The metaphor of the birth of the sun worked well for christians celebrating the birth of the son of god, who brings light to
the world. christ's birth was first celebrated on January 6th, then
moved in 336CE to December 25th. This change was not popular with
everyone. The christians of Edessa accused the church in Rome of
idolatry and "sun worship." Some biblical scholars believe that christ
was actually born in the fall after the harvest or in spring after the
birth of the new animals, both the most likely times for taxation.
Shepherds don't 'tend their flocks by night' in the high pastures in the
dead of winter. If one wishes to use the new testament as historical
evidence, this reference may point to sometime in the spring as the time
of jesus' birth. This is because the lambing season occurs in the
spring and that is the most likely time when shepherds 'watched their
flocks by night' -- to make sure the lambing went well. Knowing this,
the Eastern half of the cult continued to reject December 25,
preferring a 'movable date' fixed by their astrologers according to the
moon.
In 563CE, the Council of Braga forbade fasting on Xmas Day, and four years later the Council of Tours proclaimed the twelve days from December 25 to Epiphany as a sacred, festive season. This last point is perhaps the hardest to impress upon the modern reader, who is lucky to get a single day off work. Xmas, in the Middle Ages, was not a single day, but rather a period of twelve days, from December 25 to January 6. The Twelve Days of Xmas, in fact.
Polydor Virgil, an early British christian, said "Dancing, masques, mummeries, stageplays, and other such Xmas disorders now in use with christians, were derived from these Roman Saturnalian and Bacchanalian festivals; which should cause all pious christians eternally to abominate them." In Massachusetts, puritans unsuccessfully tried to ban Xmas entirely during the 17th century, because of its heathenism. The English Parliament abolished Xmas in 1647 for a time. Some contemporary christian faith groups still do not celebrate Xmas.
Although Christmas Dec 25th is a major holiday in Ireland, it is not widely celebrated in Scotland. Some historians have suggested that the reason Xmas is downplayed in Scotland is because of the influence of the Presbyterian cult or Kirk, which viewed Xmas as a "papist", or catholic event. As a result, Xmas in Scotland tends to be a somber event, in direct contrast to the next Celtic festival, Hogmany, held on January 1. January 6 is the day of the feast of the Epiphany. It is called "Little Xmas" in Ireland, Nollaig Bheag in Gaelic. Little Xtmas, the Day of the Epiphany, is sacred as a celebration of god's manifestation to us in human form.
All symbols and practices associated with Xmas are of Pagan origin: holly, ivy, mistletoe, yule log, the giving of gifts, decorated evergreen tree, magical reindeer, and others.
In the Celtic language, Mistletoe means "All Heal". The ancient Celts believed Mistletoe possessed miraculous healing powers and held the soul of the host tree during the winter months. It was believed to have miraculous power of healing diseases, making poisons harmless, giving fertility to humans and animals, and as protection against evil spirits. Mistletoe was collected by the Druid in a very special ceremony held five days after the New Moon following winter solstice. The Druid priests would cut mistletoe from a holy oak tree with a golden sickle. The branches had to be caught before they touched the ground. The priest then divided the branches into many sprigs and distributed them to the people, who hung them over doorways as protection against thunder, lightning and other evils. In fact, it was considered so sacred that even enemies who happened to meet beneath a Mistletoe in the forest would lay down their arms, exchange a friendly greeting, and keep truce until the following day. From this old custom grew the practice of suspending Mistletoe over a doorway or in a room as a token of good will and peace. Mistletoe was one of the casualties of early christian celebrations, and for centuries it was forbidden to display the plant on christian altars. Mistletoe found its way back into acceptance as the Victorians revived the ancient ritual of kissing under the Mistletoe as a sign of love, romance and good luck.
"Here were kept up the old games of hoodman blind, shoe the wild mare, hot cockles, steal the white loaf, bob apple, and snap dragon; the Yule-clog and Xmas candle were regularly burnt, and the mistletoe with its white berries hung up, to the imminent peril of all the pretty housemaids."
So Washington Irving, in "Xmas Eve," relates the typical festivities surrounding the Twelve Days of Xtmas, including kissing under the mistletoe. To understand the full practice of kissing under the mistletoe, he adds a note.
"The mistletoe is still hung up in farm-houses and kitchens at Xmas, and the young men have the privilege of kissing the girls under it, plucking each time a berry from the bush. When the berries are all plucked the privilege ceases."
The folklore, and the magical powers of this plant, has blossomed over the centuries. A sprig placed in a baby's cradle would protect the child from faeries, as an example.
Today, Holly conjures up images of Xtmas wreaths, but actually had religious significance long before it's adoption by christianity. There are around 400 natural types of holly in the world, but the one people are most familiar with is Ilex aquifolium, or "English/Xmas Holly". It is a coniferous evergreen plant that can be found in many parts of the world. English holly grows best in moist soil in direct sunlight, but it can tolerate partial shade as well. Holly was important in Pagan/Druidic religion and customs. It was placed around dwellings during winter, intended as a kindly and hospitable gesture so that the fairies could come into their homes and use the holly as shelter against the cold. This may actually have had some basis in fact, as holly growing in the wild is often used as shelter by small animals, primarily insects. It was holly's evergreen nature that made it special. The Druids believed that it remained green to help keep the earth beautiful when the deciduous trees such as the sacred oak shed their leaves. The holly berries were thought to represent the sacred menstrual blood of their Goddess. In some rights, holly was used for protection, decorating doors and windows to ward off evil spirits before they could enter the house. As the British Isles began to convert to christianity, the early christians continued the tradition of decorating their home with holly. The significance of the berries changed so that they now symbolized the blood of christ and holly gradually solidified its position as a Xmas tradition.
The ceremonial Yule log was the highlight of the early winter festival. In accordance to tradition, the log must either have been harvested from the householder's land, or given as a gift. It must never have been bought. Once dragged into the house and placed in the fireplace, it was decorated in seasonal greenery, doused with cider or ale, and dusted with flour, perhaps even with a small outlined human figure before set ablaze by a piece of last year's log. The log would burn throughout the night, then smolder for 12 days before being ceremonially put out. Ash is the traditional wood of the Yule log. It is the sacred world tree of the Teutons, known as Yggdrasil. An herb of the Sun, Ash brings light into the hearth at the Solstice.
For most of the modern christian world, the Xmas season is a time of joy, of family, of giving, of love, of peace. A time to celebrate the birth of love and forgiveness. A time to celebrate the birth of their Lord.
Whether you are christian, wiccan or pagan, look to the Yule as a period of enlightenment and renewal of spirit.
In 563CE, the Council of Braga forbade fasting on Xmas Day, and four years later the Council of Tours proclaimed the twelve days from December 25 to Epiphany as a sacred, festive season. This last point is perhaps the hardest to impress upon the modern reader, who is lucky to get a single day off work. Xmas, in the Middle Ages, was not a single day, but rather a period of twelve days, from December 25 to January 6. The Twelve Days of Xmas, in fact.
Polydor Virgil, an early British christian, said "Dancing, masques, mummeries, stageplays, and other such Xmas disorders now in use with christians, were derived from these Roman Saturnalian and Bacchanalian festivals; which should cause all pious christians eternally to abominate them." In Massachusetts, puritans unsuccessfully tried to ban Xmas entirely during the 17th century, because of its heathenism. The English Parliament abolished Xmas in 1647 for a time. Some contemporary christian faith groups still do not celebrate Xmas.
Although Christmas Dec 25th is a major holiday in Ireland, it is not widely celebrated in Scotland. Some historians have suggested that the reason Xmas is downplayed in Scotland is because of the influence of the Presbyterian cult or Kirk, which viewed Xmas as a "papist", or catholic event. As a result, Xmas in Scotland tends to be a somber event, in direct contrast to the next Celtic festival, Hogmany, held on January 1. January 6 is the day of the feast of the Epiphany. It is called "Little Xmas" in Ireland, Nollaig Bheag in Gaelic. Little Xtmas, the Day of the Epiphany, is sacred as a celebration of god's manifestation to us in human form.
Symbolism
All symbols and practices associated with Xmas are of Pagan origin: holly, ivy, mistletoe, yule log, the giving of gifts, decorated evergreen tree, magical reindeer, and others.
In the Celtic language, Mistletoe means "All Heal". The ancient Celts believed Mistletoe possessed miraculous healing powers and held the soul of the host tree during the winter months. It was believed to have miraculous power of healing diseases, making poisons harmless, giving fertility to humans and animals, and as protection against evil spirits. Mistletoe was collected by the Druid in a very special ceremony held five days after the New Moon following winter solstice. The Druid priests would cut mistletoe from a holy oak tree with a golden sickle. The branches had to be caught before they touched the ground. The priest then divided the branches into many sprigs and distributed them to the people, who hung them over doorways as protection against thunder, lightning and other evils. In fact, it was considered so sacred that even enemies who happened to meet beneath a Mistletoe in the forest would lay down their arms, exchange a friendly greeting, and keep truce until the following day. From this old custom grew the practice of suspending Mistletoe over a doorway or in a room as a token of good will and peace. Mistletoe was one of the casualties of early christian celebrations, and for centuries it was forbidden to display the plant on christian altars. Mistletoe found its way back into acceptance as the Victorians revived the ancient ritual of kissing under the Mistletoe as a sign of love, romance and good luck.
"Here were kept up the old games of hoodman blind, shoe the wild mare, hot cockles, steal the white loaf, bob apple, and snap dragon; the Yule-clog and Xmas candle were regularly burnt, and the mistletoe with its white berries hung up, to the imminent peril of all the pretty housemaids."
So Washington Irving, in "Xmas Eve," relates the typical festivities surrounding the Twelve Days of Xtmas, including kissing under the mistletoe. To understand the full practice of kissing under the mistletoe, he adds a note.
"The mistletoe is still hung up in farm-houses and kitchens at Xmas, and the young men have the privilege of kissing the girls under it, plucking each time a berry from the bush. When the berries are all plucked the privilege ceases."
The folklore, and the magical powers of this plant, has blossomed over the centuries. A sprig placed in a baby's cradle would protect the child from faeries, as an example.
Today, Holly conjures up images of Xtmas wreaths, but actually had religious significance long before it's adoption by christianity. There are around 400 natural types of holly in the world, but the one people are most familiar with is Ilex aquifolium, or "English/Xmas Holly". It is a coniferous evergreen plant that can be found in many parts of the world. English holly grows best in moist soil in direct sunlight, but it can tolerate partial shade as well. Holly was important in Pagan/Druidic religion and customs. It was placed around dwellings during winter, intended as a kindly and hospitable gesture so that the fairies could come into their homes and use the holly as shelter against the cold. This may actually have had some basis in fact, as holly growing in the wild is often used as shelter by small animals, primarily insects. It was holly's evergreen nature that made it special. The Druids believed that it remained green to help keep the earth beautiful when the deciduous trees such as the sacred oak shed their leaves. The holly berries were thought to represent the sacred menstrual blood of their Goddess. In some rights, holly was used for protection, decorating doors and windows to ward off evil spirits before they could enter the house. As the British Isles began to convert to christianity, the early christians continued the tradition of decorating their home with holly. The significance of the berries changed so that they now symbolized the blood of christ and holly gradually solidified its position as a Xmas tradition.
The ceremonial Yule log was the highlight of the early winter festival. In accordance to tradition, the log must either have been harvested from the householder's land, or given as a gift. It must never have been bought. Once dragged into the house and placed in the fireplace, it was decorated in seasonal greenery, doused with cider or ale, and dusted with flour, perhaps even with a small outlined human figure before set ablaze by a piece of last year's log. The log would burn throughout the night, then smolder for 12 days before being ceremonially put out. Ash is the traditional wood of the Yule log. It is the sacred world tree of the Teutons, known as Yggdrasil. An herb of the Sun, Ash brings light into the hearth at the Solstice.
For most of the modern christian world, the Xmas season is a time of joy, of family, of giving, of love, of peace. A time to celebrate the birth of love and forgiveness. A time to celebrate the birth of their Lord.
Whether you are christian, wiccan or pagan, look to the Yule as a period of enlightenment and renewal of spirit.
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