Recently an adapted Peanuts cartoon has been showing up on Facebook and various other internet sites. It is captioned “What is Christmas all about?” Most of us have some idea don’t we? We have heard all of our lives that it is the birthday of the key figure in Christianity, the one called Jesus Christ. But, is that true? What does a fat man in a red suit and eight reindeer have to do with the one called Jesus? Or, if it is His birthday why do people exchange presents with one another and ignore Him? Before we address these questions and more let me share, by permission, the afore mentioned cartoon with you.
Let us take a look at some of the assertions made by the author of this cartoon, and by many other authors. One man, Richard M. Rives, has written an entire book documenting how rebellious men, refusing to recognize the true GOD, have chosen the sun as an object of worship. His book is entitled “Too Long In The Sun.” I’d like to quote his first paragraph from chapter one of this book. “While there seem to be hints in antiquity of the knowledge of the God of the Bible, there is one thing that is sure; history reveals that the sun has played an important role in the pantheon of all known civilizations. The purpose of this documentation is to chart the progression of sun worship from antiquity through the present and to consider its influence upon Christianity.”
The first statement made in the above cartoon, and which is substantiated by numerous books and articles, is that December 25th is associated with the birth of many pagan gods. Let us look at some quotations.
This first quote is taken from an article posted on the internet on a website called “Unexplained Mysteries of the World.”
“Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25th? Most people assume that it has always been a Christian holiday and that it is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. But it turns out that Jesus was not born on December 25th. However, a whole bunch of pagan gods were born on that day. In fact, pagans celebrated a festival involving a heroic supernatural figure that visits an evergreen tree and leaves gifts on December 25th long before Jesus was ever born. From its early Babylonian roots, the celebration of the birth or "rebirth" of the sun god on December 25th came to be celebrated under various names all over the ancient world. You see, the winter solstice occurs a few days before December 25th each year. The winter solstice is the day of the year when daylight is the shortest. In ancient times, December 25th was the day each year when the day started to become noticeably longer. Thus it was fitting for the early pagans to designate December 25th as the date of the birth or the ‘rebirth’ of the sun.”
In a classic book, first printed in 1916, entitled “The Two Babylons,” Alexander Hislop gives us much of the Babylonian origins of Christmas. Here is a portion quoted from page 93 of this book.
"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 honor 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 halfway was very early developed; and we find Tertullian, even in his day, about the year 230, bitterly lamenting the inconsistency of the disciples of Christ in this respect, and contrasting it with the strict fidelity of the Pagans to their own superstition.”
Further down the page Hislop goes on to say, “That Christmas was originally a Pagan festival, is beyond all doubt. The time of 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’ (Wilkinson’s Egyptians, vol. iv. p. 405) The very name by which Christmas is popularly called 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.”
Here are just a few of the pagan gods that had “birthdays” on December 25th.
Note a statement taken from the Catholic Encyclopedia article “Mithraism.” “The 25 December was observed as his birthday, the natalis invici, the rebirth of the winter-sun, unconquered by the rigours of the season.”
From the Encyclopedia Britannica: “The traditional customs connected with Christmas have developed from several sources as a result of the coincidence of the celebration of the birth of Christ with the pagan agricultural and solar observations at midwinter. In the Roman world the Saturnalia (December 17) was a time of merrymaking and exchange of gifts. December 25 was also regarded as the birth date of the Iranian mystery god Mithra, the Sun of Righteousness.”
Here is a quotation from Collier’s Encyclopedia. “After the triumph of Constantine, the church at Rome assigned December 25 as the date for the celebration of the feast, possibly about A.D. 320 or 353. By the end of the fourth century the whole Christian world was celebrating Christmas on that day, with the exception of the Eastern churches, where it was celebrated on January 6. The choice of December 25 was probably influenced by the fact that on this day the Romans celebrated the Mithraic feast of the Sun-god (natalis solis invicti), and that the Saturnalia also came at this time.”
The following statement is taken from an internet website: “Horus was born of the virgin Isis-Meri, Isis the Beloved, on 25 December.” www.askwhy.co.uk/christianity/0300christmas.php#horus
A couple of the above quotations mentioned the Saturnalia. Celebrated at about the same time of year was the Brumalia. Notice what the Wikipedia has to say about this festival.
“Brumalia was an ancient Roman solstice festival honoring Bacchus, generally held on 25 December and possibly related to the ancient Green Lenaia (held in honor of Dionysus). The festival included drinking and merriment. The name is derived from the Latin word bruma, meaning “shortest” or even “winter.”
What about the many “Christmas customs” such as the Christmas tree, gift giving, the yule log, and others? Let us read a few more quotations.
Again I’d like to quote a couple of sections from Alexander Hislop’s book, “The Two Babylons,” pages 97, 98 and 99.
“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.”
“Therefore, the 25th of December, the day that was observed at Rome as the day when the victorious god reappeared on earth, was held at the Natalis invicti solis, ‘The birthday of the unconquered Sun.’ Now the Yule Log is the dead stock of Nimrod, deified as the sun-god, but cut down by is enemies; the Christmas-tree is Nimrod redivivus–the slain god come to life again. In the light reflected by the above statement on customs that still linger among us, the origin of which has been lost in the midst of hoar antiquity, let the reader look at the singular practice still kept up in the South on Christmas-eve, of kissing under the mistletoe bough. That mistletoe bough in the Druidic superstition, which as we have seen, was derived from Babylon, was a representation of the Messiah, ‘The man the branch.’ The mistletoe was regarded as a divine branch–a branch that came from heaven, and grew upon a tree that sprang out of the earth. Thus by the engrafting of the celestial branch into the earthly tree, heaven and earth, that sin had severed, were joined together, and thus the mistletoe bough became the token of Divine reconciliation to man, the kiss being the well-known token of pardon and reconciliation.”
Here is a brief statement from an article accessed on the internet. “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. Mistletoe was considered a sacred plant, and the custom of kissing under the mistletoe began as a fertility ritual. Hollyberries were thought to be a food of the gods.”
http://www.essortment.com/christmas-pagan-origins-42543.html
One more brief quote from a book written by Tristram Potter Coffin, entitled “The Book of Christmas Folklore,” page 209.
“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.”
From a book entitled, “Christmas Customs and Traditions: Their History and Significance” by Clement Miles, we learn that just as the early Christians recruited Roman pagans by associating Christmas with the Saturnalia, so too worshipers of the Asheria cult and its offshoots were recruited by the Church sanctioning “Christmas Trees.” He points out that pagans had long worshiped trees in the forest, or brought them into their homes and decorated them, and this observance was adopted and painted with a Christian veneer by the Church.
We read earlier from the Encyclopedia Britannica that the Saturnalia was a time of “merrymaking and exchange of gifts.” From history we find that in pre-Christian Rome, the emperors compelled their most despised citizens to bring offerings and gifts during the time of the Saturnalia. Later, this ritual was expanded to include gift-giving among the general populace. The Catholic Church gave the custom a “Christian” flavor by re-rooting it in the supposed gift-giving of Saint Nicholas.
Saint Nicolas, was the one who over a process of time and various pagan traditions became “Santa Claus.” Just a brief history. He was born in Turkey about 270 A.D. It wasn’t until the 19th century that he was named a “saint” by the Catholic Church. In 1087 a group that idolized him moved his bones to Italy where he supplanted a “female boon-giving deity called The Grandmother.” She was supposed to have filled the children’s stockings with gifts. Once she was ousted from her shrine it became the center for the Nicolas Cult. The members of this cult gave each other gifts during a pageant they conducted annually on the anniversary of Nicolas’s death, December 6.
The cult spread north and was eventually adopted by German and Celtic pagans. These groups worshiped a whole pantheon of gods led by Woden (their chief god and the father supposedly of Thor, Baldor, and Tiw). Woden was pictured as having a long, white beard and riding a horse through the heavens. When Nicolas merged with Woden he too was pictured with the beard and mounted on a flying horse. In a move to attract pagan adherents of this Nicolas cult in Northern Europe, the Catholic Church adopted the Nicholas Cult and taught that he did (and that they should) distribute gifts on December 25 instead of December 6.
In 1809, the novelist Washington Irving, wrote a satire of Dutch culture entitled “Knickerbocker History.” Several times this satire referred to the white beared, flying-horse riding Saint Nicolas using his Dutch name, Santa Claus. After reading this work, Dr. Clement Moore, a professor at Union Seminary, published a poem based on this character in 1822, which we have all heard, “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” He created a new innovation, this Santa with eight reindeer who descended through chimneys.
From 1862 through 1886 a Bavarian illustrator, Thomas Nast, almost completed the modern picture of Santa Claus. Basing his illustrations on Moore’s poem he drew hundreds of cartoon images of Santa. Saint Nicolas had been pictured as everything from a stern looking bishop to a gnome-like figure in a frock. Nast gave him a home at the North Pole, his workshop filled with elves, etc. The only thing missing was the red suit.
In 1931 the Coca Cola Corp. contracted a Swedish commercial artist, Haddon Sunblom, to create a coke-drinking Santa. He based his Santa on a friend of his with a cheerful, chubby face. And, the corporation insisted that Santa’s fur trimmed suit be bright, Coca Cola red. And, so Santa was born–a blend of “Christian Saint,” a pagan god, and a commercial idol having absolutely nothing to do with the one called Jesus Christ.
And, we could go on and on with the pagan origins of the “Christmas Customs.” As we have looked at just a few sources it is apparent that the celebration of December 25th goes way, way back, in fact to ancient Babylon. Some of the quotations we have given bring this to our attention. If one cares to do more research he will find numerous sources recording the ancient Babylonian traditions. It is shown that Semiramis (who eventually became known as the goddess Astarte/Asherah/Ashtoreth/Isis/Ishtar/Easter in other pagan religions) claimed that after the untimely death of her son/husband Nimrod (yes, she married her own son), a full grown evergreen tree sprang up overnight from a dead stump. She claimed that Nimrod would visit that evergreen tree and leave gifts each year on the anniversary of his birth, which just happened to be on December 25th.
But, but, but, some of you may we saying, “We aren’t worshiping these pagan gods. Our worship is of Jesus Christ and we are honoring His birthday.” Friends, I have news for you. The one called Jesus Christ (whose Hebrew name is Yeshua) WAS NOT born on December 25th. Let me quote from the Worldbook Encyclopedia, article “Christmas.” “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.” This reference work goes on to say, “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.” History tells us that the colonists in New England followed the English laws and also outlawed Christmas. But, as more and more immigrants came to the New World, they brought with them the many “Christmas” customs from many lands and the old pagan festivities were soon restored.
Most of you are familiar with the story of the birth of the Savior recounted in the Gospels, often wrongly called the “Christmas story.” Perhaps you never noticed what Luke records for us in Chapter 2 and verse 8. “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” This is from the King James Version and it says “abiding in the field.” Notice a few other translations. New International Version, “...living out in the fields...” New American Standard Version, “...staying out in the field...” And, from the Amplified Bible, a paraphrase, “...living [out under the open sky] in the field...” Why do I call your attention to this? Because anyone familiar with the weather patterns in the “Holy Land” knows that shepherds NEVER kept watch over their flocks at night in the fields around Jerusalem past about mid-October, because that is when the onset of winter begins. The winter months in Palestine are cold, rainy, and intemperate. Maybe not like parts of the United States but still very miserable and unpleasant to be living out in the open. The flocks were always brought in from the fields before winter arrived. It is a pretty simple conclusion to draw that since the shepherds were still abiding in the fields at the time of the birth of our Savior, His birth must have been sometime before winter, sometime before December.
As was quoted from the Worldbook Encyclopedia above “the exact date...is not known.” There have been guesses. The DePascha Computus, an anonymous document believed to have been written in North Africa around 243 A.D., placed the birth of Jesus on March 28. Clement, a bishop of Alexandria around 215 or so A.D. thought He was born on November 18. Based on some historical records, a fellow by the name of Fitzmyer guesses His birth to be on September 11, 3 B.C.E. Based on the information that can be gleaned from the Scriptures it appears that Jesus was born in the fall. Several have postulated that He may have been born at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. But, we are not told when and we are not instructed to celebrate His birth. What we are told to notice and pay particular attention to was His death and resurrection.
But, is there any harm in enjoying the customs? What is wrong with giving gifts? And, the lights and the pageantry? Surely that can’t all be wrong can it? Is it all right to merge and combine pagan practices with the worship in truth of God? Let us look at what He has to say. He is the one that we need to please, the one whose word is to be placed above whatever we may think.
Leviticus 18:2-4, “...I am the LORD your God. After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do; and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. Ye shall do my judgements, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.” He plainly told the Israelites not to do those things the Egyptians and the Canaanites, both pagan nations, were doing in worshiping their gods.
Deuteronomy 12:29-32, “When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou suceedeth them, and dwellest in their land; Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, 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. Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD which He hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish form it.” The Creator of all the universe, our God couldn’t make it any plainer. He says, and I paraphrase, “Don’t look to see how they worship their pagan gods and decide to worship Me in that fashion! In the way they are worshiping their gods they are doing all kinds of detestable and abominable things that I hate! Some even go so far to sacrifice their own children. Just do what I command! Don’t add to or subtract from My commands.” He could have said, “Don’t attempt to worship My son by deciding to celebrate His birthday, which I never revealed to you, on the day the pagans declared to be the birthday of the sun.”
Jesus, speaking to the Samaritan women at the well, told her that true worshipers would worship God in Spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24) He wasn’t laying out a lot of rules and “things” one must do. He was just stating that worship was a spiritual activity, a way of life. But, He did say that we were to worship in truth, not in the traditions of men. Mixed worship, truth and error, is not what He desires.
Before we bring this study to an end let us turn to the writings of the Apostle Paul, in his second book to the Corinthians, chapter 6 and verses 12-17. “...what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath the Messiah with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God:...Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” True righteousness and wickedness can not mix. There can be no harmony between the way and laws of God and the adversary, the ways of the pagans. We are commanded to COME OUT from them and to be SEPARATE. The word “separate” means to “set off by a boundary.” It also has the definitions of divide and sever. We must sever ourselves from such practices we have been looking at, put a division between them and us. Those things are out of bounds for us if we wish to follow the Creator.
Revised Oct. 2019
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