Is Christmas Pagan
To Tree or not to Tree
THE ACCUSATIONS:
Mithra (1200BC – Persia)
Virgin Birth, 25 Dec, 12 disciples, miracles, dead 3 days, resurrected, Sunday worship
Born from a rock, No evidence of date, 2 disciples, killed a bull, never died,
Became popular 2nd Century AD
Horus (3000BC – Egypt)
Virgin Birth, 25 Dec, star in east, 3 kings adored him, 12 disciples, miracles
Born July/Aug, Osirus + Isis (not VB), No evidence of any of the others,
Dionysus (500BC – Greece)
Virgin Birth, 25 Dec, miracles, “King of kings”, “Alpha and Omega”
Zeus + daughter (not VB), No evidence (God of wine)
Saturnalia
Dec 17-23
Singing from House to House (Naked)
Drunkenness and immorality
Human Sacrifices
- worshipped Saturn or Belos or Chronos / Noah (Begat Ham and Canaan and Cush & Nimrod)
Sol Invictus
Dec 25
Birth of unconquerable sun
Celebrate the end of winter – the beginning of longer days
Information of Sol Invictus on from 4th century.
THE DATE:
Options:
Dec 25
Sept/Oct
Evidences:
Sept/Oct - Shepherds were in the fields (mid-winter no usual)
- Birth of John (Zecharias & Elizabeth)
* 24 Priestly courses (1 Chron 24:6-19) + Luke 1:5
* Abija’s courses are in Jun/Dec putting John’s birth 9 months later (1:23-24)
* John therefore born Sep/ Mar
* Jesus born 6 months later Mar/Sep
Dec - Zecharias would have also ministered during Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles
(April, June & September) – A Sept conception for John would result in Dec birth for
Jesus.
- Sextus Julius Africanus in AD 221 – Historian places birth in Dec
- Hippolytus AD 205 – “8 days before kalends of January (Dec 25)” and Jesus’ conception
“during passover”
- Sextus Julius Africanus in AD 221 – Historian places birth in Dec
- Ephraim the Syrian (AD 300) – “All men honor the day of thy birth”
- John Chrysostom (AD 354) - “The 25th day of December has been celebrated from the
beginning as the birthday of Christ, and the knowledge of it is now transmitted to us….It is
manifest from Scripture that Christ was born at the enrollment or census, and the very day
was certain from a written document in the Roman archives….It is lawful for anyone to search
these ancient records, publicly deposited at Rome, and there to learn the time of this
enrollment.”
- Augustine (AD 400) – “But He was born, according to tradition, upon December the 25th.”
THE DECORATIONS/ TRADITIONS – Rom 14:6, Col 2:16
Tree – Jer 10
Evergreen trees in OT
- Favour to his people (Num 24:5-6, Is 41:19)
- Praise (Ps 148:9, Is 55:13)
- Temple decorations (Is 60:13, 2 Chr 9:27)
Into homes (Matin Luther)
- He saw the glory of God by the starlight shining through the
trees
- He put candles into the trees (was only practiced in Germany)
until 19th century
- Then Royals of England (Q. Victoria) started the tradition 1840
and it spread through drawings of royals by their trees. Benjamin
Harrison in USA - 1889
- Luther said Christmas should be about the Christ-child
(Christkindl) – all symbols must point to Him
Symbol – of Jesus birth in a manger and his death on a cross.
Christian growth. Medicinal Health.
First decorations
- nuts, berries, fruit, candles & gingerbread (provision of food – God’s blessing through Christ)
- Star/Angel – star that led the wise men / Angels that proclaimed his birth
- holly – crown of thorns (berries = drops of blood)
Modern decorations
- Come on 22nd and see the Sunday School Skit!!
SANTA
Saint Nicolas - actual
Bishop of Myra – 300AD ?
Legends – from simple to far-fetched.
Father Christmas / Santa Claus – Myth
Sources – Dutch, German, American, Norse (mix-match of all combined)
Luther – Didn’t like the character (Detracted from Jesus)
He says it should be about Christkindl (Christ Child)
– world then added another name (Kris Kringle)
It seems from its conception to be a substitute for Christ – An alternative for non-Christians
Santa
Norse – Yule – Odin's eight-legged horse, Sleipnir / Gave gifts to humans / boots with hay for Sleipnir
