The Origin of Christmas

Why do so many Christians celebrate the birth of Christ on the same day as the winter solstice? Why do they go to church on SUNday and not SONday?

During the fourth century A.D., the emperor Constantine ruled the Roman Empire. "Yeah, so what?" you ask? Well, let me tell you: he legalized monotheism (the practice of worshiping one god). As a result, several religious cults were now free to practice their beliefs out in the open.

Up until this point in time, followers of these various cults were often covered with pitch, lit on fire, and served as torches that lit the coliseum at night during the gladiator games. On other occasions, they were devoured by lions, and their women were raped by baboons to amuse the mob watching the games.

These cults consisted of Jews, Christians, the followers of Mithras and Sol Invictus. Constantine worshiped the sun god Sol Invictus. (It is contended by many that he later converted to Christianity.)

Constantine believed, as did others of his cult, that the sun god was born every year on December 25th (the winter solstice) and died every year during the summer solstice. The day of worship was the first day of the week, which was called Sunday to honor the sun god Sol Invictus.

Up to this point in time, the Christians celebrated the birth of Christ on January 5th. They, like the Jews, worshiped on Saturday the seventh day. They were so grateful to Constantine for setting them free from persecution, they regarded him as a savior.

To gain more acceptance in Rome and to show their appreciation, Christians started celebrating the birth of Christ on December 25th and made their day of worship on Sunday. As a result, many followers of Sol Invictus converted to Christianity.

Another cult, the cult of Mithras, has an interesting legend I would like to share with you: Mithras was a demi-god (half man, half god) born of an immaculate conception. He was later executed and rose from the dead three days later. Sound familiar?

It is believed by some archaeologists that early Christians frequently adopted the customs and beliefs of others to avoid persecution. Heaven, hell, and the soul, for example, were part of the Greco-Roman pantheon long before Christianity came into existence.

The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that Zeus (Jupiter/Jove) ruled the heavens, and that Hades ruled the underworld. If you were heroic or virtuous when you died, your soul went to the Elysian fields (heaven). On the other hand, if you were a puke-faced scumbag, your soul went to Hades (hell).

Ironically, this desire of early Christians to fit in caused many pagans to convert to Christianity since Christians adopted and shared many of the same beliefs.

Many pagan religions and cults died while Christianity flourished. It has been suggested by some of my sources that pagans converted to Christianity because Christianity requires NO animal or human sacrifices. It was bad enough that poor peasants had to pay taxes to Rome. In addition, they had to sacrifice precious livestock and crops (they could have used for food) to appease a plethora of gods, each one more demanding than the next.

"Join us! You need not make any sacrifices. Christ died on the cross and made the ultimate sacrifice," Christians would say. A very tempting offer indeed.
Of course, the rest is history: Christianity became the official religion of Rome and spread like wildfire. It was Pauline Christianity (based on the teachings of Apostle Paul) that largely prevailed and is widely practiced today.

Another version of Christianity still practiced in some parts of the world involves the worship of two Christs rather than one. "What? Two Christs?" you say? Yes. If you look carefully at Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper painting, you will see a dude sitting at the table who looks a lot like Jesus.

Jesus allegedly had a twin brother named Thomas. Two books that are not included with the King Jame's Bible are the Gospel of Thomas and The Acts of Thomas. The name "Thomas (which is a Hebrew word)" actually means "twin." The twin's real name was Judas Thomas or Judas the Twin.

The Origin of Santa

Saint Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra (present day Turkey). He allegedly died on or about 350 A.D. During the Middle Ages, his fame spread, and many churches throughout Europe were dedicated to him. He created the "Christmas rites" which involved giving gifts.

The myth of Santa Claus or Sint Klaas was imported to the United States by Dutch settlers. The myth was later refined and defined by the poem The Night Before Christmas written by Clement C. Moore in 1823.

Thanks for visiting the williampinn zone. Happy Holidays Everyone!

Update:

The following is a quotation from http://www.equinox-and-solstice.com/html/winter_solstice.html.

The selection of December 25th as a Christian holiday was first recorded in scholarly texts dating to 325 A.D., although the actual practice was first decreed in 274 A.D. by the Emperor Aurelian. Since the non-Christians viewed this time as the rebirth of the sun, it made sense for the Church to also mark this period as the celebration of the nativity of Christ. Curiously, the selection of the day appears arbitrary although mankind had long known how to calculate the solstices. One can only guess that, rather than shift the celebration each year, a regularly scheduled event was preferable-the old Roman desire for order never quite left the new faith.