Truth behind Christmas: Pagan origins not Christian

[Todd]

So where did it all begin??

The concept of Christmas originated in ancient Egypt in the days of King Osiris and Queen Isis around about 3000 B.C. - long before the Christian faith was even thought of!!

After the untimely death of King Osiris, his wife, Isis, propogated the demonic doctrine of the survival of Osiris as a spirit. She claimed a full grown evergreen tree sprang overnight from a dead stump, symbolising the new life of the Osiris spirit from his death. On each anniversary of Osiris birth, which was the date we now know as December 25th, Isis would leave gifts around this tree.

Isis became the "Queen of Heaven", and Osiris became the reborn "divine son of heaven". Osiris later became, through the later Phoenicans, Baal the Sun-god. The "mother and child" became chief objects of worship by the Babylonians, from which it spread over the world under various names, such as, Cybel & Deoius in Asia, Fortuna & Jupiter in pagan Rome.

Then during the fourth and fifth century, the Romans under the new popular "Christianity" popularised the "mother and child" concept especially around Christmas time - from which we have many of the Christmas carols such as "Silent Night Holy Night" with it's familiar "mother and child" theme.

 

[Todd]

CHRISTMAS
The Pagan Origin of The Christmas Tree


The concept of the Christmas Tree originated around 3000 B.C. in ancient Egypt with King Osiris and Queen Isis.

After the untimely death of King Osiris, his wife, Isis, propogated the demonic doctrine of the survival of Osiris as a spirit. She claimed a full grown evergreen tree sprang overnight from a dead stump, symbolising the new life of the Osiris spirit from his death. On each anniversary of Osiris birth, which was the date we now know as December 25th, Isis would leave gifts around this tree.

During the Middle Ages, the Germans believed the evergreen trees were especially imbued with life since they remained green throughout all of winter. Greenery was prominent in pagan winter celebrations in honour of the tree spirit or spirit of fertility.

The Romans trimmed the trees with trinkets and toys at that time of year. The Druids tied gilded apples to tree branches. For many, a tree decorated with orbs and fruit-like object symbolised the tree of life in the garden of Eden.

 

[Todd]

CHRISTMAS
The Pagan Origin of The Holly Wreath
Mistletoe and Yule Log


The mistletoe were used at the festival of the winter solstice by ancient pagans because it was considered sacred to the sun. The mistletoe supposedly had miraculous healing powers, probably due to the fact that not only the plant remained green throughout winter but it actually bore fruit during this time, a type for fertility spirits!! This led to the tradition of "kissing under the mistletoe" - occuring early in the night of revelry and drunken debauchery, celebrating the death of the "old sun" and birth of the "new sun" at the solstice.

Holly berries were also considered sacred to the sun-god. Holly was revered along with the mistletoe, with decorations in those greeneries prominent in buildings and places of worship during the winter festival - leading to the holly wreath that we have today.

The burning of the Yule Log originated with the Druids and their ritual burning of a carefully chosen log during the winter. The word "yule" is derived from the old Anglo-Saxon word "hweol" which means "wheel" - a pagan symbol of the sun. Indeed the "Yule Log" is in fact the "Sun Log"!!

 

[bluntforcemama]

Todd, let's talk about something other than religion. Tell me about your day today.

 

[Todd]

CHRISTMAS
The Pagan Origin of Christmas Candles, Bonfires, etc


The lighting of candles, bonfires, the Yule Log and etc originates from the pagan custom of lighting fires and candles during the solstice season, to encourage the waning sun-god as he reached the lowest point in the southern skies.

The modern practice of decorating trees and buildings with flashing electric lights seems to be a logical extension of the lighting of candles and bonfires at Christmas time.

 

[Todd]

CHRISTMAS
The Pagan Origin of Santa Claus


Also known as "Father Christmas", the myths and legends surrounding Santa Claus are a mixture of pagan customs from differing regions.

"Santa Claus" is a corruption of the name "Saint Nicholas", a Roman Catholic bishop who lived in the 4th century. He was a saint honoured by the Greeks and Latins on December 6th, for the legendary bestowal of dowries on the three daughters of an impoverished citizen - said to originate the custom of giving gifts in secret on the eve of St. Nicholas (December 6th), later transferred to Christmas Day.

An important part of pagan festivities involved good and bad spirits - as in Halloween, followed by All Saints Day. In many regions, visitors being either good or bad spirits made their appearance during winter. Through blending pagan legends with traditions about saints, there emerged certain figures with similar personalities. Such figures are recognised today in different cultures as Santa Claus, Father Christmas, St. Nicholas, St. Martin, the Weihnachtsmann, Pere Noel. These figures - the Christianisation of German dieties - perpetuate the themes of rewards and punishment being dealt out to celebrants of the festivals. Throughout the centuries, these customs came to be centred around children.

The legend of Santa Claus entering the house through the chimney, and the hanging of socks and stockings by the fireplace, relates to the ancient superstitions around hearth spirits. The Chinese and others would traditionally sweep and scour the house in preparation for the visit by the hearth spirit. Dressed in a pointed red cap and red jacket, this fire god travelled from the heavens above, visiting homes to distribute favours or punishments.


Each Christmas time today, children are told the lie about Santa Claus coming down the chimney to distribute gifts to them if they behaved themselves!! Sooner or later the children learns of the myth, many becoming disillusioned. Such disillusions are easily transfered to the beliefs in God and Jesus Christ - if Santa Claus doesn't exist, then God and Jesus also doesn't exist!!! The Scriptures plainly state, "Thou shalt not bear false witness"!!

Far from adding to the "joy of Christmas", the Santa Claus legends actually turn away souls from Jesus Christ, risking for them an eternity in Hell!! No true Christian should ever involve themselves in this abominational legend of Santa Claus nomatter how good it may seem for the children at the time!! God says, "There is a way that seemeth right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of DEATH"!!

 

[Todd]

CHRISTMAS
The Pagan Origin of Christmas Shopping


Christmas shopping.... the annual chaos of rush hours to the shopping centres, searching the whole city for that one thing for that hard-to-buy-for Uncle, the devastations of bank balances so carefully maintained throughout the rest of the year (or the blow-outs of credit card debts), often leading to financial strife in the new year - oh no, this is not a modern 20th century phenomenon!!!

Consider the writings of a fourth-century writer Libanius describing the end-of-year festivities of the pagan Roman Empire....

"Everywhere may be seen...well-laden tables...The impulse to spend seizes everyone. He through the whole year has taken pleasure in saving...becomes suddenly extravagant...A stream of presents pours itself out on all sides."
As quoted in "Christmas in Ritual and Traditions"

 

[Todd]

CHRISTMAS
The Pagan Origin of Exchanging Gifts at Christmas


The wonderful tradition of exchanging gifts during Christmas. That excitement of looking forward to seeing what your loved one buys for you for Christmas. Oh of course, it is "Christian" to be giving gifts to one another.... but is it??

Let us see what the Bibliotheca Sacra (vol 12 pp 153-155) says about the exchanging of gifts at Christmas...

"The interchange of presents between friends is alike characteristic of Christmas and the Saturnalia, and MUST HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BY CHRISTIANS FROM THE PAGANS, as the admonition of Tertullian plainly shows." Emphasis mine


The exchanging of gifts does not honour Christ at all. Suppose it is YOUR birthday and yet at your party, your friends and relatives exchange gifts among themselves and almost completely ignores you!! This is exactly what happens at Christmas - we exchange gifts among ourselves, but usually don't have enough money left over to continue our giving to our churches!! Just ask any pastor!! The giving to the church usually doesn't get back to normal until March next year!! In any case it's not Jesus' birthday anyway!! - His birthday is in September most probably and the exact date is not known.

WELL HOW ABOUT THE GIVING OF GIFTS TO BABY JESUS BY THE WISE MEN??

Consider what the Scriptures says....


"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
MATTHEW 2:1-2,11


Notice here.... the wise men gave Jesus gifts because He was a KING of the Jews - it was not because it was His birthday. It was customary to give gifts to someone who is a King, just as it is so in many cultures today. In any case, the wise men didn't give any gifts to Jesus until long after His birthday.


"Verse 11 (They presented unto him gifts) The people of the east never approached the presence of kings and great personages, without a present in their hands. The custom is often noticed in the Old Testament, and still prevails in the east, and in some of the newly discovered South Sea Islands."
Adam Clarke Commentary, vol 5, page 46


The exchanging of gifts among friends and relatives is not found in the Scriptures, it is derived from paganism.

Consider the poor among us who can't afford to buy gifts at Christmas time? Why is it that strife and torment increases around Christmas time? Family breakups, murders, suicides increases around Christmas time! Many of the impoverished among us speaks of the torments of not being able to buy gifts for one another at Christmas time, leading many to despair and suicide. Many tells of Christmas as being "a time of pain and heartbreak". Many will proclaim "it is the thought that counts", however reality is, we're bombarded by and surrounded by commercialised messages proclaiming in effect "how much you love someone is dictated by how much money you spend on a gift for them".

The cold hard facts are.... if Christmas was a Christian festival, then there would not be so much pain and heartbreak among the poor and impoverished among us!! Jesus brought JOY and LIFE to the poor, NOT pain and heartbreak!!!