Some people cite the date of Christmas as evidence of a pagan origin or a pagan nature. It is not only true that the date of our present Christmas celebration is probably not the day Jesus was born, it is also true that December 25 was a feast for various pagan religions. The day's association with the solstice seems, to some people's minds, to be a sign either that Christmas is not about Jesus or that Christmas is merely a carryover from pagan times. Such understandings fall short of the truth.
To properly understand the concept of having Christmas on the 25th, we must understand the mindset of the culture at the time when the date was fixed. People in the late Roman Empire were more dependent on the natural cycle than we are today. Although urbanites were less dependent than rural people, the dependence was still a reality for those who lived in cities. Nowadays, one can purchase fresh fruits and vegetables out of season. For many modern people, such delights as tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce form a part of the diet year round. In the late Roman Empire, people could only eat either what was in season, what could be stored long-term, or what could be brought from other climates quickly enough that it would not spoil along the way.
The religions from which these people converted associated the natural cycle with their myths. The story of Hades and Persephone explained the existence of winter and spring among the Greeks. Among the Norse, the tale of Balder performed a similar function. One linked the events of myth to natural cycles, not necessarily to historical dates.
A similar phenomenon was actually present in the Old Testament. The feast of Pentecost occurred around the first harvest. The Israelites celebrated the New Moons. I believe that it is no coincidence that a mass conversion occurred on Pentecost.
By choosing to institute Christmas on the solstice, the church authorities were connecting Jesus' birth not to pagan mythology but to the solstice itself, to the darkest day and the day when the daylight hours begin to lengthen. In choosing to celebrate Christmas around the solstice, Christians were treating the date mythically, not historically. They were not saying that Jesus' birth was not a historical event. They were simply saying that it was more than just a historical event. It is an event which defines present life in a way which other events do not. Thus, it has special significance.
There is a real symbolism in the choice. Jesus came when Israel was only a wraith of its former self. It had come back from exile, but it had come under Roman rule, it no longer had the Ark of the Covenant, and it lacked prestige. It was at such a low point that Jesus came, a paradox of light only coming at the darkest place.
To properly understand the concept of having Christmas on the 25th, we must understand the mindset of the culture at the time when the date was fixed. People in the late Roman Empire were more dependent on the natural cycle than we are today. Although urbanites were less dependent than rural people, the dependence was still a reality for those who lived in cities. Nowadays, one can purchase fresh fruits and vegetables out of season. For many modern people, such delights as tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce form a part of the diet year round. In the late Roman Empire, people could only eat either what was in season, what could be stored long-term, or what could be brought from other climates quickly enough that it would not spoil along the way.
The religions from which these people converted associated the natural cycle with their myths. The story of Hades and Persephone explained the existence of winter and spring among the Greeks. Among the Norse, the tale of Balder performed a similar function. One linked the events of myth to natural cycles, not necessarily to historical dates.
A similar phenomenon was actually present in the Old Testament. The feast of Pentecost occurred around the first harvest. The Israelites celebrated the New Moons. I believe that it is no coincidence that a mass conversion occurred on Pentecost.
By choosing to institute Christmas on the solstice, the church authorities were connecting Jesus' birth not to pagan mythology but to the solstice itself, to the darkest day and the day when the daylight hours begin to lengthen. In choosing to celebrate Christmas around the solstice, Christians were treating the date mythically, not historically. They were not saying that Jesus' birth was not a historical event. They were simply saying that it was more than just a historical event. It is an event which defines present life in a way which other events do not. Thus, it has special significance.
There is a real symbolism in the choice. Jesus came when Israel was only a wraith of its former self. It had come back from exile, but it had come under Roman rule, it no longer had the Ark of the Covenant, and it lacked prestige. It was at such a low point that Jesus came, a paradox of light only coming at the darkest place.
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