Festivals

Now let us take a look at Xmas. Christmas, at least according to the belief of Christians, is celebrating the day of birth of Jesus Christ. It shouldn’t surprise us that it was decided on that day, because religion wanted to have it on this special day.

Now why do I say special day? As often, the festival was taken from other beliefs to ensure that people would not feel disturbed in their habits, only renaming it and giving it another cause why it should be celebrated.

Saturnalia, originally a public festival is supposed to have influenced Christmas, but I deem another theory correct. Sol Invictus is a festival held on the 25th of december, celebrating the birth of the Unconquered Sun. Sol Invictus was a sun-god created by a roman Emperor, Aurelian, and his cult state-supported.

Does that sound somehow similar? A birth? Indeed, often religions take symbols and fit them into their own, and they do the same with festivals. The Christians are no different in that point. The name Christmas was most likely taken to ensure people are reminded of their new God, Jesus Christ having been his son, but the festival was another one. People can have habits which are hard to get rid of, so religions found it easier to replace them with their own instead of having to brainwash their followers into totally new ones: Often they would still continue with the old festivals then.