Snopes.
History.com
And amazingly, there's this from allaboutjesuschrist.org (nope, not linking to it, sorry):
Origin of Christmas - The Traditions and Controversies
For today's Christian, the origin of Christmas is, and should be, the birth of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible. Nothing more and nothing less. However, most of what we witness on December 25th each year has absolutely nothing to do with that blessed day, which probably occurred in late summer or early fall about 2,000 years ago. In fact, most of the customs and traditions of Christmas actually pre-date the birth of Jesus, and many of them are downright deceptive in their meaning and origin. Here are a few examples:
The date of December 25th probably originated with the ancient "birthday" of the son-god, Mithra, a pagan deity whose religious influence became widespread in the Roman Empire during the first few centuries A.D. Mithra was related to the Semitic sun-god, Shamash, and his worship spread throughout Asia to Europe where he was called Deus Sol Invictus Mithras. Rome was well-known for absorbing the pagan religions and rituals of its widespread empire. As such, Rome converted this pagan legacy to a celebration of the god, Saturn, and the rebirth of the sun god during the winter solstice period. The winter holiday became known as Saturnalia and began the week prior to December 25th. The festival was characterized by gift-giving, feasting, singing and downright debauchery, as the priests of Saturn carried wreaths of evergreen boughs in procession throughout the Roman temples.
Variations of this pagan holiday flourished throughout the first few centuries after Jesus Christ, but it probably wasn't until 336 AD that Emperor Constantine officially converted this pagan tradition into the "Christian" holiday of Christmas.
So, from what I can tell in my brief amount of research, the "real" day isn't important to the devout, it's the "spirit" of the event. I guess I can buy that. Maybe.For today's Christian, the origin of Christmas is, and should be, the birth of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible. Nothing more and nothing less. However, most of what we witness on December 25th each year has absolutely nothing to do with that blessed day, which probably occurred in late summer or early fall about 2,000 years ago. In fact, most of the customs and traditions of Christmas actually pre-date the birth of Jesus, and many of them are downright deceptive in their meaning and origin. Here are a few examples:
The date of December 25th probably originated with the ancient "birthday" of the son-god, Mithra, a pagan deity whose religious influence became widespread in the Roman Empire during the first few centuries A.D. Mithra was related to the Semitic sun-god, Shamash, and his worship spread throughout Asia to Europe where he was called Deus Sol Invictus Mithras. Rome was well-known for absorbing the pagan religions and rituals of its widespread empire. As such, Rome converted this pagan legacy to a celebration of the god, Saturn, and the rebirth of the sun god during the winter solstice period. The winter holiday became known as Saturnalia and began the week prior to December 25th. The festival was characterized by gift-giving, feasting, singing and downright debauchery, as the priests of Saturn carried wreaths of evergreen boughs in procession throughout the Roman temples.
Variations of this pagan holiday flourished throughout the first few centuries after Jesus Christ, but it probably wasn't until 336 AD that Emperor Constantine officially converted this pagan tradition into the "Christian" holiday of Christmas.
But really. Get off the "put the Christ back in Christmas" soapbox. Not everyone is Christian. In fact, most of the world isn't.
If you want to focus on something, focus on the spirit of peace, love and giving -- all year, not just one or two days. If people put the same amount of energy they use shopping and being greedy into something positive, the world could be an amazing place.
Put that same energy into becoming educated, especially since 2008 is an election year.
Accuse me of not being in the "spirit of the day," I don't care. I'm tired of the hype and the bullshit. Love your family and friends all the time. Give people gifts just because, not because the TV or the calendar tell you to.
Seriously. Pomp and circumstance are one thing. Be genuine, be original, be independent.
P.S. Mikey, I'm starting with you. Be warned. You're gonna get a whacked out, random gift as soon as I find one that's suitable. :D
P.P.S. Pre-emptive defensive response: I'm not the Grinch and I didn't kill your dog or your mama. Agree to disagree and we all get along. If you want to press it, well...
balanced
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