The Pagan Origin of CHRISTMAS
Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?
What is the TRUE ORIGIN
of Christmas? Where did it come from? Did you know the Messiah was born nowhere
NEAR December 25, but that was the "birth day" of the sun- god,
"Sol Invictus" or "Mithras"?
Did you know December 25 was the concluding day of the pagan
winter festival called the "Saturnalia"?
Where did "Santa Claus" come from? The
"Christmas tree"? How did this pagan feast become connected with
"Christianity"?
Although the whole world celebrates Christmas as a
"Christian" holiday, including millions of non-Christians, is
Christmas really "Christian" at all?
Consider this fact: Look high and low throughout the pages
of the Bible, and you will find not ONE WORD of "Christmas" being
celebrated by any of God’s people! It is not even mentioned once! Neither the
Messiah nor any of his apostles ever observed this holiday, nor the New
Testament Church!
Yet on the other hand the pagan, heathen world observed this
day for thousands of years before the Messiah was even born!
Where did the mysterious rites and ceremonies that surround
this day come from? What about the "Christmas tree" and the
"Yule log" and the mistletoe and Holly wreaths? Are ANY of these
customs truly "Christian" in origin? And what about fat and jolly old
"Saint Nick" -- or Santa Claus?
Let us address these
questions, and take a new look at "Christmas"
A church I was
formerly a member of, which condemned Christmas observance as paganism, for almost
sixty years, today has turned its back on its former beliefs, and encourages
its members to observe this pagan mid-winter festival "in honor of
Christ"! Many are doing so, heedless of the severe warnings in Scripture
of what their eternal fate and destiny will be if they continue to embrace this
ancient custom.
The Origin of Christmas
Before one gets carried
away with Christmas worship, there are a few things you should know. Let's take
an honest and objective look at the origins of this holiday.
We read in
Werner Keller's book The Bible as History the following
admission:
"December 25 is referred to in
documents as Christmas Day in A.D. 324 for the first time. Under the Roman
emperor Justinian [A.D. 527-565] it was recognized as an official holiday. An
old Roman festival played a major part in the choice of this particular day.
December 25 in ancient Rome was the 'Dies Natali Invictus,' 'the birthday of
the unconquered,' the day of the winter solstice and at the same time, in Rome,
the last day of the Saturnalia, which had long since degenerated into a week of
unbridled carnival..." (p. 331).
Doesn't it seem rather strange that the so-called
"Christian church" should choose a day to celebrate the Messiah's
birth which was identified as the day of the birth of the unconquered sun, the
day of the winter solstice, the "shortest day of the year," when the
sunlit part of the days start becoming longer again? What does this have to do
with the Messiah, anyway? Was the Messiah born anywhere near December 25?
Keller goes on:
"Meteorologists as well as
historians and astronomers have something of importance to contribute to this
question of fixing the date of the birth of Jesus. According to St. Luke: 'And
there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch
over their flock by night' (Luke 2:8).
"Meteorologists have made exact
recordings of the temperature at Hebron. This spot in the southern highlands of
Judah exhibits the same climatic conditions as Bethlehem, which is not far
distant. The temperature readings show over a period of three months that the
incidence of frost is as follows: December -- 2.8 degrees; January -- 1.6
degrees; February ---0.1 degrees. The first two months have also the greatest
rainfall in the year: approximately 6 inches in December, and nearly 8 inches
in January. According to all existing information the climate of Palestine has
not changed appreciably in the last 2,000 years, consequently modern
meteorological observations can be taken as a basis.
"At Christmas-time Bethlehem is
in the grip of frost, and in the Promised Land no cattle would have been in the
fields in that temperature. This fact is born out by a remark in the Talmud to
the effect that in that neighborhood the flocks were put out to grass in March
and brought in again at the beginning of November. They remained out in the
open for almost eight months.
"Around Christmas-time nowadays
both animals and shepherds are under cover in Palestine.
"What St. Luke tells us points
therefore to the birth of Jesus having taken place BEFORE the onset of
winter..." (p. 331-332).
How interesting! How fascinating! As we explore the
time for the birth of the Messiah, we find he was born nowhere near December
25, the very date the world has chosen to "celebrate" supposedly, his
"birthday"! But there is much more to the story than this. Let's go
on.
When Was the Messiah Really BORN?
Millions of ostensible "Christians," or
"nominal" Christians, who think they are followers of the religion of
the Messiah, have been deceived.
Not only have they foolishly embraced erroneous
"traditions" as if they were "Christian," but they have
been lied to, misled by preachers and ministers and priests, and have ASSUMED
that they were worshipping the Messiah! Yet the Messiah himself warned:
Mark 7:7-8
"Howbeit IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
teaching for doctrines THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN. For laying aside the COMMANDMENTS
OF GOD, ye HOLD THE TRADITION OF MEN..."
The gospel of Matthew also records similar words
spoken by the Messiah. Notice!
Matt.
15:7-9
"Ye
HYPOCRITES, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 'This people draweth nigh
unto me with their mouths, and honoreth me with their lips; but THEIR HEART IS
FAR FROM ME. But IN VAIN do they WORSHIP me, teaching for doctrines the commandments
of MEN."
Let's look into this matter honestly. Let's examine
the evidence, seeking the truth. When was the Messiah born, anyway? Was it
anywhere NEAR December 25? And if not, then why believe a lie, and practice and
perform a lie?
In the book of Luke we read that the father of John
the Baptist was Zacharias, and he was a priest who served at the temple in
Jerusalem. He was "of the course of Abia"
Luke 1:5
There was
in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of
the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her
name was Elisabeth.
While serving at the temple, he was informed by an
angel that his wife was to have a son, who was to be named "John."
After this, Zacharias finished "the days of his ministration," and
"departed to his own house" (v.23). "And after those days, his
wife Elizabeth conceived..." (v. 24).
Luke 1:23 And it came
to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he
departed to his own house.
Luke 1:24 And after
those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
The names of the different courses of priests that
served at the Temple are given in I Chronicles 24:1-19.
2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest's office.
3 And David distributed them, both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their offices in their service.
4 And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar, and thus were they divided. Among the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen chief men of the house of their fathers, and eight among the sons of Ithamar according to the house of their fathers.
5 Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another; for the governors of the sanctuary, and governors of the house of God, were of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.
6 And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the scribe, one of the Levites, wrote them before the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and before the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites: one principal household being taken for Eleazar, and one taken for Ithamar.
7 Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib, the second to
Jedaiah,
8 The third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,
9 The fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin,
10 The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,
11 The ninth to Jeshuah, the tenth to Shecaniah,
12 The eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,
13 The thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,
14 The fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,
15 The seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Aphses,
16 The nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezekel,
17 The one and twentieth to Jachin, the two and twentieth to
Gamul,
18 The three and twentieth to Delaiah, the four and twentieth
to Maaziah.
19 These were the orderings of them in their service to come
into the house of the LORD, according to their manner, under Aaron their
father, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him.
"Abia" or
"Abijah" was the EIGHTH course. According to the Jewish historian
Josephus, each one of these courses served at the Temple for one week, the
first course serving the first week of Nisan, in the spring (compare I Chron.
27:1-2),
27:2 Over the first course for the first month was Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.
The course of Abijah, then, would have served the
eighth week in the rotation. The eighth week from Nisan 1, leaving out the week
of Passover, when all the priests served, would have been IYAR 27 TO SIVAN 5,
the day just before Pentecost , which generally fell on Sivan 6.
(Names of Hebrew months: Nisan, Iyar, etc.)
After serving a week in the Temple, Zacharias would
have remained another week in Jerusalem, because of the Feast of Shavuot or
Pentecost that week. Therefore, he returned home shortly after this, and his
wife then conceived. This would have been about the middle of June. If we add
nine months to this date, the normal time for the gestation of a human baby in
the womb, John the Baptist would have been born about the middle of March, in
the spring, shortly before the Passover.
The Messiah was conceived about six months after John
Luke 1:24-31, esp. verse 26
24 And after
those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
25 Thus hath
the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away
my reproach among men.
26 And in the
sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named
Nazareth,
27 To a virgin
espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the
virgin's name was Mary.
28 And the
angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured,
the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when
she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what
manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the
angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And,
behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call
his name JESUS.
This would suggest that the Messiah was conceived
about the middle of December. This would place his birth nine months, or 270
days, later -- or the month of September!
Then who WAS Born on
December 25 ?
If the Messiah was not born on December 25, who was?
In other words, whose birthday is the whole "Christian world" really
celebrating on December 25, though they call it the birth of
"Christ"? Or, to put it another way, what "Christ" are they
talking about?
The word "Christ," remember, is merely the
translation of the Greek word Christos, which literally means "Anointed
one" -- it comes from the Hebrew word Moshiach, from whence we get the
word "Messiah." So what "anointed one" was born on December
25?
Let us do some careful detective work, and see if we
can solve the mystery -- the puzzle of why the whole world observes the
birthday of the Messiah on a day on which he was not even remotely born.
"Yet there was also another
pagan belief during this same epoch, that much more nearly competed with Christ
for the control of the Western world. This was the cult of the Sun, which was
revered by millions of the inhabitants of the Roman Empire, and its religion
for a time even became the state worship....
"In Rome, the divinity of the Sun came very
early on; and then, centuries afterwards, in the superb dome of Hadrian's
Pantheon, the central opening, surrounded by star-like rosettes, represented
the solar orb....Before long, the emperor Aurelian established a massive temple
of the Unconquerable Sun as the central and focal point of the entire religious
system of the state (274).
The birthday of the god was to be on
DECEMBER 25, AND THIS, TRANSFORMED INTO CHRISTMAS DAY, WAS ONE OF THE HERITAGES
THAT CHRISTIANITY OWED TO HIS CULT" (p. 391- 392, emphasis mine).
Notice! Christianity took over the birthday of the
sun god, the cult of the sun, and transformed it into CHRISTMAS DAY, the
"birthday" of the Messiah! It was in reality the birth day of the
pagan sun god, worshipped by millions throughout the Roman Empire!
Let us read more about the profound "plot"
to turn paganism into "Christianity" in a book by historian Jack
Finegan, Myth & Mystery: An Introduction to the Pagan Religions of
the Biblical World. Finegan writes:
"...But the worship of the
sun-god continued widely throughout the empire, and under Aurelian (A.D.
270-275) the cult was restored to its former high estate.
In the year 274 Aurelian declared
the god -- now called Deus Sol Invictus -- the official deity of the Roman
Empire; he built a splendid temple of the sun in Rome...and set the sun's
birthday celebration (naturalis solis invicti) ON DECEMBER 25, the date then
accepted for the winter solstice (also in his solar character the BIRTHDAY OF
MITHRAS).
In the time of Constantine the cult
of Deus Sol Invictus was still at its height, and the portrait of the sun-god
was on the coins of Constantine....
This date appears in a list of dates
probably compiled in A.D. 336 and published in the Roman city calendar, edited
by Filocalus, for the year 354" (Finegan, p. 211-212, emphasis mine).
Is the picture staring to come together now?
This was in the fourth century AFTER the Messiah! At this time, the Church
moved to incorporate the birthday of the sun god into the so-called
"Christian" calendar, and converted his "birth day" into
the birthday of THE MESSIAH himself!
That which was distinctly and definitely pagan
now was "baptized," and by some act of "magic" was
transformed into something "Christian"! At least, to the observer, it
appeared to be "Christian." It was now called "Christian."
But in truth, it still had a pagan heart and core!
The Influence of
Constantine
When Constantine became Emperor of Rome, he nominally
at least became a "Christian." But being the head of a far-flung
political Empire, he was concerned about the unity and coherence and stability
of his Empire. As a sagacious politician, he sought to reconcile and blend and
mesh pagan practices with "Christian" beliefs, to merge paganism with
the Roman church. Constantine promulgated the "Edict of Toleration"
in A.D. 313. He became emperor in A.D. 323, and "then Christianity was
enthroned" (Jesse Lyman Hurlbut, The Story of the Christian Church,
p. 74). From this time, for the next two hundred years, all persecutions of
Christians of the Roman church, and its adherents, ceased. The sword of
persecution was "not merely sheathed; it was buried" (ibid.,
p. 75).
But Jesse Hurlbut laments the results of
Constantine's making Christianity the state religion, free from all
persecution. From that time, he points out, the church became totally subverted
by politics and self-seeking opportunists.
"...the establishment of Christianity as the state
religion became a CURSE.
"Everybody sought membership in
the church, and nearly everybody was received. Both good and bad, sincere
seekers after God and hypocritical seekers after gain, rushed into the
communion. Ambitious, worldly, unscrupulous men sought office in the church for
social and political influence....
“The services of worship increased
in splendor, but were less spiritual and hearty than those of former times. So
the forms and ceremonies of PAGANISM GRADUALLY CREPT INTO THE WORSHIP. THE OLD
HEATHEN FEASTS BECAME CHURCH FESTIVALS WITH CHANGE OF NAME AND OF WORSHIP"
(Hurlbut, The Story of the Christian Church, p. 79, emphasis
mine).
How did it
happen?
Something strange and weird was going on!
Will Durant, renowned historian, in his massive work The
Story of Civilization, wrote in volume III, entitled Caesar and
Christ, that in the new "church" that developed in the Roman
Empire, the Jewishness of Messiah was lost or rejected, and replaced with Greek
philosophy and thought; the "Law" of the Jews was rejected, and, he
writes,
"...the God Christ was
assimilated to the religious and philosophical traditions of the Hellenistic
mind. Now the PAGAN WORLD -- even the anti-Semitic world -- could accept him as
its own.
"CHRISTIANITY DID NOT
DESTROY PAGANISM; IT ADOPTED IT.” The Greek mind, dying, came to a
transmigrated life in the theology and liturgy of the Church...the Greek
mysteries passed down into the impressive mystery of the Mass. Other PAGAN
cultures contributed to the syncrestic result.
From Egypt came the idea of a divine
trinity...from Egypt the adoration of the Mother and Child...From Phrygia came
the worship of the Great Mother....The Mithraic ritual so closely resembled the
eucharistic sacrifice of the Mass that Christian fathers charged the Devil with
inventing these similarities to mislead frail minds. Christianity was the last
great creation of the ancient PAGAN world" (p. 595).
These historical observations ought to make us sit up
and take notice! The 'Christianity" (Organized religion) that we see
around us in the world today is but a "spin-off" of this ancient
syncretism or 'blending" and "merging" of PAGANISM into the
professed Church of the Messiah, which had lapsed into political apostasy,
profligacy and impurity.
The descendants of the once chaste and pure virgin of
the Messiah, the New Testament Church, had seemingly become, for all intends
and purposes, the religious WHORE of Babylon -- a bejeweled and bedecked and
bedeviled slut and trollop, a "shady lady," a spiritual PROSTITUTE!
"Paganism" was not
defeated by the Church. It invaded the church, infiltrated it, and seduced it
from within!
The professing Christian Church became the "new
face of paganism"! Only the "names" were changed. And in some
cases -- as in "Easter" Sunday -- even the old pagan names were left in
place!
H. G. Wells, in his Outline of History,
discusses the transformation of the teachings of the Messiah into the pagan
worship of the heathen, calling itself "Christian." He notes:
"The observance of the Jewish
Sabbath, again, TRANSFERRED TO THE MITHRAIC SUN-DAY, is an important feature of
many Christian cults...He [Jesus] did not say a word about the worship of his
mother Mary in the guise of ISIS, THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN. Much that is most
characteristically Christian [so-called] in worship and usage, he ignored.
Skeptical writers have had the temerity to deny that Jesus can be called a
Christian at all" (p. 445, emphasis mine.)
How did this happen?
How did Mithraism, with its December 25 worship, and
Sun-day worship, contribute these prominent "holidays" to the
established "Christian" Church?
How did paganism overtake, overcome, and subdue, the
original teachings of the Church of the Messiah, and his apostles, and replace
Biblical holy days with pagan "holy days"?
Should all true Christians be concerned about this
historic truth -- this reality? Doesn't it really matter?
What should these facts mean to us, today, who seek
to obey the Most High God, and follow the Messiah of the Bible, who seek to be
TRUE followers of the Word of GOD?
The Seduction of the
Church
Worldbook Encyclopedia, "The exact date of Christ's
birth is not known. The early Christians did NOT celebrate His birth, because
they considered the celebration of anyone's birth to be a pagan custom.
The first mention of the observance of Christ's birthday
appears about A.D. 200. For many years, several dates were used. December 25
was first mentioned in 336" (article "Christmas").
This common reference work acknowledges, "For
many years, people observed Christmas as a religious festival only. But they
GRADUALLY ADOPTED MORE AND MORE CUSTOMS UNRELATED TO THE CHURCH.
Most of the customs originated in cultures that
existed before Christianity....In 1643, the Puritans, who regarded such
celebrations as pagan, outlawed the observance of Christmas in England."
Colonists in New England followed the English laws and also outlawed Christmas.
But immigrants to the New World brought Christmas customs from many lands and
the old festivities where soon restored.
All of the popular customs and traditions surrounding
Christmas actually were celebrated at pagan mid-winter festivals thousands of
years before the Messiah was born.
Worldbook Encyclopedia,"The custom of
burning the Yule log began with the ancient Scandinavians, who once a year
burned a huge log in honor of their god Thor. After the Scandinavians became
Christians [sic], they made the Yule log an important part of their Christmas
ceremonies."
Where Did the Christmas Tree Come From?
One of the most pervasive customs of Christmas,
today, is the bringing home and decorating of a "Christmas tree."
Where did this custom come from?
Coffin in The Book of Christmas Folklore
tells us:
"Most people have heard that
the Christmas tree originates in the tannenbaum and is some sort of vestige of
Teutonic vegetation worship. THIS IS PARTIALLY TRUE. However, the custom of
using pine and other evergreens ceremonially was well established at the ROMAN
SATURNALIA, even earlier in Egypt" (p. 209).
Writes Alexander Hislop in The Two Babylons,
"The Christmas tree, now so
common among us, was equally common in Pagan Rome and Pagan Egypt.
In Egypt that tree was the palm
tree; in Rome it was the fir; the palm tree denoting the Pagan Messiah, as
Baal-Tamar, the fir referring to him as Baal-Berith.
The mother of Adonis, the Sun-God
and great mediatorial divinity, was mystically said to have been changed into a
tree, and when in that state to have brought forth her divine son. If the
mother was a tree, the son must have been recognized as the 'Man the branch.'
And this entirely accounts for the putting of the Yule Log into the fire on
Christmas Eve, and the appearance of the Christmas tree the next morning"
(page 97).
Tree worship was very common among the ancients. Says Festivals,
Holy Days, and Saints' Days,
"The Christmas
tree...recapitulates the idea of tree worship...gilded nuts and balls
symbolizing the sun...all the festivities of the [heathen] winter solstice have
been absorbed into Christmas Day...the use of holly and mistletoe to the
Druidic ceremonies; the Christmas tree to the honors paid to Odin's sacred
fir...." (p. 236).
Writes Collins in Christmas Folklore:
"This idea of decorating homes
on holidays is both worldwide and age-old....So the Saturnalian laurel, the
Teutonic holly, the Celtic mistletoe, and the Mexican poinsettia have all
attached themselves to this polyglot ceremony...
"Many of the plants used at Christmas are SYMBOLS OF FERTILITY. Certainly any evergreen (fir, yew, laurel) with its ability to return verdure in the barrens months is appropriate, but by far the most interesting are the holly, the ivy, and the mistletoe.
Holly, with its pricking
leaves, white flowers, and red berries symbolizes the male reproductive urge.
In fact, in the English carols...the holly is the male and the ivy is the
female. This use of the plants was most likely BORROWED by the Christians along
with other customs of the ROMAN SATURNALIA" (p. 22-23).
Ivy, holly's mate, in ancient Grecian
rites took its name from the girl who danced with such abandon and joy before
Dionysius that she fell dead at his feet.
The pagan god, moved by her dance,
turned her into the ivy that she might entwine whatever is near. Dionysius, of
course, was the Greek version of the god of wine and revelry, another form of
Bacchus, Tammuz, or Nimrod!
Mistletoe, since the earliest of times, has
been regarded as mysterious and sacred, the symbol of the sun, bestower of
life, an aphrodisiac, and protector against disease and poison. The plant was
especially sacred to the Celtic Druids who offered it in prayer to the gods.
The mistletoe was referred to by pagans as the
"golden bough." The two great holidays when the pagans gathered
mistletoe were Midsummer Day, the summer solstice, and December 25, the winter
solstice.
It was supposed to posses the power of revealing
treasures in the earth, and was formed into a "divining rod." It was
also looked upon as the "seat of life" of the sacred oak, and as an
emanation of the sun's fire.
Kissing under the mistletoe is a survival of
Saturnalian sexual licentiousness and bawdy immoral behavior, which was
commonplace at the Saturnalia.
What about Dear Old
"Santa Claus"?
Even Santa Claus has a not-so-benign origin! This fat
and jolly elf can be traced back to another ancient pagan Norse legend!
Worldbook Encyclopedia,
"Some of Santa Claus's
characteristics date back many centuries. For example, the belief that Santa
enters the house through the chimney developed from an old Norse legend. The
Norse believed that the goddess Hertha appeared in the fireplace and brought
good luck to the home."
Although most people assume that the original
"Santa Claus" was a bishop by the name of St. Nicholas of Asia Minor
of the fourth century, this is not really true.
Although some of this bishop's deeds later came to be
associated with "St. Nick," the original "Nicholas" was
once again Nimrod, the "mighty one against the Lord."
The word "Nicholas" means
"mighty one, powerful." Traditions of a "god" who gave
gifts under an evergreen tree antecede the Asian Minor bishop by thousands of
years! Among the Scandinavians it was the god Odin or Woden who left special
gifts during the Yuletide season under the evergreen tree, his sacred tree!
Tony van Renterghem writes in When Santa Was a
Shaman: The Ancient Origins of Santa Claus & the Christmas Tree:
"In newly Christianized areas
where the pagan Celtic and Germanic cults remained strong, legends of the god
Wodan were blended with those of various Christian saints; Saint Nicholas was
one of these.
There were Christian areas where
Saint Nicholas ruled alone; in other locations, he was assisted by the pagan
Dark Helper (the slave he had inherited from the pagan god Wodan). In other
remote areas...ancient pockets of the Olde Religion controlled traditions. Here
the Dark Helper ruled alone, sometimes in a most confusing manner, using the
cover name of Saint Nicholas or 'Klaus,' without in any way changing his
threatening, Herne/Pan, fur-clad appearance. (This was the figure later used by
the artist Nast as the model for the early American Santa Claus)" (page
96).
The Catholic Saint Nicholas also had a confusing
past. Says van Renterghem, "He was a compilation of two separate saints
(one from Myra in Asia Minor, the other from Pinora), both of whom were -- as
the Church nowadays admits -- nothing more than Christianized water deities
(possibly related to the Greco-Roman god Poseidon/Neptune)" (ibid.)
In the 1970s, the Second Vatican Council formally stated that no Roman Catholic
bishop by the name of Nicholas had ever existed! Vatican II further confessed
that the legends attributed to this "saint" had no Christian origin,
and probably came from pagan traditions!
Says van Renterghem, further:
"By absorbing such PAGAN FEASTS
AND TRADITIONS, the Christian Church could subtly bring in its own theology: in
this case, establishing the good Saint Nicholas, bringer of love and gifts,
while grudgingly allowing the presence of the Olde Religion's Herne/Pan, but
only as a slave to Saint Nicholas.
"In Holland and several other
European countries, the Saint Nicholas figure is still highly esteemed. He
appears as a tall, dignified, bearded, white-haired old man, dressed as a
Catholic bishop, complete with cloak, mitre, and pastoral staff, a seemingly
genuine Catholic saint, but with a bizarre, quite unsaintly habit of riding
through the skies on a white horse, followed by his Dark Helper.
It seems that our Catholic saint
inherited some of these customs from the pagan god Wodan, who had also been a
BEARDED, WHITE-HAIRED OLD MAN, also dressed in a hat and cloak, carried a staff
(or spear), rode a white horse, and dragged along the same dark slave/helper on
a chain" (p. 97).
So much for old "Santa Claus"! This
mythological figure, also, is pagan to the core!
The Dutch "Sinterklaas" brings gifts to
good children, while bad children are harrassed by the "Dark Helper,"
called Zwarte Pier, or "Black Pete," who brandishes a broom-like rod.
Like Santa Claus, Sinterklaas also had the habit of
entering homes through the chimney! His helper, "Black Pete," is
today, still horned, fur-clad, scary, and less than kind to children. Although
portrayed as the slave helper of Saint Nicholas, the two are, in many villages,
blended into one character, who often has the name Nikolaas or Klaus. Thus
"Santa Claus" is blended with, and is none other than, that old enemy
of mankind, Satan the devil!
"In Germany, Saint Nicholas'
Dark Helper is a swarthy, horned, frightening little man, always brandishing
the besom [broom].
Who was this Odin, or Woden, the original "Santa
Claus"? He was the chief god of Norse mythology, a fierce fighter who
carried a spear as his special weapon. He was renown as a mighty hunter, and
for his magical powers. This same author declares, further, of the connection
between Odin/Wodan and Saint Nicholas:
"Wodan/Odin: ...man's friend,
the mysterious Schimmel rider. Dragging his dark and devilish slave Eckhart
along on a chain, he rides through the stormy skies. He leads the Wild Hunt,
eluding, and finally subjugating, the powers of evil. He also wears a
broad-brimmed hat, a wide mantel, holds his spear, and rides through the skies
(replace his hat with a bishop's mytre and the spear with a crozier, and we
have the Dutch Saint Nicholas)" (p. 111).
In other words, Odin was another name for Nimrod,
who, the Bible says, was "the mighty hunter before [the Hebrew word for
"before" also means "against"] the LORD" (Genesis
10:9). Nimrod's reputation as a mighty hunter was widespread.
Says Alexander Hislop, "The Wodan or Odin of
Scandinavia can be proved to be the Adon of Babylon" (The Two
Babylons, p. 133-134).
Nimrod, Adon, or Adonis, of Babylon was the great
"war-god." Odin was the same. Nimrod, in the character of Bacchus,
was the god of wine. Odin was said to partake of no other food but wine. The
name of one of Odin's sons, Balder, indicates the meaning of Odin's own name.
Balder is a form of the Chaldee Baal-zer, "The seed of Baal." The
Hebrew "z" in the later Chaldee frequently became a "d."
Baal and Adon both signify "Lord." Since Balder is the "son of
Baal," as well as the "son of Adon," or "Odin," then
Baal, Adon, and Odin must be the same person -- representative of Nimrod, the
first human to be deified and proclaimed by the pagans as a "god"
after the Deluge!
"Santa Claus," then, is not so innocent and
cherubic a figure after all!
Why do parents take their young children, sit them on
"Santa's lap," and insist on teaching them Santa Claus myths?
The word "Santa," rearranged, spells
"S-A-T-A-N," and "Claus" is reminiscent of
"Claws" -- in other words, "SATAN'S CLAWS"! Do you want
Satan, the arch-enemy of mankind, to get his "claws" into your children?
By teaching them Santa Claus myths, and taking them
to "Christmas parties," with "Santa Claus" handing out
"gifts," you are subtly teaching your children to worship Satan the
devil, the great impostor!
The True Origin of
"Christmas"
It is indeed strange that a day never mentioned or
sanctioned in the Bible should become the chief so-called "Christian"
holiday of the entire year -- a day never celebrated by the Messiah, or his
apostles, or the early New Testament Ecclesia of the Most High God!
What is the actual
origin of the celebration of December 25?
A careful look at the word "Christmas"
itself ought to tell us something. Notice! It itself is a mixture. Though it
includes the name of Christ, it also mentions the "mass." Where did
the "mass" -- with its rituals, elaborate ceremony, pagan prayers for
the dead, transubstantiation rites, etc. -- come from?
Alexander Hislop in his remarkable book The Two
Babylons, points out that the "mass" is something that
definitely goes back to ancient PAGAN customs and rites! He declares in plain
and clear language:
"Therefore we find the women of
Judah represented as simply 'burning incense, pouring out drink-offerings, and
offering CAKES to the queen of heaven' (Jer. 44:19).
The cakes were the 'unbloody sacrifice'
she required....In the FOURTH CENTURY, when the queen of heaven, under the name
of Mary, was beginning to be worshipped in the Christian Church, this 'unbloody
sacrifice' also was brought in.
Epiphanius states that the practice
of offering and eating it began among `women of Arabia; and at that time it was
well known to have been ADOPTED FROM THE PAGANS. The very shape of the unbloody
sacrifice of Rome may indicate when it came. It is a small thin, round wafer;
and on its roundness the Church of Rome lays so much stress....The importance,
however, which Rome attaches to the roundness of the wafer, must have a reason;
and that reason will be found, if we look at the altars of EGYPT.
'The thin, round cake,' says Wilkinson, 'occurs on all altars.' Almost
every jot or tittle in the Egyptian worship had a symbolical meaning. The round
disk, so frequent in the sacred emblems of Egypt, symbolized the sun" (The
Two Babylons, p. 159-160).
The "sun-god" in ancient Egypt was Osiris.
The round disk of the Egyptian "mass" symbolized the sun, and was an
offering symbolizing the sun-god. He was considered the life and nourishment of
the souls of men!
The "Christ-mass" therefore is nothing more
than the celebration of the birth of the "sun-god" himself, the False
Messiah, the False "Saviour" of the world, and the "mass"
itself also represents the offering or "cakes" made to the queen of
heaven, the "Mother" of the pagan Saviour, the "unbloody
sacrifice"! Again, "Christ-mass" is proved to be PAGAN to the
core!
It is a fact that December 25 was celebrated for
thousands of years before the birth of the Messiah as the birth day of an
ancient pagan god -- THE SUN GOD! Alexander Hislop points out the truth in
these shocking words:
"Indeed, it is admitted by the
most learned and candid writers of all parties that the day of our Lord's birth
cannot be determined, and that within the Christian Church no such festival as
Christmas was ever heard of till the third century, and that not till the
fourth century was far advanced did it gain much observance.
How, then, did the Romish Church fix
on December the 25th as Christmas-day? Why, thus: Long before the fourth
century, and long before the Christian era itself, a festival was celebrated
among the heathen, at that precise time of the year, in honour of the birth of
the son of the Babylonian queen of heaven; and it may fairly be presumed that,
in order to conciliate the heathen, and to swell the number of the nominal
adherents of Christianity, the SAME FESTIVAL WAS ADOPTED by the Roman Church,
giving it only the name of Christ.
This tendency on the part of Christians to
MEET PAGANISM HALF-WAY was very early developed....Upright men strove to stem
the tide, but in spite of all their efforts, the apostasy went on, till the
Church, with the exception of a small remnant, was submerged under Pagan
superstition" (p. 93).
Hislop goes on,
"That Christmas was originally
a Pagan festival, is beyond all doubt.
The time of the year, and the ceremonies
with which it is still celebrated, prove its origin. In Egypt, the son of Isis,
the Egyptian title for the queen of heaven, was born at this very time, 'about
the time of the winter solstice.' The very name by which Christmas is popularly
known among ourselves -- Yule-day -- proves at once its Pagan and Babylonian
origin. 'Yule' is the Chaldee name for an 'infant' or 'little child;' and as
the 25th of December was called by our Pagan Anglo- Saxon ancestors,
'Yule-day,' or the "Child's day,' and the night that preceded it,
'Mother-night,' long BEFORE they came in contact with Christianity, that
sufficiently proves its real character" (pp. 93-94).
December 25th was observed far and wide among the
ancient world. This day was "The birth-day of the unconquered Sun."
The Yule log represented the dead stock of the slain Nimrod, arch-apostate
rebel against the Lord after the flood (see Genesis 10:8-10), and the
Christmas-tree was supposedly Nimrod reborn -- the slain god come to life
again!
In Europe, the Saxons offered a boar in sacrifice to
the sun, to propitiate the queen of heaven on Christmas day. The boar, in pagan
mythology, was supposed to have slain the false pagan Messiah. The boar was
also a major article of the feast of Saturn at Rome. The boar's head is still a
standing dish in England at Christmas dinner.
Says Hislop: "There can be no doubt, then, that
the Pagan festival at the winter solstice -- in other words, Christmas -- was
held in honor of the birth of the Babylonian Messiah" (p. 102).
The largest pagan religious cult which fostered sun
worship in the Greek and Roman worlds on December 25 was the cult of Mithraism.
They called it "the Nativity of the Sun." Mithras, the sun-god, was
supposed to have been born at this time, but so were Osiris, Horus, Tammuz,
Hercules, Bacchus, Adonis, Jupiter -- all the pagan Messiahs!
 |
| Bachus Greek wine god |
 |
| Mithras |
 |
| jupiter |
 |
| tammuz |
 |
| Adonis |
 |
| Hercules |
This fact alone would seem to indicate that all these
pagan sun-gods and deities trace their roots back to the original sun-god of
ancient Babylon -- Nimrod!
This popular winter festival became such an
established custom that in pagan Rome and Greece, Egypt, and throughout Europe,
the period of the winter solstice was a time of great revelry and festivity. In
Rome it became known as the "Saturnalia," in honor of the god Saturn,
"the hidden one."
Saturn was another name for Nimrod, who late in his
apostasy went into hiding from Shem, the son of Noah. The "feast of
Saturn," Hislop adds, "lasted five days; loose reins were given to
drunkenness and revelry, slaves had a temporary emancipation, and used all
manner of freedoms with their masters. This was precisely the way in which,
according to Berosus, the drunken festival of the month Thebeth, answering to
our December, in other words, the festival of Bacchus, was celebrated in Babylon"
(p. 96-97).
Writes T. G. Crippen in Christmas and Christmas
Lore,
"Now in December and the
beginning of January there were several festivals which were intimately
associated with the daily life of the Roman people.
First, from the 17th to the 21st
December, was the Saturnalia, the great Roman holiday....One might call it the
Feast of Topsy-turveydom; when slaves were allowed for a few days to enjoy the
semblance of freedom, were waited upon by their masters, and chose from amongst
themselves a mock king to preside over their revels.
Next, on the 22nd, came Sigillaria,
the Feast of Dolls, when a fair was held, and dolls and other toys, mostly of
earthenware, were given to children.
Then, on 25th, came Brumalia,
otherwise Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, The Birthday of the Unconquered Sun, when
the days began to lengthen after the solstice....It is believed to have been
instituted ... by the emperor Aurelian, in honour of Mithras, the Persian
sun-god..." (p. 8-9)
Clearly, the pagan customs of Christmas had nothing
remotely to do with the Messiah, or the Word of God, the Scriptures. Clearly,
they had nothing to offer to the Church of God, as they were the very
antithesis of true Christianity! Yet, somehow, this ancient pagan festival
wormed its way into the established "Christian" Church and became its
most prominent holiday of the year! What a monstrous mystery!
The Catholic Church took the excitement which
surrounded the Roman Saturnalia, with its excesses, delights, debauchery, and
wantonness, and called them the celebration of the birth of the Son of God, the
Messiah.
Most people today still think of December 25 as the
birth day of the Messiah, even though this is definitely not the case.
This pagan "bash" was transformed by the
Catholic Church into the festivities of Christmas, in honor of the Madonna and
Child. Thus the pagan Semiramis (Egyptian Isis) and Tammuz (Horus) were
"transformed," by sleight of hand, by the "magicians" of
the Roman Church, into Mary and Messiah.
In this manner, the pagan practices of the past
centuries became outwardly "Christian" in name and character! For
almost 300 years after the time of Messiah, the Church showed no concern for
the date of the Messiah's birth.
The apostles and leaders of the New Testament Church
never bothered to find out when Messiah was born, as the date was not important
to them.
It was not until the fourth century that Christmas
began to be observed by the Roman Catholic Church.
Encyclopedia
Americana:
"Christmas -- it was according
to many authorities not celebrated in the first centuries of the Christian
Church as the Christian usage in general was to celebrate the death of
remarkable persons rather than their birth. A feast was established in memory
of the birth of the Saviour in the Fourth Century. In the Fifth Century the
Western Church ordered it to be celebrated forever on the day of the old Roman
Feast of the birth of Sol."
That is how an ancient PAGAN CUSTOM became engrafted
upon the unsuspected Christian world! But should true followers of the Messiah,
participate in ANCIENT PAGAN CUSTOMS? Should true Christians celebrate
"Christmas"?
The Puritans, who were Christians attempting to
reform the Church during the 1600's, did not believe Christmas should be
observed. This "baptism" of pagan rites and festivals by the Roman
Catholic and the vast majority of the Protestant Churches, was totally rejected
by the Puritans. One of them, William Prynne, during the time of king Charles
I, wrote:
"Our Christmas lords of
Misrule, together with dancing, masques, mummeries, stage-players, and such
other Christmas disorders, now in use with Christians, were derived from these
Roman Saturnalia and Bacchanalian festivals; which should cause all pious
Christians eternally to abominate them" (The Book of Christmas
Folklore, p. 8)
Because of his attitude toward Christmas and pagan
rituals still observed by the professing Christian Church, William Prynne was
placed in a pillory and his ears were cut off.
Should Christians
Observe "Christmas"?
Should Christians today celebrate this ancient
festival? Many today may think it is all right, but the opinions of men are not
our standard or authority.
What does the Word of God itself say about this
matter? It is a very serious question.
Is it all right in the sight of God for men to take
pagan customs and traditions, and to observe them, calling them
"Christian"?
Is it all right to merge and combine PAGAN practices
with the truth of the Most High God?
According to the prophet Malachi, God does not
change. His laws and commandments are eternal.
Psa. 111:7-8
7 The works of his hands are verity
and judgment; all his commandments are sure.
8 They stand fast for ever and
ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.
Does God say it is all right to observe the
traditions and customs of the pagans?
God commanded ancient Israel,
Lev. 18:2-4
"I am the Lord your God. You must NOT DO
AS THEY DO IN EGYPT, where you used to live, and you must NOT DO AS THEY DO IN
THE LAND OF CANAAN, where I am bringing you. DO NOT FOLLOW THEIR PRACTICES. You
must obey my laws, and be careful to follow my decrees."
God hates idolatry! He
detests it with vehement passion. He tells us,
Deut. 12:29-31
"...Be careful not to be ensnared by
inquiring about their gods, saying, 'How do these nations serve their gods? We
will do the same.' YOU must NOT WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD IN THEIR WAY, because
in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of DETESTABLE THINGS the LORD
HATES"
Because of pagan idolatrous practices, God cast the
Canaanites out of the Promised Land. They were worshipers of Baal, or Nimrod,
Tammuz, the sun god, the pagan Messiah, the god of wine and revelry.
They worshiped the evergreen tree, and used it as a
symbol of their god. They observed December 25, in worship of the waning sun,
and their sun-god divinity. This whole religious system stemmed from ancient
Babylon, the fount of all heresy and apostasy.
Their sensuality and gross lasciviousness was
particularly displayed during the mid-winter festival, called the Saturnalia in
Rome, with gift-giving, drunkenness, and sexual licentiousness. God says of
such Bacchanalial rites,
Lev. 18:24-30
24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things; for in
all these the nations are defiled, which I cast out from before you.
25 And the land was defiled, therefore I did visit the
iniquity thereof upon it, and the land vomited out her inhabitants.
26 Ye therefore shall keep My statutes and Mine ordinances,
and shall not do any of these abominations; neither the home-born, nor the
stranger that sojourneth among you--
27 for all these abominations have the men of the land done,
that were before you, and the land is defiled—
28 that the land vomit not you out also, when ye defile it,
as it vomited out the nation that was before you.
29 For whosoever shall do any of these abominations, even the
souls that do them shall be cut off from among their people.
30 Therefore shall ye keep My charge, that ye do not any of
these abominable customs, which were done before you, and that ye defile not
yourselves therein: I am Yahuah your God.
Even such
idolatrous items as the "Christmas tree" are condemned in the Word of
God! Jeremiah the prophet wrote,
Jer. 10:1-5
10:1 Hear ye the word which Yahuah speaketh unto you, O house
of Israel:
10:2 Thus saith Yahuah, Learn not the way of the heathen, and
be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
10:3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth
a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
10:4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they
fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
10:5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they
must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they
cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
Truly, the whole world has been deceived by Satan the
devil and his clever masquerades and crafty schemes.
Rev. 12:9
And the
great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which
deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were
cast out with him.
Ezek.
20:30-39
30
Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye
polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their
abominations?
32 And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.
33 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:
34 And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.
35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.
36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD.
37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:
38 And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.
The very name "Christmas," combining the
holy name of Christ with the pagan mass, POLLUTES and PROFANES GOD's holy name!
The celebration of these ancient pagan festivals,
calling them "Christian," is an abomination in the sight of God!
God will not accept such pagan, superstitious
worship!
The Messiah said to his disciples,
John 8:31,32
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on
him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples
indeed;
32 And ye shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Free from the shackles of error,
superstition, mythology, and pagan deception!
Christmas is pagan. There is no doubt about it. The
question is: Are you going to continue observing this pagan ritual or realize
we have all been deceived by satan and turn from this evil and follow what our
Father Yahuah has told us to do.
May God help you to make the right decision, so you
can inherit eternal life, and reign with the saints forever (Rev. 2:26-27;
5:10; 20:4)
