Origins of Christmas Celebration

Origins of Christmas Celebration

The first historic record of the Christmas Holiday is a calendar dating from 354 CE, belonging to
a rich Roman Christian named Philocalus. That calendar tells us that on the same date -
December 25 - another holiday was celebrated, marking the birth of Sol I nvictus, the
Unconquered Sun. That was a pagan cult, worshiping a sun deity.
Both these holidays coincided with the Roman festival of Saturnalia, which had been
celebrated from December 17 to December 24th. That was a festival celebrating the god
Saturn, which contributed heavily to latter-day Christmas traditions.
1

Originally the ritual only lasted for one day. In later years, however, the celebration lasted for
seven days. It consisted of a winter solstice celebration marked by a carnival, exchange of
gifts, feasting, license and misrule, and a cessation of all public works. Masters served
slaves; kings were chosen by lot, usually from among criminals or slaves, to preside over the
feast, given ass ears, and then slain. A sacrificial victim was chosen to represent both the god
himself and the king-surrogate. He was slain and sent to the underworld to merge with his divine
counterpart. Its riotous indulgence is the source of the phrase Saturnalia of crime. It is said to
have merged into the Christmas festival.
2

Why December 25?
The New Testament of the Bible doesnt tell us when the birth took place but Luke 2:8 gives a
clue - "some shepherds staying out in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night".
This means that the birth took place in the spring or summer, as sheep would have been kept
indoors during the cold winter nights.
Most probably that date was based on
the birth-date of Sol Invictus, which is
marked on the Winter Solstice - when
the sun overcomes darkness and the
days begin to get longer.
3
Another
source said, In 350 AD, Dec. 25 was
declared by Pope Julius I as the
official date of Christs birth to replace
a very popular pagan festival called
Saturnalia, which was celebrated in
honor of the pagan god Saturn.
4


1
Jaime Licauco, How Dec. 25 came to be Christmas, http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/144355/how-dec-25-came-to-
be-christmas, (Dec. 25, 2013).
2
Saturn, http://www.wyzant.com/resources/lessons/english/etymology/planets/saturn.
3
Elon Gilad, The Real Story of Christmas: From Sun-worship to Sinterklaas,
http://www.haaretz.com/news/features/.premium-1.565113, (Dec. 24, 2013).
Origins of Christmas Celebration
Origins of the Christmas Tree
The modern Christmas tree originated in Germany. But the Germans got it from the Romans,
who got it from the Babylonians and the Egyptians.
5

Early Romans also celebrated the solstice and the eventual yield of bountiful crops with a feast
called Saturnalia in honor of Saturn, god of agriculture. These people marked the occasion by
decorating their homes and temples with evergreen boughs (branches).
During the Middle Ages, most Roman Catholic countries, including Germany, celebrated the
Feast Day of Adam and Eve on Dec. 24. During the processionals, Germans would carry
"paradise trees" with apples, which represented the forbidden fruit of the Bible. These
devout Christians also brought decorated trees into their homes, while others built wood
pyramids and decorated them with evergreens and candles.
6

The following demonstrates what the Babylonians believe about the origin of the Christmas
tree: An old Babylonish fable told of an evergreen tree which sprang out of a dead tree stump
(remains). The old stump symbolized the dead Nimrod, the new evergreen tree symbolized that
Nimrod had come to life again in Tammuz! Among the Druids the oak was sacred, among the
Egyptians it was the palm, and in Rome it was the fir, which was decorated with red berries
during the Saturnalia! (Walsh, Curiosities of Popular Customs, p. 242).
7

The ancient Egyptians used palms to help the sun god Ra recover from illness during the winter
solstice, the shortest and lonest nights of the year. As Ra began healing, Egyptians filled their
homes with green palm rushes, which symbolized triumph over death.
8

The Christmas tree, however, is directly mentioned in the Bible! Turn to Jeremiah 10:2-5,
Thus says the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathenFor the customs of the people are
vain: for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the
axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that
it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must need be borne,
because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in
them to do good.
9



4
Jaime Licauco, How Dec. 25 came to be Christmas, http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/144355/how-dec-25-came-to-
be-christmas, (Dec. 25, 2013).
5
David C. Pack, The True Origin of Christmas, http://realtruth.org/articles/169-ttooc.html, (2013).
6
Amy Jo Martin, The Origin of Three Popular Christmas Traditions,
http://www.tidewaterreview.com/features/va-tr-byline-xmastrad-1225-20131223,0,1342819.story, (Dec. 24,
2013).
7
Elon Gilad, The Real Story of Christmas: From Sun-worship to Sinterklaas, (Dec. 24, 2013).
8
Amy Jo Martin, The Origin of Three Popular Christmas Traditions, (Dec. 24, 2013).
9
David C. Pack,, The True Origin of Christmas, (2013).