i hate when people say christmas is a pagan holiday

pottershand

and then talk about the origins of celebrating christmas in america, how it's not really about christ's birth, how really it is a pagan holiday, etc.

to me, christmas is celebrating the birth of jesus. i don't care if he was "really" born in june or some other time of the year. christmas is the day i celebrate his birth. i don't really get how you can call christmas a pagan holiday.

now i know there's a cultural aspect of christmas, where to many people it's not about jesus but about the american cultural tradition of christmas. i get that and think it's totally fine -- for some people, it's not about jesus.

 i just don't get the whole, "hey christians, guess what, this is pagan thing. ha!" argument.

KoriBrett

historically speaking, it is a pagan holiday.

 

femmegem

KoriBrett:

historically speaking, it is a pagan holiday.

 

That's what I thought, too. Isn't it right around the time of the solstice?

susan1017

KoriBrett:

historically speaking, it is a pagan holiday.

 

Yes and no. The early Christians chose December because in Roman times it was the celebration of Saturnalia and the Christians adopted many of the same traditions so they would not stand out and be punished by the Romans.  

goodheartedmommy

I don't really get why it has to be such a fight. Who cares what anyone else thinks it is?

susan1017

Its also why the Christian, Jewish holidays happen around one another. They had to work around the Romans.

mattslady

Yes to YOU, its a Christian holiday first, everything else is secondary.  Thats you.  Not everybody. 

Kapalua

That is where most of our modern traditions originated from.  But, who cares?  You want to celebrate the birth of Christ...great!  It's not a one or the other thing. 

pottershand

i don't care what anyone celebrates, i'm just saying what irks me is when people argue with christians by saying it's a "pagan holdiay." it's not a pagan holdiay. if you don't celebrate christ's birth, i don't care. i just don't think people can say christmas is a pagan holiday.

mattslady

pottershand:

i don't care what anyone celebrates, i'm just saying what irks me is when people argue with christians by saying it's a "pagan holdiay." it's not a pagan holdiay. if you don't celebrate christ's birth, i don't care. i just don't think people can say christmas is a pagan holiday.

 But you're doing the same thing, aren't you?  Someone arguing with a Christian that its a pagan holiday is no different than you arguing with someone that its a Christian holiday. 

FWIW, I don't see the point in arguing at all.  I guess some groups feel like they need to "own" the holiday. 

femmegem

mattslady:

pottershand:

i don't care what anyone celebrates, i'm just saying what irks me is when people argue with christians by saying it's a "pagan holdiay." it's not a pagan holdiay. if you don't celebrate christ's birth, i don't care. i just don't think people can say christmas is a pagan holiday.

 But you're doing the same thing, aren't you?  Someone arguing with a Christian that its a pagan holiday is no different than you arguing with someone that its a Christian holiday. 

FWIW, I don't see the point in arguing at all.  I guess some groups feel like they need to "own" the holiday. 

I have to agree with mattslady here. She put it better than I could have.

pottershand

yes, i'm disagreeing with them and saying it really bugs me.

KoriBrett

The way it began, it was considered radical, pagan, almost a cult.  They had to hide.  People thought Jesus was a radical freak. 

Is it this way now?  No.  But when it originated, that's how it was thought of.  LOTS of religions started that way and are no longer thought of as such.

To me, it's just a holiday that has different meanings to different people.  *shrug* 

momphd

You can fact check it all you want, but the way American's celebrate Christmas is distinctly American and only about 175 years old.