Thread: Merry christmas

Found this lovely article today that was great reading for the origins of christmas.

Origin of Christmas | The history of Christmas and how it began

Unfortunately I have not personally had time tonight to check sources (and ive read other stuff on the site that was a joke) But found this worth sharing in this most wonderful holiday times

So happy saturnalia everyone. XD

From 'Christianity and Paganism in the 4th to the 8th Centuries' by Ramsay Macmullen.

The idea that Christians chose to celebrate the birth of Jesus on 25 December because this was the date of an already existing festival of the Sol Invictus was expressed in an annotation to a manuscript of a work by 12th-century Syrian bishop Jacob Bar-Salibi. The scribe who added it wrote: "It was a custom of the Pagans to celebrate on the same 25 December the birthday of the Sun, at which they kindled lights in token of festivity. In these solemnities and revelries the Christians also took part. Accordingly when the doctors of the Church perceived that the Christians had a leaning to this festival, they took counsel and resolved that the true Nativity should be solemnised on that day.

Which was (and still is) the birthday of the sun in the Northern Hemisphere - the day when the sun, after it had sunk to its lowest position in the sky 3 days and 3 nights earlier, was seen to perceptibly rise again after nearly being consumed by the devil, or the sun in Saturn.
So, Happy Sol Invictus to all!

Indeed, Christmas does not originate from Christianity, but from Norse culture. I live in Sweden, and we celebrate Jul here, which is often translated to Christmas.

Fun fact: it's celebrated on the evening of the 24th, rather on the 25th.

God Jul, as we say in Sweden! =)