Christmas. . .A universal Truth?
I write this post with no disrespect to my Christian friends. . .I certainly have no desire to diminish the faith and conviction behind the belief that Jesus is "The Reason for the Season". And I am DEEPLY moved by the story of the nativity and it's significance regarding rebirth, renewal, and redemption. Christmas is, as it stands now, a Christian holiday. . .of that there is no doubt.
I think, however, that it should behoove us to be honest about the historical background to the celebration that we know now as Christmas.
Long before the Roman Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity and made it the state religion. . .long before The Bible was Canonized and Christianity crawled out of the Catacombs, Pagans of many cultures celebrated the Solstices and Equinoxes as their primary religious festivals. In fact, some historians argue that it was the "wise men" who first came to understand, and thus were able to predict, the cycles of the seasons. These men, who could "predict" the cycles of the sun, moon, and stars, were deemed "prophets" and "Magi".
These ancient peoples, led by these religious leaders, came to cepebrate these crucial times in the solar calendar. The Winter Solstice was deemed the Renewal time and the "Rebirth of the Sun" Represented by Horus by the Egyptians, and Apollo by the Greeks. The Germanic peoples called this Solstice Celebration "Yule" and this term is still used to describe the Holiday season, as are many of the Celtic and Germanic trappings such as Holly, Mistletoe, the Christmas Tree, The Yule Log, etc. Even our Dear old Santa Claus bears a REMARKABLE resemblance to the Celtic God Silvanus and the Mysterious Chracter that appears in much Celtic Architecture known as "The Green Man".
I say all of this, not to diminish the significance of christmas to the Believers in Christ, but to emphasize that we, as humans, have many common threads that tie us together--one of these are our ancient, almost INSTINCTIVE need for the Christmas season. The Christmas Spirit appears to be written in our blood and bones. . .etched in our spirit in ways that transcend religion and culture.
May the Joys of the holiday Season, as old as time itself, bring peace, joy, love, happiness, and renewal that will sustain you all throughout the year.
I think, however, that it should behoove us to be honest about the historical background to the celebration that we know now as Christmas.
Long before the Roman Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity and made it the state religion. . .long before The Bible was Canonized and Christianity crawled out of the Catacombs, Pagans of many cultures celebrated the Solstices and Equinoxes as their primary religious festivals. In fact, some historians argue that it was the "wise men" who first came to understand, and thus were able to predict, the cycles of the seasons. These men, who could "predict" the cycles of the sun, moon, and stars, were deemed "prophets" and "Magi".
These ancient peoples, led by these religious leaders, came to cepebrate these crucial times in the solar calendar. The Winter Solstice was deemed the Renewal time and the "Rebirth of the Sun" Represented by Horus by the Egyptians, and Apollo by the Greeks. The Germanic peoples called this Solstice Celebration "Yule" and this term is still used to describe the Holiday season, as are many of the Celtic and Germanic trappings such as Holly, Mistletoe, the Christmas Tree, The Yule Log, etc. Even our Dear old Santa Claus bears a REMARKABLE resemblance to the Celtic God Silvanus and the Mysterious Chracter that appears in much Celtic Architecture known as "The Green Man".
I say all of this, not to diminish the significance of christmas to the Believers in Christ, but to emphasize that we, as humans, have many common threads that tie us together--one of these are our ancient, almost INSTINCTIVE need for the Christmas season. The Christmas Spirit appears to be written in our blood and bones. . .etched in our spirit in ways that transcend religion and culture.
May the Joys of the holiday Season, as old as time itself, bring peace, joy, love, happiness, and renewal that will sustain you all throughout the year.
posted by Thomas J. at 12/24/2005 08:24:00 AM
2 Comments:
Christmas, as well as all religious celebrations start with faith. For that fact, all of history is faith based. If we weren't there, and we didnt experience any of it first hand, how are any of us to know what the "real" story is? The key is faith.
My faith is in Christ, the Savior. He was sent into this world as a precious baby to fulfill the ultimate plan of God. I am so thankful for the gift that God gave.
If the world chooses to celebrate Him on December 25th, I say praise be to God. I personally choose to celebrate Him each and everyday.
To each his own...
May the true spirit of Christmas fill your heart and home this season.
Thanks for your comments. . .
I certainly did not mean to diminish the significance of the birth of Christ to the Christian. . .not by a longshot. My point is soley that there is a dynamic going on here that appears to predate the nativity and transcend the Judeo-Christian Tradition. Would I say that the source of this "need" for religious ceremony is planted within us by God? Most Certainly. Do I think that Christians are in error by celebrating the Nativity within the context of what was, in essence, a pagan holiday? Not by a longshot. The very rebirth and renewal that is sybolized by the ancient Pagan celebrations of Solstice and Yule are epitomized in the Birth of Christ. I think that it is no accident nor an abomination for the two celebrations to be attached to one another. On the contrary, I believe that they are essentially linked.
Again, thanks for your post. . .I hope that you remain happy and blessed at this special time!
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