has been celebrated by many different cultures before the early christian church put the birth of Jesus near the same time in order to convert many of the pagans they preached to.
2007-12-27 17:05:36 · answer #4 · answered by KiKi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Santa under various names predates both cocacola and christianity
an old pagan or shamanic God, possibly of the Solstice
The red and white suit come from a red/white hallucinogenic mushroom used for visions in shamantic ritual around the Arctic Circle, the mushroom relate to the flying reindeer and rosy red cheeks too. So Santa is a Stoner
2007-12-27 16:59:16 · answer #5 · answered by steven m 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Obviously, the WInter Solstice came first. That celebration is much older than xmas. I think I like the old ways much better than anything they got since the Common Error started.
2007-12-27 17:13:17 · answer #6 · answered by duaneb_59 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well if you read history, the solstice came first... seems like a silly question sort of. How does Santa relate to the soltice question really? He's a saint and has been turned into a commercial icon. That's pretty much it.
2007-12-27 16:55:50 · answer #7 · answered by Trin 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The early Christian missionaries to Western Europe were encouraged by the Pope to link Christian festivals to dates on which so-called pagan festivals were already celebrated... but I would not want to say that it was to "get rid" of the solstice or the pagans! Christianity offers an alternative, which some of us consider better... but RESPECT to those of you who differ!
2007-12-27 16:59:41 · answer #8 · answered by ruralsouthwell 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Winter sostice was first. Christmas was probably given Dec 25th to help ensure a smooth transition whenever it became the cultural norm. My biggest argument when I was a non believer was that people were gullable 2000 years ago, and that's how Christianity snuck in. After reading Plato's Republic that dates 400 b.c., I saw that people weren't stupid that long ago. Something pretty major happened 2000 years ago, so I choose to believe.
2007-12-27 17:05:02 · answer #9 · answered by Mike K 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pagan too!!! Christianity chose Dec. 25th to have their celebrations so as to loosly coincide with Yule. As with many Pagan traditions those peddling Christianity were afraid of that they could not explain and so did not want to upset the 'heathens' too much, so they put their festivals at similar times of the year so as gently win the Pagans round!
Belated Solstice blessings to you and yours :)
2007-12-27 19:15:38 · answer #10 · answered by :~Debbz~: 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋