Christians......?

The church calendar was organized a long time ago. At the time, there wasn't any widespread custom of celebrating what we call a "birthday": the annual recurrence of the calendar date when a person was born. So when they organized a calendar of celebrations or commemorations of important events in the gospel story, anniversary dates weren't really a serious consideration.

There WAS a serious concern about the other two major commemorations to be included: both the crucifixion/resurrection of Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit were tied to the Jewish calendar. So they occupied the spring and early summer--just about the time when Jesus was probably really born (assuming the story about the shepherds pasturing their flocks was taken seriously).

As the other major celebration, the birth of Christ would most conveniently be assigned a date at the other end of the calendar. And there was already a seasonal theme, and a pagan celebration, that had a suitable connotation: the winter solstice--recognition of a time when the world (at least, the northern hemisphere) is most given over to darkness, and when light begins to return. Not at all shy about connecting their celebrations to pagan ones with similar themes, the Christian calendar-makers adopted the Roman Saturnalia as the best time to celebrate the Nativity.

Of course, the tie-ins between Christian and pagan festivals tends to allow pagan customs to transfer to Christian use: the gifts and use of evergreens as decoration at Christmas, and the fertility symbols (eggs and bunnies) at Easter. (That name, Easter, even comes from the pagans.)

As celebration of birth anniversaries developed into custom, stories began to be told explaining Christmas as "Jesus' birthday." Educated Christians know it's not--it's just the time when we celebrate his birth. But one such explanation--I got this from an erudite professor of Classics--is that Jesus' life, from conception to crucifixion, was an exact number of years. An old dating of the Crucifixion puts it in A.D. 29, and the timing of Passover that year would put his death on March 25. So--according to this explanation--he was conceived on March 25, and born nine months later, on ("Ta da!") December 25.

That may have been a bit silly. But the Feast of the Annunciation, when Mary was informed of her pregnancy, is on March 25, and for a long time that was the point at which a year was considered to begin. (The fact that it was not at the beginning of a month didn't bother anyone.)

Christmas is nothing to do with either Christianity or Islam but it does have it's origins in the midwinter festival and many other basically pagan rites but since much of it is a celebration of nature rather than religion everyone should be able to enjoy it and be happy together despite religion!

The ancient European pagans celebrated the midwinter festival and a number of other festivals long before Christianity ever existed!

Babylonians celebrated the feast of the Son of Isis with gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift giving and the goddess of fertility, love, and war.

The Romans held a festival on 25 December called “Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, celebrating their own god Sol Invictas – PAGAN!

The Persian god Mithras, the Syrian sun god Elah Gabal, the German Sol, the Greek Helios and the Mesopotamian Shamash. But also Saturnalia, honouring Saturn, the God of Agriculture. The law courts and schools were closed. No public business could be transacted an this is where the holidays originated - ALL PAGAN!

Wax tapers were given by the more humble to their superiors. The origin of the Christmas candle - PAGAN!

In Rome groups of costumed went from house to house entertaining their people. And this was where the carolling Christmas tradition originated PAGAN!

Statues of the Mother and lover or Mother and son were paraded through the streets not only in Italy but also in Africa, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany and Bulgaria. Thus, the symbolism of the Heavenly Virgin and the infant child paraded on a yearly basis are not of Christian origin. They stem from the Mother-goddess religion, which is very ancient ENTIRELY PAGAN!

Scandinavian countries celebrated Yule honouring Thor – PAGAN!

In Germania (not Germany) they celebrated midwinter night followed by 12 wild nights of eating and drinking. The 12 days of Christmas PAGAN!

The church under Pope Julius I declared that Christ’s birth would be celebrated on December 25 in 350 AD in order to try to hijack the PAGAN festivals but it was largely ignored. Christians did not really celebrate Christmas until 378 but it was then dropped in 381 and not resurrected until 400.

The Christmas tree stems from pagan tradition and ritual surrounding the Winter Solstice, which included the use of holly boughs ivy and other foliage as an adaptation of pagan tree worship. Holly and ivy represented male and female. Mistletoe was considered a sacred plant, and the custom of kissing under the mistletoe began as a fertility ritual - all PAGAN!

Jeremiah 10:2-4 bans Christians from Christmas trees showing clearly it was practiced long before Chrsitianity was even thought of!

Santa Claus came from the Dutch “Sinterklaas” and was a tall figure riding a white horse through the air and usually accompanied by Black Peter, an elf who punished disobedient children. Also the origin of the reindeer, sleigh and the elves ALL PAGAN!

The modern red coated Santa was brought about by coca cola!

AMERICA ACTUALLY BANNED CHRISTMAS several times and is the originator of the expression “Happy Holidays” which came about because of the pagan origins of Christmas to include all religions and traditions!

The Venerable Bede, an early Christian writer pointed out that the Christian church absorbed Pagan practices when it found the population unwilling to give up the festivals. Thus a lot of what Christians now see as Christians practices are in fact pagan!

Christmas is the time of year Christians strive to prove just how pagan they have become

Indeed this is a great mystery.

In fact some historians say Jesus was born in June.....NOT December!

The church has always been in bed with Big Corporate to make big bucks.....does anyone even remembers that it was about Santa and the Spirit of giving?

Baptism removes original sin (Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit) and other sins.

Confession and drinking blood of Jesus remove sins.

666 is not forgivable; it's leads to permanent hell.

666 is given with World Passport with no name on it (grey plastic card).

Also, Police 666 people on highways.

Food stores 666 people who steal.

Prisoners (released by homosexual flying gloved pale-faced red-eye antichrist)

also 666 people. Antichrist will rule over the whole world except Orthodox Russia.

There will be a Tsar in Russia to not allow this antichrist to rule in Russia.

So, go hide with Orthodox in Russia or Alaska before it's too late.

Vyatcheslav Krasheninnikov said that first dinosaur will come out of Volga River.

To kill the dinosaurs, go for their nerves.

So, stay away 500 km from Moscow and no further than Ural mountains

because Chinese will take over Siberia.

Don't go into UFO to be healed by demons.

Demons live inside clones. Jesus died for all sins committed by all.

Jesus said that you have to drink His blood.

All people have soul, body, and spirit.

In animals, blood substitutes soul.

That's why you're forbidden to drink animal blood. Animals don't have spirit.

You're forbidden to drink human blood (like during blood transfusion) because sins transfer.

You're told to drink blood of Jesus (because He's sinless) so that your sins are forgiven.

Dogs are not allowed in your home and your church because the Holy Spirit will leave. fatheralexander.org

Christmas is the day we reserve to acknowledge the birth of Jesus.

I don't believe that He was born on that particular day, but I do believe He was born and in that way, so I enjoy the season. The giving, the singing, and movies. Love it all, except those who gripe and say, "bah, humbug" like you...

I celebrate Christmas because of Santa, and because it it she birthday of the only son of god, Mithras.

Don't rain on my parade

You must be one of JW's