Ginny Atkinson's Blog
October 5, 2012
Origin of Christmas Rant
For today's Christian, the origin of Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible. Nothing more and nothing less.
As it turns out Jesus was not born on December 25th but sometime in the late summer early fall months. However, a whole bunch of pagan gods were born on that day.
In fact, pagans celebrated a festival involving a heroic supernatural figure (Nimrod) that visits an evergreen tree and leaves gifts on December 25th long before Jesus was ever born. ( Long before santa too)
From its early Babylonian roots, the celebration of the birth or "rebirth" of the sun god on December 25th came to be celebrated under various names all over the ancient world. You see, the winter solstice occurs a few days before December 25th each year. The winter solstice is the day of the year when daylight is the shortest. In ancient times, December 25th was the day each year when the day started to become noticeably longer.
Thus it was fitting for the early pagans to designate December 25th as the date of the birth or the "rebirth" of the sun. The name "Yule" is the Babylonian word for "infant" or "little child". So when you offer "yuletide" greetings, you are actually acknowledging Nimrod's birthday. Hmmm.
The truth is that the pagan holiday of "Yule" has been celebrated by the pagans of northern Europe from late December through early January for centuries and centuries. Yule logs were traditionally lit throughout northern Europe to honor the pagan god. The festival would continue until the Yule log burned out - which could take up to twelve days. This is where we get the so-called "12 days of Christmas".
Well, the truth is that the word "Christmas" is not actually found anywhere in the entire Bible.
In fact, the word "Christmas" was not even invented until about a thousand years after Jesus left this earth.
The Catholic Encyclopedia even admits this....
"The word for Christmas in late Old English is Cristes Maesse, the Mass of Christ, first found in 1038."
So how did December 25th come to be celebrated by Christians?
Well, by the time the Roman Empire legalized Christianity in the 4th century, most of the other religions in the empire were celebrating the birth of their gods on December 25th.
Leading up to December 25th in ancient Rome, a festival known as Saturnalia was one of the biggest celebrations of the year. Saturnalia was a festival during which the Romans commemorated the dedication of the temple of their god Saturn. This holiday began on the 17th of December and it would last for an entire week until the 23rd of December.
Saturnalia was typically characterized by gift-giving, feasting, singing and lots and lots of debauchery. The priests of Saturn would carry wreaths of evergreen boughs in procession throughout the pagan Roman temples.
Later on, the Romans also started holding a festival on December 25th called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, which means "the birthday of the unconquered sun." Basically it was a way for the empire to consolidate all of the December 25th "sun god" birthdays throughout the empire into one holiday.
In the year 350 A.D., Pope Julius I declared that the birth of Jesus would be celebrated on December 25th from then on. There appears to be little doubt that Pope Julius was trying to make it as painless as possible for pagan Romans to convert to Catholicism.
And BTW The following are just some of the pagan gods that had "birthdays" on December 25th....
Mithras, Horus, Attis, Dionysus the son of Zeus, Tammuz, Hercules, Perseus, Helios, Bacchus, Apollo, Jupiter, Sol Invictus.
So for all of you who tell me to stop trying to take Christ out of Christmas. My response to you IS GET YOUR OWN HOLIDAY. STAY AWAY FROM MY YULE!
As it turns out Jesus was not born on December 25th but sometime in the late summer early fall months. However, a whole bunch of pagan gods were born on that day.
In fact, pagans celebrated a festival involving a heroic supernatural figure (Nimrod) that visits an evergreen tree and leaves gifts on December 25th long before Jesus was ever born. ( Long before santa too)
From its early Babylonian roots, the celebration of the birth or "rebirth" of the sun god on December 25th came to be celebrated under various names all over the ancient world. You see, the winter solstice occurs a few days before December 25th each year. The winter solstice is the day of the year when daylight is the shortest. In ancient times, December 25th was the day each year when the day started to become noticeably longer.
Thus it was fitting for the early pagans to designate December 25th as the date of the birth or the "rebirth" of the sun. The name "Yule" is the Babylonian word for "infant" or "little child". So when you offer "yuletide" greetings, you are actually acknowledging Nimrod's birthday. Hmmm.
The truth is that the pagan holiday of "Yule" has been celebrated by the pagans of northern Europe from late December through early January for centuries and centuries. Yule logs were traditionally lit throughout northern Europe to honor the pagan god. The festival would continue until the Yule log burned out - which could take up to twelve days. This is where we get the so-called "12 days of Christmas".
Well, the truth is that the word "Christmas" is not actually found anywhere in the entire Bible.
In fact, the word "Christmas" was not even invented until about a thousand years after Jesus left this earth.
The Catholic Encyclopedia even admits this....
"The word for Christmas in late Old English is Cristes Maesse, the Mass of Christ, first found in 1038."
So how did December 25th come to be celebrated by Christians?
Well, by the time the Roman Empire legalized Christianity in the 4th century, most of the other religions in the empire were celebrating the birth of their gods on December 25th.
Leading up to December 25th in ancient Rome, a festival known as Saturnalia was one of the biggest celebrations of the year. Saturnalia was a festival during which the Romans commemorated the dedication of the temple of their god Saturn. This holiday began on the 17th of December and it would last for an entire week until the 23rd of December.
Saturnalia was typically characterized by gift-giving, feasting, singing and lots and lots of debauchery. The priests of Saturn would carry wreaths of evergreen boughs in procession throughout the pagan Roman temples.
Later on, the Romans also started holding a festival on December 25th called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, which means "the birthday of the unconquered sun." Basically it was a way for the empire to consolidate all of the December 25th "sun god" birthdays throughout the empire into one holiday.
In the year 350 A.D., Pope Julius I declared that the birth of Jesus would be celebrated on December 25th from then on. There appears to be little doubt that Pope Julius was trying to make it as painless as possible for pagan Romans to convert to Catholicism.
And BTW The following are just some of the pagan gods that had "birthdays" on December 25th....
Mithras, Horus, Attis, Dionysus the son of Zeus, Tammuz, Hercules, Perseus, Helios, Bacchus, Apollo, Jupiter, Sol Invictus.
So for all of you who tell me to stop trying to take Christ out of Christmas. My response to you IS GET YOUR OWN HOLIDAY. STAY AWAY FROM MY YULE!
August 31, 2012
Wiccan Rede
Bide the Wiccan laws ye must
In perfect love and perfect trust.
Live and let live-
Fairly take and fairly give.
Cast the Circle thrice about
To keep all evil spirits out.
To bind the spell every time,
Let the spell be spake in rhyme.
Soft of eye and light of touch-
Speak little, listen much.
Deosil go by the waxing Moon-
Sing and dance the Wiccan rune.
Widdershins go when the Moon doth wane,
And the Werewolf howls by the dread Wolfsbane.
When the Lady's Moon is new,
Kiss the hand to her times two.
When the Moon rides at her peak,
Then your heart's desire seek.
Heed the Northwind's mighty gale-
Lock the door and drop the sail.
When the wind blows from the South,
Love will kiss thee on the mouth.
When the wind blows from the East,
Expect the new and set the feast.
When the West wind blows o'er thee,
Departed spirits restless be.
Nine woods in the Cauldron go-
Burn them quick and burn them slow.
Elder be ye Lady's tree-
Burn it not or cursed ye'll be.
When the Wheel begins to turn-
Let the Beltaine fires burn.
When the Wheel has turned a Yule,
Light the log and let Pan rule.
Heed ye flower, bush and tree-
By the Lady blessed be.
Where the rippling waters go,
Cast a stone an truth ye'll know.
When ye have need,
Hearken not to other's greed.
With the fool no season spend
Or be counted as his friend.
Merry meet an merry part-
Bright the cheeks an warm the heart.
Mind the Threefold Law ye should-
Three times bad and three times good.
When misfortune is enow,
Wear the blue star on thy brow.
True in love ever be
Unless thy lover's false to thee.
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill-
An it harm none, do what ye will.
In perfect love and perfect trust.
Live and let live-
Fairly take and fairly give.
Cast the Circle thrice about
To keep all evil spirits out.
To bind the spell every time,
Let the spell be spake in rhyme.
Soft of eye and light of touch-
Speak little, listen much.
Deosil go by the waxing Moon-
Sing and dance the Wiccan rune.
Widdershins go when the Moon doth wane,
And the Werewolf howls by the dread Wolfsbane.
When the Lady's Moon is new,
Kiss the hand to her times two.
When the Moon rides at her peak,
Then your heart's desire seek.
Heed the Northwind's mighty gale-
Lock the door and drop the sail.
When the wind blows from the South,
Love will kiss thee on the mouth.
When the wind blows from the East,
Expect the new and set the feast.
When the West wind blows o'er thee,
Departed spirits restless be.
Nine woods in the Cauldron go-
Burn them quick and burn them slow.
Elder be ye Lady's tree-
Burn it not or cursed ye'll be.
When the Wheel begins to turn-
Let the Beltaine fires burn.
When the Wheel has turned a Yule,
Light the log and let Pan rule.
Heed ye flower, bush and tree-
By the Lady blessed be.
Where the rippling waters go,
Cast a stone an truth ye'll know.
When ye have need,
Hearken not to other's greed.
With the fool no season spend
Or be counted as his friend.
Merry meet an merry part-
Bright the cheeks an warm the heart.
Mind the Threefold Law ye should-
Three times bad and three times good.
When misfortune is enow,
Wear the blue star on thy brow.
True in love ever be
Unless thy lover's false to thee.
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill-
An it harm none, do what ye will.
