Poca gente si rende conto che le origini di una forma di Natale erano pagan e celebrate in Europa molto prima che chiunque là abbia sentito parlare Jesus (p). Nessuno conosce che giorno Jesus (p) è stato sopportato sopra. Dalla descrizione biblica, la maggior parte dei storici ritengono che la sua nascita probabilmente si sia presentata in settembre, circa sei mesi dopo il Passover. Una cosa che accosentono sopra è che è molto improbabile che Jesus sia stato sopportato in dicembre, poiché la bibbia registra gli shepherds che tendono le loro pecore nei campi su quella notte.Ciò è abbastanza improbabile da accadere durante l'inverno freddo di Judean. Così perchè celebriamo il compleanno del Christ come Natale, il 25 dicembre? La risposta si trova nelle origini pagan di Natale. A Babylon antico, la festività del figlio del IS-IS (goddess della natura) è stata celebrata il 25 dicembre. Raucous che partying, mangiante gluttonous, bevente e regalo-dante era tradizioni di questa festività. A Roma, il Solstice di inverno è stato celebrato molti anni prima della nascita di Christ. Il Romans denominato la loro vacanza invernale “Saturnalia„, honoring Saturno, il dio di agricoltura. In gennaio, hanno osservato Kalends di gennaio, che ha rappresentato il trionfo di vita sopra la morte. Questa stagione intera è stata denominata Dadi Natalis Invicti Solis, il compleanno del sole di Unconquered. La stagione di festival è stata contrassegnata molto merrymaking. È a Roma antica che la tradizione dei Mummers è stata sopportata. I Mummers erano gruppi dei cantanti e dei ballerini costumed che hanno viaggiato dalla casa alla casa che intrattiene i loro vicini. Da questa, la tradizione di Natale di caroling è stata sopportata.
in Europa del Nord, molte altre tradizioni che ora consideriamo la parte di culto di Natale sono state cominciate molto prima che i partecipanti avessero sentito parlare mai Christ. I pagans di Europa del Nord hanno celebrato il loro proprio solstice di inverno, conosciuto come Yule. Yule era simbolico del dio pagan del sole, Mithras, essendo sopportando ed è stato osservato il giorno più corto dell'anno. Mentre il dio del sole si è sviluppato e fatto maturare, i giorni si sono trasformati in più lunghi ed in scaldino. Era consueto illuminare una candela per consigliare a Mithras ed al sole riapparire anno successivo. I ceppi di Yule enormi sono stati bruciati in onore del sole. La parola Yule
in se significa “la rotella„, la rotella che è un simbolo pagan per il sole. Mistletoe was considered a sacred plant, and the custom of kissing under the mistletoe began as a fertility ritual. Holly berries were thought to be a food of the gods. The tree is the one symbol that unites almost all the northern European winter solstices. Live evergreen trees were often brought into homes during the harsh winters as a reminder to inhabitants that soon their crops would grow again. Evergreen boughs were sometimes carried as totems of good luck and were often present at weddings, representing fertility. The Druids used the tree as a religious symbol, holding their sacred ceremonies while surrounding and worshipping huge trees. In the year 350 AD, Pope Julius I declared that Christ’s birth would be celebrated on December 25. There is little doubt that he was trying to make it as painless as possible for pagan Romans (who remained a majority at that time) to convert to Christianity. The new religion went down a but easier, knowing that their feasts would not be taken away from them. Christmas (Christ-Mass) as we know it today, most historians agree, began in Germany, though Catholics and Lutherans still disagree about which church celebrated it first. The earliest record of an evergreen being decorated in a Christian celebration was in 1521 in the Alsace region of Germany. A prominent Lutheran minister of the day cried blasphemy: “Better that they should look to the true tree of life, Christ”The controversy continues even today in some fundamentalist sects.
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Shadowofears said on 28 December 2006:
Christmas festivals today incorporate many other pagan customs, such as the use of holly, mistletoe, Yule logs, and wassail bowls. The Christmas tree itself is the most obvious aspect of ancient pagan celebrations which were later incorporated into church rites. Scholars believe that the Christian celebration was originally derived in part from rites held by pre-Christian Germanic and Celtic peoples to celebrate the winter solstice. The Christmas tree, an evergreen trimmed with lights and other decorations, because it keeps its green needles throughout the winter months, was believed by pre-Christian pagans to have special powers of protection against the forces of nature and evil spirits. The end of December marked the onset of a visible lengthening of daylight hours - the return of warmth and light and defeat of those evil forces of cold and darkness. The Christmas tree is derived from the so-called paradise tree, symbolizing Eden, of German mystery plays. The use of a Christmas tree began early in the 17th century, in Strasbourg, France, spreading from there through Germany, into northern Europe and Great Britain, and then on to the United States.
Christmas is not the only Christian festival which was borrowed from ancient paganism and foisted upon the religion of Jesus . There is also Easter, the Feast of St. John, the Holy communion, the Annunciation of the virgin, the assumption of the virgin, and many others have their roots in ancient pagan worship. Since we can not get into the details here, therefore, the interested reader is encouraged to consult the above books.
Many people object to people who advise them not to introduce new and innovative practices into their religion, even if they were only to be festivals and celebrations. They object “what could it hurt if I were to worship God and thank Him for his blessings on this day when pagans performed their worship? I am not worshipping idols.” For this we only need to read the very explicit prohibition of God in this regard which He Himself emphatically declared in the Bible:
“Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them (pagans), after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. (Deuteronomy 12:30)”
There is a good reason why God commands us to do things. Just because we do not know the wisdom behind a prohibition does not give us the freedom to disregard it. Indeed, it is exactly such willingness to “adapt” and “compromise” which eventually lead to the loss of the message of Jesus.
Tarek said on 28 December 2006: