If pagan's don't believe in God (Jesus)......?

The big celebration on the winter is the Winter Solstice sometimes referred to as Yule, Yuletide. It's a time of renewel and for viewing the world through children's eyes. Much like Christmas, it's centered on raising spirits (not the otherworld kind!), bringing harmony, peace, and joy to others. We let go of the past and look forward to the future during this time of the year.

Yule trees are customary as are decorations of holly, ivy, and pine. Many of today's Christmas decorations have roots in Yule traditions, including Father Winter (aka Santa?) who brings gifts and good tidings.

The previous year's oak Yule log is burned in a fire, symbolic of the new born sun and longer days. Every year a new oak log is charged within a magic circle and kept in a sacred place for the following year until it's time to celebrate the next Yule. The Yule log is all important as it celebrates the oak itself and ensures that their will be fuel for the remaining days of winter.

There are songs and dances, like with any other holiday as well.

Below is a (brief) outline of herbs, plants, food, spells, colors, etc that hold a special meaning to witches.

Evergreens

symbolizing: Continuity of Life, Protection, Prosperity

types: Pine, Fir, Cedar, Juniper, other evergreens

forms: boughs, wreaths, garlands, trees

divinities: Green Goddesses & Gods; Hertha; Cybele, Attis, Dionysius (Pine); Woodland Spirits

Holly

symbolizing: Protection; Good Luck

forms: boughs over portals, wreaths

divinities: Holly King; Bacchus; Wood Spirits

Mistletoe {Birdlime, Golden Bough, Holy Wood} - Viscum Album

Parts Used - Twig & Leaf

Herbal Uses - Infusion, Tea, Tincture

Homeopathic Uses - Epileptic aura, petit mal seizures, heart conditions, asthma connected with gout or rheumatism, rheumatic deafness, chorea, metrorrhagia, left-sided ovarian pain, left-side body complaints

Magical Uses - Use to combat despair, herb of protection, child theft by fairies, healing, hunting, conception, to bring beautiful dreams, unlock the secrets of immortality through dreams - used for wands and ritual items or placed around a 'Hand of Glory' to ward off thieves - to protect the bearer from werewolves. {Herb of the Sun & Jupiter}

Oak {Duir} - Quercus Spp.

Parts Used - Bark, Leaf, Acorn

Herbal Uses - Infusion, Tea, Salves

Homeopathic Uses - Edema, splenetic dropsy, liver problems, gout, alcoholic cravings

Magical Uses - Abundance, fertility, longevity, protection, spiritual awareness while remaining fully rooted in the earth plane, it's wood is used for staves and wands, use any parts for protective charms which bring healing. Acorns bring fertility and abundance. Plant in the dark of the moon to bring financial prosperity. {Tree of Jupiter}

Yule Tree:

Oak

symbolizing: Endurance, Strength, Triumph, Protection

forms: Yule log, acorns

divinities: Oak King; Oak Spirit

Yew: Last Day of Solar Year; Death.

Silver Fir: Winter Solstice Day;Birth.

Birch: Month following Winter Solstice; Beginnings.

Yule Incense and Oil Recipes

Pine, cedar, bayberry, cinnamon, frankincense

Frankincense

symbolizing: Sun, Purification, Consecration, Protection, Spiritual Illumination

forms: incense, oils

divinities: Sun Gods, Ra at Dawn, Bel

Myrrh

symbolizing: Healing, Death and Afterlife, Purification, Inner Peace

forms: incense, oils

divinities: Isis, Ra at Midday

Yule Incense

2 parts Frankincense

2 part Pine Needles

1 Part Cedar

1 Part Juniper Berries

Yule Oil

2 drops of each Cinnamon and Clove oil

1 drop of mandarin oil

1 drop of popine oil

2 drops each frankincense and Myrrh oil.

Colors of Yule

Red, green, gold, white, silver, yellow, orange

Stones of Yule

Rubies, bloodstones, garnets, emeralds, diamonds

Yule Deities

Goddesses-Brighid, Isis, Demeter, Gaea, Diana, The Great Mother.

Gods-Apollo, Ra, Odin, Lugh, The Oak King, The Horned One, The Green Man, The Divine Child, Mabon.

Frey

God, brother-consort of Freyja; son of Njord. "The Lord", fertility and creativity God; "the Lover"; God of Yule. He is the god of wealth and peace and contentment. Blood was not allowed to be spilled through violence, nor where weapons or outlaws allowed on or in his holy places. Sensual love, fertility, growth, abundance, wealth, bravery, horses, boars, protector of ships and sailors, peace, joy happiness, rain, beauty, weather, guarantor of oaths, groves, sunshine, plant growth, sex.

Yule Spell Work

Spell craft performed for Yule should be for peace, harmony, love, and increased happiness.

Pagan Yule Activities

Caroling, wassailing , burning the Yule log, decorating the Yule tree, exchanging of presents, kissing under the mistletoe, feeding of animals, birds with grains and seeds,become a part of nature

Foods of Yule:

Cookies and caraway cakes soaked in cider, fruits, nuts, pork dishes, turkey, eggnog, ginger tea, spiced cider, wassail, or lamb's wool (ale, sugar, nutmeg, roasted apples).

I hope that wasn't too long or whatever!

First of all, thank you for your unbiased curiosity.

Pagans celebrate Yule on the shortest day of the year (around Dec. 21), which celebrates the lengthening of days. It is sometimes celebrated as a holiday of rebirth. Other pagans may celebrate other holiday depending on their traditions.

Although I'm pagan I still celebrate xmas and exchange gifts with my family and friends. I am of the opinion that Christmas has a lot to do with giving to others, and therefore is a good holiday, regardless of who it honors. Christmas borrowed a lot of traditions from paganism, as well. In addition, I believe all dieties are equally real, so I have nothing against it on that front.

However, I know some pagans feel that Christmas was stolen from pagan traditions, and has been over commercialized, and therefore they are firmly against it. It really depends on the individual and their beliefs and traditions.

Saying pagans don't believe in God is like saying Jews don't believe in God. They do, they just don't believe Jesus is divine or the Son of God.

Pagans believe in God and a Goddess. They believe these two beings work in tandem to give energy and life to the universe, like the positive and negative charges in a battery. They tend to believe the God's energy is represented by the Sun: fiery and outgoing, the spark of life; whereas the Goddess is represented by the Earth and Moon: mysterious and changeable, the womb from which we emerge and the grave to which we return.

That is just a VERY basic overview.

As to how they would react to receiving a gift or being included in a religious act, that would probably depend on the individual; pagans tend to be an independent lot. They usually exchange gifts around Christmas time, which for them is Winter Solstice or Saturnalia. I give gifts to my Christian and Jewish friends at that time, and they give me Christmas and Hanukkah presents. I don't attend Mass with my family; My Dad (agnostic) and I usually stay at home and get the after-church food ready for Midnight Massers ;)

Hope that answered some of your questions. If you would like to learn more, I suggest a book called the Witches' Bible, by the Farrars, which goes into detail about a lot of Pagan beliefs and rituals, including reincarnation, the Rule of Three, wedding and funeral rites.

Christmas is a pagan holiday. Does Jesus say anywhere in the bible to celebrate his birth? No. He said to commemorate the memorial of his death which was Nisan 14. The only birthday celebration noted in the bible was of Herod where his mistress/bride ask for the head of a prophet and friend of Jesus, John the baptist. Where did December 25th come from? The bible says that when Jesus was born there where Shepherd's in the fields at night sleeping with there flocks. How could they do that in December unless it was freakishly warm. Why would anyone celebrate something if they didn't know about it.

I celebrate the winter Solstice (Yule), the promise of returning life and warmth.

That promise is the evergreen tree, which we do NOT worship, BTW...it's a symbol of the returning spring.

We look forward with joy to the returning burgeoning of life, we spend time with family and friends, we exchange gifts, we feast, we do pretty much what Christians do. And that's to be expected, since Christmas traditions are largely Pagan ones.

The "reason for the season" (which is Winter in the northern hemisphere) is the Earth's axial tilt. At Solstice we know that soon we will sense the days getting longer and warmer. The frost will break, young sprouts will push their way through the cold ground, and that renewal of life will fill us with joy.

Because much of my family are at least nominal Christians, we also have a get-together on the 25th, which in my family involves exactly the same things that Yule does, plus a chance to dress up.

EDIT: Just so y'all know, when the day comes that Christians no longer jump onto topics about Paganism to quote scripture or otherwise try to condemn our religious beliefs and practices, THAT day will be the day that I care anything for your complaints about non-Christians answering questions about Christianity.

Well, Christmas was borrowed from paganism many many years ago, so most of the Christmas traditions are the same as Yule traditions minus the whole Jesus thing.

I celebrate Christmas with my christian and non-religious family members and exchange gifts. And I celebrate Yule with my pagan friends where we also exchange gifts, as that is a Yule tradition as well.

Peace )O(

EDIT: Nice to see you, Girl Wonder...

that depends i guess i always celebrate the gift giving, and on easter i do the whole candy bit for my kids no where in the holidays does god really come into play anymore they are all now considered pagan really, christmas your giving gifts to each other and not celebrating the fact the jesus was born, (most) and easter that jesus came back from being dead. and the rest of the halidays are pagan whether ppl realize it or not (not trying to offend ppl either) but i hope that helps!!!

Most Pagan religions celebrate Yule (the winter soltice, which is the origin of Christmas day btw - they are celebrated around the same time)

I have a Christmas tree up and give gifts on December 25th as do most atheists,. however I do have a ritual for Yule (a few days earlier) just meditation, a nice meal etc etc!

But its different for each person!

Not offended at all! My whole family is quite christian and I celebrate christmas. It was based off of the pagan holiday Yule and the Roman holiday Saturnalia, and so gift giving, trees, greenery, festivities and family fun. I am glad you are trying to learn about others so that you can show courtesy. I am not at all offended at being wished "Merry Christmas", although I prefer to say "Happy Holidays" myself, because there are other religions out there and I like to keep them all in mind.

If you have any questions, feel free to hit me up for some answers.

We Pagans celebrate Yule, and as an eclectic I offer my homage to the old religion. We celebrate with and respect christians. We make our own gifts, a sinful chocolate fudge and cookies which are always welcome in christian homes. We put out seeds and popcorn for the birds and extra dog food for strays. I'd renew that friendship with a Pagan, its the christian thing to do.

For one thing, Christmas was a Pagan holiday before it was ever a Christian one. So most Pagans just celebrate Yule or something similar.