Christmas, by its very name, is obviously a Christian holiday.
However, what people forget about is that early Christianity loved to put its holidays onto the same dates as the older pagan holidays in the spirit of, "If they won't follow our religion, let's stamp out theirs." Same reason they liked putting churches on top of old worshipping grounds.
The problem with many Christian holidays is that those who want to keep them Christian and free of any pagan connotations (and those who are opposed to anything pagan) are usually the ones who wouldn't know what is pagan in origin and what is not.
Okay, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to get the obvious correlation with bunny rabbits and eggs (fertility, anyone?) and the fact that neither have a thing to do with Christ on the cross. But even that obvious symbolic is lost on many. (Not to mention that the very word "Easter" comes from Eostre/Ostara ... Goddess of fertility.)
If they want to put the Christ back in Christmas, they need to take the Christmas TREE out. And the Yule log.
Yeah... well... whatevah. I'm much more of a pagan than a Christian, relatively and practically speaking. But don't tell anyone, mm-kay? Jes between you and me. ;-)
Yeah, Christmas hasn't been fun for me since the kids stopped believing in Santa Claus. My favorite holidays are Independence Day and Halloween ('nother one of those subverted pagan holidays!)
10 comments:
Am I going to get comments raining hellfire and brimstone now? Hope not.
thus sayineth the lord....DO NOT TAMPER WITH ME...I CAN CRUSH YOU LIKE A STINK BUG ON A WINDSHIEL..are ya scared????
Terrified! I'm shakin' in my boots...;)
Christmas, by its very name, is obviously a Christian holiday.
However, what people forget about is that early Christianity loved to put its holidays onto the same dates as the older pagan holidays in the spirit of, "If they won't follow our religion, let's stamp out theirs." Same reason they liked putting churches on top of old worshipping grounds.
The problem with many Christian holidays is that those who want to keep them Christian and free of any pagan connotations (and those who are opposed to anything pagan) are usually the ones who wouldn't know what is pagan in origin and what is not.
Okay, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to get the obvious correlation with bunny rabbits and eggs (fertility, anyone?) and the fact that neither have a thing to do with Christ on the cross. But even that obvious symbolic is lost on many. (Not to mention that the very word "Easter" comes from Eostre/Ostara ... Goddess of fertility.)
If they want to put the Christ back in Christmas, they need to take the Christmas TREE out. And the Yule log.
Wal-Mart will always try to keep the "shopping" in Christmas, so everything else is just a moot point.
Do not resist. You will be assimilated!
M*G, I've always been amused at holiday traditions and their origins. What the people don't know...
B.F., this is the main reason I don't LIKE Christmas anymore. *sigh*
Yeah... well... whatevah. I'm much more of a pagan than a Christian, relatively and practically speaking. But don't tell anyone, mm-kay? Jes between you and me. ;-)
*whispering* Okay, Buck, it's our secret...;)
Yeah, Christmas hasn't been fun for me since the kids stopped believing in Santa Claus.
My favorite holidays are Independence Day and Halloween ('nother one of those subverted pagan holidays!)
I'm Jewish...and therefore never have to worry about any of this crap :)
Bradley
The Egel Nest
Yeah. Lucky you, Bradley!
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