Pagan Origins of Christmas

Ancient World and Barbarian Influences on December 25th

Oct 14, 2009 Michael Streich

Almost all accepted Christmas celebrations are traced to Near Eastern, Roman, and pagan barbarian cultures that were adopted by the Church to legitimize December 25th.

Christmas, as a Christian day of celebration, is traced back to the 3rd and 4th centuries at a time the growing church institution began to define theological beliefs as an ordered system. December 25th, coming only four days after the Winter Solstice (depending on which calendar style is being used), corresponded to a number of ancient celebrations honoring the sun. When later Protestant groups like the Pilgrims and Puritans identified Christmas as a pagan celebration and refused to honor it, they were accurate in describing the “heathen” (Fraser) origins of Christmas.

Mithras and the “Heavenly Goddess”

The ancient Near Eastern cult of Mithras was a potent rival to early Christianity, featuring a number of similarities in belief. In fact, late 3rd Century persecutions of Christians, notably under Diocletian and Galerius, strongly identified Christians as just another version of the cult of Mithras.

The cult of Mithras found support in Egypt, the same hotbed of early Christian heretical beliefs such as Donatism and Arianism. In Egypt, adherents equated the nativity with the birth of the sun as well as the birth of Mithras which occurred on December 25th. Their celebrations included the image of an infant that was conceived by the Heavenly Goddess, a deity also associated with the Middle East goddess Astarte.

According to social anthropologist, Sir James Fraser, the celebration was marked by lights and festivities. His conclusions suggest that early Christians “borrowed directly from” their “heathen rival” by establishing the date of Christ’s birth on December 25th.

Roman Influences

Astronomy and anthropology professor Anthony Aveni states that the official church designation for Christmas on December 25th came in 354 CE. In the pagan Roman tradition, December 25th was also devoted to the sun. The birthday of the sun was celebrated by the lighting of candles and the day itself was identified with both Apollo and Mithras.

This was also the Roman Saturnalia, a celebration of seasonal cycles that began a period of revelry and carnivalesque behavior. This continued with the early church well into the Middle Ages when the period of Christmas (so named in 1058 from the terms Cristes Maesse or Mass of Christ) became a time of misrule, boy bishops, and festival. According to Aveni, during the celebration of Saturnalia presents were exchanged and pagan temples adorned with new sprigs, the forerunner of mistletoe. Aveni writes that “Saturnalia strengthened the social hierarchy.”

Other Historical Roots of Christmas Celebrations

The decorated Christmas tree is traced back to the pagan peoples of barbarian Europe, particularly the Germanic groups, that hung gifts meant for their deities on sacred trees. Similarly, the Yule log is frequently traced to Scandinavia where a large tree trunk was burned on the night of the Winter Solstice. The etymology of the word “jolly” finds roots in the Nordic term “jol” which is associated with yule.

Christmas caroling is traced to the 11th Century CE and equated with the Halloween practice of “trick or treat” in which the carolers hope for food or drink in return for their singing. Protestants viewing Christmas through a strict prism might be interested in knowing that the Christmas crèche, universal today in churches celebrating Christmas, began with the Catholic saint Francis of Assisi, who also instituted the “Midnight Mass.”

Post Modern Christmas Considerations

Contemporary Christmas celebrations have added new icons and practices. The commercialization of Christmas has made the holiday a barometer of consumer spending, able to affect stock markets and bankrupt retailers unable to compete in the shopping frenzy.

New icons like Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, Scrooge and his ghosts, and the wily Grinch have redefined the holiday. Ironically, the same Christian groups that decry these icons as well as rabid consumerism wish to return to a Christmas celebration that was steeped in pagan origins.

Sources:

• Anthony Aveni, The Book of the Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays (Oxford University Press, 2003)
• Sir James George Fraser, The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion (New York: the Macmillan Company, 1966)