Happy Easter

[uscitizen]

Its because the gentile converts of Europe (the barbarians as well as the Romans) were pagans. Had the Jesuits been allowed to work their magic in China without other, less compitent orders running interference and ultimately getting them recalled by Rome, then we would also be seeing ancient Asian cultural influences on Christianity as well...

or is it Christian influences on Pagans ?
Pagans had the holidays first and the Christians co-opted them.

 

[Damocles]

Easter, the other ChristoPagan holiday.

Strange that both main Christian holidays have so much paganism in them.

It isn't strange. It is what happens when you attempt to keep together an Empire by creating a culture. It was very successful and it was how the Catholic (Universal) church came about.

It was much like the Unitarian Church of our time, it inculcated religious rites from many different denominations and created new ways to celebrate them that perpetuated a shared culture throughout the entire Byzantine Empire.

 

[Minister of Truth]

or is it Christian influences on Pagans ?
Pagans had the holidays first and the Christians co-opted them.

Hardly, a non-convert wouldn't be pledging their undying love for Christ on the feast day of His resurrection. They'd be out their sacrificing young members of their community and whatnot.