The fascinating history of Christmas

Research credit: TrueIndology

The world celebrates this winter solstice (in the Northern Hemisphere). What is the origin of this festival & traditions? Here are a fascinating journey through its history.

Surprisingly, Christmas & Easter are never mentioned even once in the Bible. The Christmas tree is banned per the Bible.

 Jeremiah 10:2-4

2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

3 For the customs of the people [are] vain: for [one] cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

For this reason, many staunch Christians, such as Protestants following Sola Scriptura (through Scripture alone), don't celebrate with Christmas trees. Many groups, such as Jehovah's Witness & Quakers, don't even celebrate Christmas. Christmas used to be forbidden.

Here is a public notice in the United States in 1655: "Anybody celebrating Satanical practices such as Christmas is liable to a fine of five Shillings".

In Christian mythology, St. Boniface cut down a sacred huge living oak tree worshipped by the Pagans. Per one version of the myth, a new fir tree miraculously grew in its place & was decorated the next year by the new converts, resulting the origin of the decoration.

How did Christmas come to be moved to the winter solstice, a celebration of the sun?

The reason Christmas was moved to coincide with the Sun/Fire worshipping festival, per classical writer 'Father Bar Salibi' (CE 1200).

In "The Oriental Religions in Roman Paganism”, Franz Cumont describes how Christmas was assigned to Dec. 25th in the 4th c. CE to take over the Roman pagan festival Natalis Invicti which celebrated the annual new “birth” of the sun after the Solstice.

Prior to being moved, the nativity & epiphany used to be celebrated on Jan 6. After the move of the nativity, the epiphany was celebrated on Jan 6. The Orthodox Christians (eg: Russian Orthodox) still celebrate Christmas on Jan 6.

Even earlier, prior to the move to Jan 6, Christmas used to be celebrated in April/May.

The original name of Christmas Eve was 'Modra Niht' meaning "Mothers' Night". Until recently, "Mother Christmas" was arriving on Christmas eve. This referred to an earlier tradition of Goddess Freyja, drawn by cats. Freyja is cognate to Sanskrit Priya, adjective of Vedic Goddess Usha. Usha is early rays of the sun, again referring to the sun festival of the winter solstice.

The origins of Christmas traditions comes from multiple ancient traditions.

• Yule, the Scandinavian fertility god: Yuletide carols & greetings.
• Wiccan: Tradition of wreaths & decking halls with holly.
• Druid: Hoping for a kiss under the mistletoe. Fans of Asterix (Asterisque) would remember Getafix, the druid.
• Saturn: decorating a Saturnalia tree
• Thor, Odin, St.Nicholas: Norse/Viking gods. Tradition of visitor bringing gifts at night.
• Sleipnir: Odin's flying 8 legged horse, sound of hooves on the rooftop.
• Mithras: Sun's rebirth. In India, Mithrotsava is still celebrated in some regions.

The Orthodox churches still celebrate Christmas in Jan as the feast of circumcision. When the Gregorian calendar was shifted, some traditions moved the festival to the sun festival.

The colonial history of the British Christmas Pudding cake. 

The origin of Santa Claus from St.Nicholas & who he really was.

Happy winter solstice. Enjoy the festivities.

 

References:

http://www.revivingherstory.com/rhblog/2014/12/16/when-santa-was-a-woman-5-christmas-histories-you-want-to-know