THE WINTER SOLSTICE AND THE ORIGINS OF CHRISTMAS

PostmodernProphet said:
your ignorance is written large, gnost.....
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The tradition of egg decoration in Slavic cultures originated in pagan times,[1][2] and was transformed by the process of religious syncretism into the Christian Easter egg. Over time, many new techniques were added. Some versions of these decorated eggs have retained their pagan symbolism, while others have added Christian symbols and motifs.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_decorating_in_Slavic_culture
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Cypress said:
-->the Christian Easter egg
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next you'll be trying to tell us that peeps are the new communion wafer.......

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PostmodernProphet said:
next you'll be trying to tell us that peeps are the new communion wafer.......
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I count myself lucky that I have been exposed to a broad cross section of the world Christian tradition, from Protestant denominations, to Catholic, to Eastern Orthodox, to Unitarian Universalist.

I don't hold you responsible for your extremely limited knowledge of the world Christian tradition. Anyone who spent their entire life with tunnel vision in the Baptist or Reformed dogma wouldn't be expected to have wide ranging knowledge of broader Christian traditions.
 
Cypress said:
I count myself lucky that I have been exposed to a broad cross section of the world Christian tradition, from Protestant denominations, to Catholic, to Eastern Orthodox, to Unitarian Universalist.

I don't hold you responsible for your extremely limited knowledge of the world Christian tradition. Anyone who spent their entire life with tunnel vision in the Baptist or Reformed dogma wouldn't be expected to have wide ranging knowledge of broader Christian traditions.
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how many of them have passed out eggs on Easter?......and if they did was it because it's a Christian tradition or a surrender to commercialism..........

I'm not saying your opinions aren't based on your experiences.......I'm just saying your opinions aren't logical......
 
PostmodernProphet said:
how many of them have passed out eggs on Easter?......and if they did was it because it's a Christian tradition or a surrender to commercialism..........

I'm not saying your opinions aren't based on your experiences.......I'm just saying your opinions aren't logical......
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Russian Orthodox Easter eggs painted with religious symbology are a stable in in Orthodox Easter traditions I have been involved in. There are no capitalists selling them, and they are not a nod to crass commercialism.

They are a genuine tradition that is a syncretic blend of an echo of Medieval paganism with Orthodox symbolism.
 
Cypress said:
I count myself lucky that I have been exposed to a broad cross section of the world Christian tradition, from Protestant denominations, to Catholic, to Eastern Orthodox, to Unitarian Universalist.

I don't hold you responsible for your extremely limited knowledge of the world Christian tradition. Anyone who spent their entire life with tunnel vision in the Baptist or Reformed dogma wouldn't be expected to have wide ranging knowledge of broader Christian traditions.
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I think the thing about people like Postmodern Prophet is that they actually fear any knowledge of faith outside of their understanding of it. The key is that they want to ensure their soul maintains a certain cleanness so that they might be acceptable to God. And infecting themselves with outside information weakens their faith (in their estimation), or at least presents the CHANCE that their faith could be weakened.

As such in a sense PMP is understandable. Fighting tooth and nail for his eternal soul against outside forces trying to put bad knowledge into his head. He is attempting to remain pure as he understands it.
 
Perry Phimosis said:
I think the thing about people like Postmodern Prophet is that they actually fear any knowledge of faith outside of their understanding of it. The key is that they want to ensure their soul maintains a certain cleanness so that they might be acceptable to God. And infecting themselves with outside information weakens their faith (in their estimation), or at least presents the CHANCE that their faith could be weakened.

As such in a sense PMP is understandable. Fighting tooth and nail for his eternal soul against outside forces trying to put bad knowledge into his head. He is attempting to remain pure as he understands it.
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It sounds like the Calvinist Easter tradition is really boring and devoid of symbolism, assuming PMP was unknowledgeable about broader Christian Easter traditions.

In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the easter foods are infused with Christian symbolism and echos of a pagan past.

Not only are the eggs frequently decorated with religious symbolism, but the leavened kulich sweet bread represents the rising of Christ and the white paska cheese desert represents the purity of Christ.
 
ZenMode said:
This is long, but interesting if you haven't read it previously.

[This article was originally written for the Atheists United radio program that was
broadcast on KPFK-FM in Los Angeles. Later it was adapted to an article that
appeared in the Fall 1985 issue of Free Inquiry magazine.]

http://miltontimmons.com/SolsticeandChristmas.html
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The day of Christ's birth is unknown. It was moved to near the winter solstice by the Catholic church to try to quash paganism.
From scripture, the time of year seems to indicate spring, not winter. Lambing season is spring. That's when shepherds are out watching their flocks by night in the mideast.

Bringing a tree into the house and decorating it started in Egypt, and they were originally palm trees. In northern climates, Norse mythology became incorporated into the tradition of the tree as representing the tree of the world. Lights on it represented the lights of Loki.
Later, the Catholic church associated the tree with the tree of life, and the evergreen was used, since it never loses it's leaves (they actually do, just like any tree, but not all of them).

Santa Claus is real. This cardinal from Turkey was well known for his philanthropy towards children, particularly poor children. Stories of this Saint Nicholas spread northward through Europe. Santa is Spanish for 'saint'. In Denmark, the Nicholas was shortened to 'clause'. The bit with the merry old elf working in a workshop to make toys for all the children started from a Coca-Cola ad campaign.

In the end, it really doesn't matter what day of the year Christ's birth is celebrated. Putting it near the Winter solstice is as good a time as any, since his gospel brings light to a dark world mired in sin. Just as the Sun has started to move north again with the promise of the coming Spring, so the light of Christ brings light to a darkened world.

Yes, to the Pagans, the winter solstice is an important event. It is the beginning of the new year, with it's promise of fertility, plenty, and harvest. January itself is named after the god Janus, the two faced god, who looks forward and backwards. It is the first month (or moon) after the winter solstice.

Whether you celebrate Christ's birth on Christmas or any other day of the year, be joyful, for he has come to save the world from it's darkness and sins.
 
Cypress said:
I don't think the birth of Jesus is held out as the foundational event in Christianity.

Jesus was born a Jew.

To the best of my recollection, the birth of Jesus is only described in the Gospel of Mathew, and almost only in passing in Luke.

The other gospels don't mention it, and I don't think it is ever mentioned in the 13 epistles of Paul.

You know what is described in all the gospels and is openly recognized by Paul?

The death and resurrection of Jesus. That is the watershed moment for Christianity, the ground zero origin point. Easter is really what defines Christianity.
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The birth of Christ is mentioned throughout the Bible, in the Old Testament as a prophecy, and in the New Testament as a record or as a past event.
Easter celebrates the resurrection of Christ, but Christ's gospel and teachings are what defines Christianity.
 
ThatOwlWoman said:
Interesting, thanks.

Many Biblical scholars believe that Jesus was actually born in the spring, which is when shepherds are "keeping watch over their flocks by night," so predators don't carry off the lambs.
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This is probably true. Scriptures tend to indicate spring time.

It matters not.
 
ThatOwlWoman said:
That date is probably much better established in history because it occurred near Passover. Many of the symbols Christians use for Easter -- eggs, rabbits, etc. -- are pagan in origin.
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Christians don't use eggs or rabbits to celebrate Easter. However, these pagan symbols of spring do provide something for the children to do.
 
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