Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to a tree. I would say a Christmas tree as it seems seasonal and appropriate but then someone would complain that the word "Christmas" is exclusionary, just like if I was to state with absolute certainty that the roots of Christmas are Christian. It is one thing if people include reindeer or "Jingle Bells" in their celebrations, it is something else if people deny Christmas' roots or its existence. Imagine the outcry if someone tried to tack on Christian or Muslim overtones to Buddha's birthday, or if someone railed against the prevailing culture just because of Dewali. Such things are absurd. I personally think it is a sign of cultural, social and mental immaturity to do such things.
So if Christmas is some generic winter holiday, what are its roots? What does it mean? I don't want to hear it's about presents and family and egg nog and throwing up in front of the Christmas tree or whatever. Those are things you see or do at Christmas. What does it mean?
The best answer will win you...some fresh air...in Barbados!
(CAVEAT: offer will not be honoured)
4 comments:
Few people realize that the origins of a form of Christmas was pagan & celebrated in Europe long before anyone there had heard of Jesus Christ.
In Rome, the Winter Solstice was celebrated many years before the birth of Christ. Many traditions that we now consider part of Christian worship were begun long before the participants had ever heard of Christ. The pagans of northern Europe celebrated the their own winter solstice, known as Yule. Yule was symbolic of the pagan Sun God, Mithras, being born, and was observed on the shortest day of the year.
Huge Yule logs were burned in honor of the sun. The word Yule itself means “wheel,” the wheel being a pagan symbol for the sun. 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.
In 350, 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 bit easier, knowing that their feasts would not be taken away from them.
And that's all I know.
The same could be said of some other holidays and even customs. Don't forget that some things are merely coincidental. For example, pagans saw the circle as a sign of eternity. That just seems common sense to pagans and non-pagans alike. For the Pope to set aside a day for Christmas, which coincidentally was close to a Roman holiday, was more out of practicality. What is important is that many Roman(and non-Roman) pagans dismissed their pagan traditions and embraced their new-found faith freely - of their own volition. Why? This is something they know in their own heart and soul.
It's clear that many pagans were disillusioned with their beliefs and latched on to Christianity because it valued love, forgiveness and equality. Recall the hollow sacrifices many Romans and Druids made. To set aside a day for Christmas, as the Pope did, was to make Christ the centre of our existence(He does the same of us) rather than gods and/or us. Today these gods are consumerism and celebrities. We have turned our attention away from the true meaning of Christmas. What greater gift can there be that God became man to live with us, to share our joys and sorrows. If this is meaningful for you as a Christian, great. If this is meaningful for you as a non-Christian, super. If this is not at all meaningful for you, than atleast accept the truth of it rather than expunge it. Religious holidays of all kinds make for a colourful world.
In other mews, haven't been here for a while. Nice blog. I think egg nog vomit is colourful too. MEW!
your sis signed this previous post. mew
Post a Comment