Here is my Annual Solstice / Christmas post, enjoy…
In America today, the mention of Christmas conjures many images for us all. The Christmas tree and the abundance of nicely wrapped presents. Christ’s birthday. Singing Christmas carols, chestnuts on an open fire, Yule logs, Mistletoe, Holly and evergreens, wreaths, and of course for the kiddies, Santa, reindeer and flying sleighs. Since this is my blog, the question is, how many are Pagan? Let’s find out, eh?
The traditions that we enjoy each Christmas started with the two oldest civilizations known at this time, the Egyptian and Sumerians. Since both were sister civilizations, with Sumer being the oldest, and the written accounts are found within each, it is hard to say which one started them.
The 12 days of Christmas came from the celebration of Horus or Marduk. The celebration for the rebirth of Horus lasted for 12 days, also for the celebration of the 12 day battle of Marduk to conquer the deities of darkness. It is in the Sumerian celebration that the next oldest tradition came from, Gift Giving. During their celebrations, the Sumerians held huge parades (Christmas parades anyone), wished good tidings to each other and exchanged gifts. The Greeks adopted the Solstice with celebrations honoring Zeus’s victory over Kronos and the Titans. The Romans also celebrated Saturnalia and their religion of Mithraism. It was the biggest celebration of the year and gift giving was expected from everyone.
The Christmas – Yule Tree. The Yule tree has been in traditions thousands of years before it became known as the Christmas tree in the 1840’s. In fact, the Christmas tree was banded in Every Christian denomination and in the Bible (Jeremiah 10:1-5) because of its Pagan roots until Queen Victoria changed it to allow herself to have one after returning from a trip in Germany. The evergreen tree represented the continuation of life to the Pagan culture of Europe and was decorated with what they wanted the new year to bring. Coins, Corn or other crops and flowers, lights for the return of the sun and successful harvests and gifts to their Gods. In later years, the Germanic Pagans created Ornaments to adorn the tree. They symbolized the sun and the warmth to come.
Other traditions came into the mix as the years went on. The Holiday Bells, or jingle bells were-are used to drive evil spirits away. Holiday Candles come from the Saturnalia celebration and were-are used as gifts to drive evil away and to urge the sun to return. Evergreens of all kinds (Tree, Wreaths, Garland, etc) have power over death since they don’t die in the winter and are used to defeat evil. Holly is the sign-symbol of re-birth. Wreaths are the symbol of Birth-Death-Rebirth in the continuation of the Wheel of Life. The earliest ones were made from tree limbs, and the Greeks covered them with greenery to make the image we have today. Snowflakes were-are used as a Pagan symbols of love. They were from the story of Persephone’s decent into the underworld. Demeter cried tears for Perephone and the tears formed the first snowflakes. The Story has a simular ring to the Sumerian story of the Goddess Inanna decent into the Underworld (see more here). I am reading the Akkadian version of the story currently, with the Goddess Ishtar as the heroine.
Who can forget the custom of kissing a pretty girl or boy under the mistletoe? The mistletoe for the Celtic people is used for fertility and abundance, and if hung over the doorway, protection from evil. The actual ritual of kissing came from the Norse custom to receive Freyja’s blessings of luck, love, fertility and protection from disease.
And now for the big, big S, Santa. The story we all grew up with, a jolly fat man riding in a sleigh giving out gifts to all the girls and boys. The good ones get toys, the bad ones get coal, is endeared into our fondest childhood memories of Christmas. The image of Santa is taken from the Celtic image of The God, as well as the Norse image of Odin, as an elderly man with long robes, gray hair and beard, and the wreath adorning his head. The image has regained popularity in recent years as the European “Father Christmas” in many a hobby shop and holiday stores. The image of Santa we know today came mostly from a political cartoonist of the 1880’s named Thomas Nast, who fattened Santa up, give him a pipe, and had little elves running about. An aggressive advertising campaign by the Coca Cola company in the 1930’s ingrained the image into pop culture, and no, Santa was not invented by them either, that is just an urban myth.
One of the real historical person in the Christianized version is St. Nicholas of Myra. According to legend, St. Nicholas would go and give bags of money to the poor on Christmas eve. One story in particular has him helping a poor farmer with three daughters. Since there was no dowry for the girls, no one would marry them and they would likely end up as prostitutes. Hearing of the farmers problems, St Nicholas came by with three bags loaded with coins. The farmer was not in, but a window was open, so he threw them at the fireplace and they landed inside the stockings that were on the hearth to dry. Starting the Holiday stocking traditions that would be incorporated into the Santa story of today.
Reindeer also have a special meaning to the Celtics as the stag symbol of the God Cernunnos.
So, however you celebrate the American tradition of Christmas, Yule, or the Winter Solstice, it may all be based in Pagan, and Christian traditions, but I firmly believe that your God knows where your heart comes from and will bless us all at this time of year. Does this discount the American Traditions that all enjoy on Dec 25? No, I believe it enhances them with a rich traditions that go back to the dawn of civilization and keeps us in contact with our forebears.
Take Care and Blessed Be to All,