Essay about Pagan Christmas - 788 Words

25 March 2013 Mythic Dimensions of Literature â€Å"The Origins of Christmas† Christmas is a holiday celebrated by members of the religion of Christianity. The holiday acknowledges the birth of the Christian prophet Jesus Christ. It is celebrated on December 25th by an estimated two billion members of the Christian religion. The holiday is also celebrated by many non-Christians, who highlight the secular aspects of the holiday. Many of the symbols, traditions, and rituals widely attributed to Christmas have been discovered by scholars and historians to have pagan origins. This essay will identify aspects of Christmas that have non-sacred origins, why they have been adopted by Christians and incorporated into Christmas, and also inquire as†¦show more content†¦The exchanging of gifts is also a ritual, without which modern day Christmas would be almost unrecognizable. While today it is an integral part of Christmas, the tradition itself is actually centuries older than the holiday of Christmas. Many Christians will cite the gifts that the wise men broug ht the Christ child as the inspiration of Christmas gift giving, but historically its origination seems to have come from elsewhere. Gift giving began with the Feast of Saturnalia, the Roman celebration of the God of Saturn. The Feast of Saturnalia was a weeklong celebration between December 17th and December 23rd. Children would receive toys on the 23rd and adults would exchange gifts, sometimes accompanied by prose, which could also be the origin of the Christmas card. Roman converts to Christianity kept this tradition in spite of protest from the Roman Catholic Church. When the Church received news of the popularity of the gift giving, they incorporated it into the holiday and justified its existence through the original gift of the Magi. The origin of Santa Claus is also one that is rooted in pagan traditions. Santa Claus, or Sinterklaas, bears many similarities to the Germanic god Odin. During Yule, Odin would ride across the sky with a grey horse with eightShow MoreRelatedEssa y on Christmas Traditions Around Th1170 Words   |  5 Pages RELIGIOUS PRACTICE AND POPULAR CUSTOMS The Bible provides no guidelines that explain how Christmas should be observed, nor does it even suggest that it should be considered a religious holiday. Because of the lack of biblical instructions, Christmas rituals have been shaped by the religious and popular traditions of each culture that celebrates the holiday. On Christmas Eve, churches around the world hold evening services. At midnight, most Catholic and many Protestant churches hold special candlelightRead MoreThe Commercialization Of Christmas And Easter1609 Words   |  7 Pagesescape the lure of commercialism. 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