thought of the day.164

Reasons for the Season

Long before Jesus was said to be born, the ancient Babylonians celebrated the birth of the sun god, Horus, with eating, drinking and the giving of gifts on Dec. 25th.

In ancient Rome, the holiday season was called the birthday of the Unconquered Sun. Dec. 25th was the holiest day of the year as they celebrated the birth of the god Mithra, who, like Jesus, was visited by shepherds and Magi. The Theodosian decree of 391 established Christianity as the official state religion and banned and persecuted all others. To ease the pagan’s transition to the Christian belief system it was decided that Jesus, like Horus, Mithra and numerous other gods, was born on Dec. 25th as well.

Our Christian traditions, like Christianity itself, evolved from pagan traditions. In Rome, costumed singers and dancers called Mummers went from house to house entertaining their neighbors giving rise to the tradition of Christmas caroling. Northern Europeans gave us the Yule log (burnt in honor of their Sun god); Hollyberries (thought to be a food of the gods); kissing under the mistletoe (begun as a fertility ritual) and Christmas trees (evergreens brought into homes as symbols of life).

No matter which god you may be partial to, Dec. 25th is a great day to celebrate the light’s victory over darkness, the warmth of fireplaces, family and friends and the promise of a brand new year! For those things are the real reasons for the season.