Posted by
Gary A McAvin on Friday, December 22, 2006 6:01:29 AM
With all of the research available today, data and factuality of historical events can be brought to any computer screen; in seconds. One of the more troubling ignorance’s is the origin of Christmas. Simple research reveals that this day and time only existed as a pagan celebration; otherwise known at some points in time as; Saturnalia! The time of the winter’s Solstice! So; how did this Pagan celebration become Christmas as we now know it? Good question! So; I am going to quote some references. The first one comes from Wikipedia.
Saturnalia:
“In Roman times, the best-known winter festival was Saturnalia, which was popular throughout Italy. Saturnalia was a time of general relaxation, feasting, merry-making, and a cessation of formal rules. It included the making and giving of small presents (Saturnalia et Sigillaricia), including small dolls for children and candles for adults. During Saturnalia, business was postponed and even slaves feasted. There was drinking, gambling, and singing, and even public nudity. It was the "best of days," according to the poet Catullus. Saturnalia honored the god Saturn and began on December 17. The festival gradually lengthened until the late Republican period, when it was seven days (December 17-24). In imperial times, Saturnalia was shortened to five days. Natalis Solis Invicti
The Romans held a festival on December 25 called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, "the birthday of the unconquered sun." The use of the title Sol Invictus allowed several solar deities to be worshipped collectively, including Elah-Gabal, a Syrian sun god; Sol, the god of Emperor Aurelian (AD 270-274); and Mithras, a soldiers' god of Persian origin. Emperor Elagabalus (218-222) introduced the festival, and it reached the height of its popularity under Aurelian, who promoted it as an empire-wide holiday. December 25 was also considered to be the date of the winter solstice, which the Romans called bruma. It was therefore the day the Sun proved itself to be "unconquered" despite the shortening of daylight hours. (When Julius Caesar introduced the Julian Calendar in 45 BC, December 25 was approximately the date of the solstice. In modern times, the solstice falls on December 21 or 22.) The Sol Invictus festival has a "strong claim on the responsibility" for the date of Christmas, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia. Several early Christian writers connected the rebirth of the sun to the birth of Jesus. "O, how wonderfully acted Providence that on that day on which that Sun was born . . . Christ [Messiah] should be born," Cyprian wrote.”
So now you can see the connection between Saturnalia, Sol Invictus, and Christmas being celebrated during this time period. Actually, the true Messiah was never born at this time, did you know that? Another source; a former Catholic writes the following.
In his book The Two Babylons, Alexander Hislop traces the Christmas origins. (I’ve had a copy of this book for a very long time!)
"And first, as to the festival in honor of the birth of Christ [Messiah], or Christmas. How comes it that that festival was connected with the 25th of December? There is not a word in the Scriptures about the precise day of His birth or the time of year when He was born. What is recorded there implies that at what time so ever His birth took place, it could not have been on the 25th of December. At the time that the angel announced His birth to the shepherds of Bethlehem, they were feeding their flocks by night in the open fields. Now . . . the climate of Palestine . . . the cold of the night, from December to February, is very piercing, and it was not the custom for the shepherds of Judea to watch their flocks in the open fields later than about the end of October. It is in the last degree incredible, then, that the birth of Christ [Messiah] could have taken place at the end of December" (p.91-92).
Now, I have only quoted two sources of information concerning the pagan connections of Christmas’s origin. Believe me; there is extensive information on this subject! Just Google “Origin of Christmas” and you will find over two million hits to search through!
I like to keep these blogs short and to the point but; this one needed a little more room.
What never ceases to amaze me is this: How can men and women of superior intellectual capabilities overlook this information? I listen to many talk shows, and I read many good columns and books written by intellectual men and women. Why it is these individuals cannot come to this understanding-that: This Christmas celebration is a prevarication? Totally pagan from start to finish; and is nowhere to be found in the Bible, and only found in the annals of pagan practices?
Are some people totally oblivious to facts, or are they compromisers and men pleasers, not wanting to rock the proverbial boat? Or; is the bottom line as usual-money? Something has blinded these supposed intellectuals! Wonder what?