Where did Xmas come from?
We look at the pagan festival that Christmas is based on
Before Christmas this year my husband asked me: “What are we doing for Christmas?”
He is a Catholic but I’m a Pagan so I don’t celebrate Christmas in the same fashion most of my friends and acquaintances do. So how do we celebrate Christmas? Christmas Day in western society is traditionally celebrated on December 25, as the day of birth of Jesus Christ. The usual customs are to exchange gifts, decorate houses, attend church, share a family meal and enjoy the company of the family.
But long before Jesus was born the winter solstice was celebrated as the early part of the winter was over and as a way of looking forward to the harvest in spring and the extended days of sunlight. In turn that would produce thick crops and provide food for farm animals to keep the cycle going.
In Norse, they celebrated Yule from December 21 all the way through to January and the tradition was to bring home large logs to burn for heat and food. They would feast until the logs were spent which was usually 12 days. Hence ‘12 Days of Christmas’.
In ancient Rome, they celebrated ‘Saturnalia’ in honour of Saturn, their god of agriculture. Because the winters are not as harsh in Italy it was a time of joy where food and drink were plentiful.
On December 25, Romans celebrated ‘Juvenalia’, a feast honouring the children of the Roman Empire.
It was also known as the ‘birthday of Mithra’ so most of the upper class chose this day to celebrate the birthday of their children. It was the most sacred day of the year.
In Christianity, the birth of Jesus was not celebrated until about the 4th century. The Bible itself does not mention a date of when Jesus was born, with some people believing he was born sometime in spring because why would shepherds be herding in winter? Nevertheless, when the topic cropped up, Pope Julius I chose December 25, probably because of the ties with past customs. It was first called the ‘Feast of the Nativity’.
The logic was that if Christmas was held near the traditional winter solstice then it would increase the chances that Christmas would be popular.
In the 17th century the religious reform