Pagan Christmas Traditions
Not celebrating the birth of Christ can make you feel like an outcast at Christmas. The original celebrations during this time were actually feasts to bring people together and make them feel good during the long winter months when the days felt shorter. The Egyptians celebrated the feast of the Son of Isis on December 25 with food and gifts. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia with “Mummers” who went from house to house singing and spreading good cheer. These are the first pagan Christmas celebrations.
A History of Christmas in the United States
Many Christians might be surprised to know that the Puritans banned the pagan Christmas holiday when they settled in America. They did not find any scriptural basis for celebrating Christ’s birth. The Plymouth Pilgrims actually spent their first Christmas day in 1620 in the New World building a structure, thus demonstrating their contempt for the day. In 1659, Massachusetts passed a law making observance of Christmas illegal with a punishment of a 5-shilling fine.
It wasn’t until 1870 that Christmas became an official holiday in the United States. President Ulysses S. Grant deemed it as such in an attempt to unite the North and South. It almost seems a little ironic when you consider the Christmas wars over “Merry Christmas” or “Happy holidays” greetings.
Is Christmas a Pagan Holiday?
This is a hotly debated question that probably will never be answered. Most people would tell you that it is what is in your heart on when you celebrate. Many more traditions of Christmas are etched in the celebrations of old that nothing to do with Christ.
- Yule log – The word yule is a term for wheel, which is a symbol of the sun. Candles were lit to encourage the sun to spend more time in the sky.
- Mistletoe –Kissing under the mistletoe is a pagan fertility rite.
- Evergreen tree and branches- The pagans brought greenery into their homes for decoration and to inspire the Earth to be green again.
It might be true that Christmas was “rebranded” to Christians in an effort to unite families and friends during the harsh winter when everyone needed encouragement and cheer. This is what you need to know as you choose to celebrate the holidays in the manner you desire.
At Universal Life Church, we encourage you to bring in the traditions that have significance in your life and inspire you to live a fulfilling life. Learn to open productive dialogue with your family about the early Puritans, a pagan Christmas, and the traditions of Christmas so that you can find common ground to have a meaningful holiday celebration.