Theologians, whether Protestant or Roman Catholic, and secular
historians, do not dispute how, and why, the December 25 date was
arbitrarily chosen by the Roman church in the fourth century (i.e.
"Christmas" did not begin to be observed until hundreds of years after
Christ's birth) for no other reason than to attempt to supercede (even
though a number of the same activities from the pagan festival were
adopted into the traditional Christmas observance that is seen today,
including yule logs, mistletoe, and the Christmas tree itself) a
centuries-old Roman pagan holiday, Sol Invictus ("the invincible sun")
that was held on that date to celebrate "the return of the sun" (i.e.
longer daylight) after the passing of the Winter Solstice on December
21.
An excerpt from the highly respected Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th
Edition, provides us with independent documentation of this well-known
truth:
"The traditional customs connected with Christmas have developed from
several sources as a result of the coincidence of the celebration of
the birth of Christ with the pagan agricultural and solar observances
at mid-winter. In the Roman world, the Saturnalia, December 17, was a
time of merry-making and exchange of gifts. December 25 was also
regarded as the birth date of the Iranian mystery god Mithra, the "Sun
of Righteousness." On the Roman New Year, January 1, houses were
decorated with greenery and lights, and gifts were given to children
and the poor. To these observances were added the German and Celtic
rites when the Teutonic tribes penetrated into Gaul, Britain and
central Europe. Food and good fellowship, the Yule log and Yule cakes,
greenery and fir trees, gifts and greetings all commemorated different
aspects of this festive season. Fires and lights, symbols of warmth
and lasting life, have always been associated with the winter
festival, both pagan and Christian. Since the Middle Ages, evergreens,
as symbols of survival, have been associated with Christmas."
I'm wishiny you and your's a Merry Christmas and I don't realy care if
you have a Happy New Year or not.
