The true origin of Christmas? Truly a pagan festival.

There is an surprising alternative view about December 25th from an Orthodox website:

"Rather, the pagan festival of the “Birth of the Unconquered Son” instituted by the Roman Emperor Aurelian on 25 December 274, was almost certainly an attempt to create a pagan alternative to a date that was already of some significance to Roman Christians. Thus the “pagan origins of Christmas” is a myth without historical substance."

Here is the link to the whole article:

www.orthodox-christianity.com...

reply to post by cloudyday


Celebration of Christmas at December, 25th started with John Chrysostom in 386 AD, so this is non-sensical.

A stronger argument is to argue that the date was decided due to being 9 months after the date of the Annunciation. I could never fully track down the origem of the date of the Annunciation with absolute certainty, so I can't say whether or not this would be correct.

Originally posted by Leahn
reply to post by cloudyday

 

Celebration of Christmas at December, 25th started with John Chrysostom in 386 AD, so this is non-sensical.

A stronger argument is to argue that the date was decided due to being 9 months after the date of the Annunciation. I could never fully track down the origem of the date of the Annunciation with absolute certainty, so I can't say whether or not this would be correct.

We do have clues in the Bible as to when Jesus was born. He was 33 1/2 years-old. That means we have a half year to deal with there, and He was crucified during Passover season. So if we go back 6 months, and Jewish calendars start in the middle of the Gregorian month.

If he died in March/April, and it is only half a year, then counting back 6 months then that would make it roughly September/October. It is very reasonable to assume it was warm enough for shepherds to be tending their flocks. And the Jewish holidays are designed for a reason. So suppose this during the times of Rosh Hoshana and Yom Kippur. That means that the Messiah was born as First Fruits of the New Covenant and the Atonement for all mankind.

I think the early church fathers were anti-Semitic and did not want to acknowledge the Judaic roots of Christianity and so they defined the religious viewpoints outside of that. But I could be making an assumption on the time frame. But we have to remember the 1/2 year time frame when considering this.

reply to post by WarminIndy


I see your argument. I do not understand what it has to do with what I said. Care to elaborate?

Originally posted by Leahn
reply to post by cloudyday

 

Celebration of Christmas at December, 25th started with John Chrysostom in 386 AD, so this is non-sensical.

A stronger argument is to argue that the date was decided due to being 9 months after the date of the Annunciation. I could never fully track down the origem of the date of the Annunciation with absolute certainty, so I can't say whether or not this would be correct.

Read the article if you haven't. It is very interesting. My summary: Jews believed a prophet must die on the same calendar day as his conception or birth. The church scholars calculated a calendar date for Good Friday and added 9 months to get December 25th in Rome for his birth. Supposedly this happened before the first Pagan celebration that happened in 274 AD. (That's the weakest part of the argument I think.) Meanwhile the Eastern Greek church performed its own calculations for Easter added 9 months and came up with January 6th for the date of Epiphany. The West celebrated Christmas exclusively and the East celebrated Epiphany exclusively. Later, in 386 AD Christmas was celebrated for the first time in the East as a less significant feast to the more important feast of Epiphany and eventually Epiphany was celebrated in the West.

I'm not saying I agree with the article. It seems more plausible that Christian bishops wanted to "baptise" the pagan holiday - same as was done with Christmas trees, Mistletoe, etc.

www.orthodox-christianity.com...

Yes, I found it! I needed to post here because I do not think Jesus will be my friend in the next Kingdom if I do not say:

HIS NAME IS NOT JESUS, BUT THE GREEKS NAMED HIS JESUS TO DISHONOR HIM!!!

I already know that "Sous" in latin means the Greek "Zeus". You gullible millions of sheep can believe what you want. Haha! Believe tons of ruthless rotten liars, it is your soul that you are trading in for pride and stubbornness.

What in the world does putting presents under a tree have anything to do with any of Christs teachings???

This is a pagan practice, many many years before Christ. It doesn't matter if you try to change things around and say that you are doing this in the name or spirit of Christ, you are still a stubborn hypocrite who is giving up your soul to prance around doing pagan things and abandoning the word of Christ. That is why people that I love have abandoned me this Christmas - because they abandoned Christ. That is why I might cry or panic because the people I love have deserted me without telling me why, but that I can warm my heart from the freezing cold burden they are giving me because I know they have abandoned Christ and that is why they are abandoning me - because I have not abandoned Christ by calling him a pagan name or by practicing pagan rituals on pagan holidays even though my own family does, did Christ allow my family to be with me this Christmas? No, I was abandoned by my family and by my loved ones - because they have abandoned Christ in hypocrisy without even knowing it, they are stubborn prideful idiots in denial, yes Christ said he was going to separate families, that is because one believes in him (me) and the others do not (my family), they say they do, and go to church, but they have been separated from me because in reality they do not, because they still call him Jesus, they believe in the virgin birth, and these Greek miracle pagan stories, I am absolutely sure without a doubt, that any of the these millions and millions of Christians who goes onto the next Kingdom and believes in the virgin birth is GOING TO BE CAST OUT OF THE KINGDOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!