Christmas December 25TH Yule Log Mistletoe Holly Christmas Tree Saint Nicholas Madonna & Child

What’s behind the celebration? December 25th “Natalis in- victi solis,” or the “birthday of the unconquerable sun,” was celebrated

“…That ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean.” (Leviticus 10:10)

“…Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the un- clean thing; and I will receive you.” (2 Corinthians 6:17) mas The fes- tival in honor Christof the birth of Christ (or is it?) How is it that a festival supposedly in honor of the birth of Christ th was connected to the 25th of December? 25 There is not a single word in the Scriptures about the exact day of His birth, or the time of year when he was born. In fact, from the scriptural record, it can be discerned that the time of His birth could not have been on the 25th of December. “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them…and the angel said unto them…for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:8–11)

In Palestine, the cold of the night from December to February is

considerable and it was not the custom for shepherds to care for their flocks in the open fields, at night, past the end of October. In Jeremiah 36:22 we read of King Jehoiakim sitting in his “win- terhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him.” This ninth month, our November/December period, was obviously a cold time. Even in April, just before the crucifixion, it was cold enough for Peter to be warming himself before a fire (Mark 14:67). Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the announcement to the shepherds by the angels would have been in December. In addition, at the time of Christ’s birth “all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee… unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.” (Luke 2:3-6) Such required travel, some for great dis- tances, by men, women and children, would not have been done in the middle of winter. Remember, Christ Himself said “But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter….” (Matthew 24:20) If the winter was so terrible a time to flee in, it would seem very unlikely that the shepherds would be in the fields at night then or that there would be great travel of families. So, if December 25th does not commemorate the birth of Christ, whose birth does it commemorate?

The pagans of Babylon, Assyria and Egypt had for centuries worshipped a goddess mother (i.e. Mother Earth) and son, which the “Christian” church later assimilated as “Mother” and “Child.” Pagans in vari- ous times believed common variations of the myth, given first by Babylon, that the husband of the goddess died and was then “reborn” as the child of the goddess. There was first Semiramis and her husband/son, Nimrod/Ninus (who is synony- mous with Tammuz) in Babylon, who later became Isis and Osirus, respectively, in Egypt. They were also worshipped as Venus and Adonis and Ceres and Bac- chus among other cultures, in other times. In Babylon, the Sun, or Baal, was the only god, and Nimrod/Tammuz and others were only incarnates of the Sun. It was in this manner that the birth of the “child” came to represent the birth of the Sun. So then, it is the Sun that is actually worshipped and not the Son.

The Christian church did not begin to celebrate “Christmas” un- til well into the fourth century AD. Constantine, who had pro- claimed himself and his empire “Roman Christian” some years earlier, established the official celebration of Christmas as a way to Christianize the pagan Saturnalia festivities, which lasted from December 17th to December 24th, and to create a compromise between pagans and Christians. Saturnalia was a celebration in which gifts were exchanged, slaves were served by their masters, children ruled over the households, and there was much feasting and drinking. Then on December 25th “Natalis invicti solis,” or the “birthday of the unconquerable sun,” was celebrated. The winter solstice usually fell before, or on, this day and Pagans cel- ebrated the victory of the sun over darkness and the fertility it would bring to the earth as the days began to lengthen. It is this birth -–the birth of the Sun and not the Son – which is observed and revered on December 25th. The same birth which the Baby- lonians and Egyptians had worshipped in earlier centuries. All the “church” did was to simply replace the name of Nimrod/Tam- muz/Bacchus, etc. with that of Jesus. “Ye worship ye know not what….” (John 4:22)

“He said also unto me…thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord’s house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.” Ezekial 8:13, 14. customs associated with Christmas are also pagan, as one would expect. The mistletoe, Thewhich was sacred to the Druids, was used to cast spells. It was believed that a woman underneath it was un- able to resist one’s sexual advances and thus the custom of kissing someone who is standing below it. Holly, and ev- ergreens in general, were worshipped as symbols of life, fertility, and sexual potency. They were often used to make wreaths, which were to pay homage to the circular sun, especially during the winter months.

The custom of the Christmas tree was an extension of this evergreen worship. It was often brought into the house and worshipped as an idol, usually decked with fruit, as food offerings, and with gifts left un- der it for their gods. Burning candles – mini suns – were often placed on the limbs and have been replaced by lights in present days. Elves, also known as tree demons, were believed to live in these trees and were worshipped by the Druids and Celts as well. Santa Clause (a mispronun- ciation of Saint Nicholas) has pagan origins as well. He originated as a god of the hearth who supernaturally traveled around the world, descended down chimneys and left gifts according to a child’s behav- ior. Food offerings and gifts were left to appease him.

The Yule traditions started with the pagans of Scandinavia. They worshipped the sex and fertil- ity god, Jule, and burned a large, single log (generally considered a phallic idol) for 12 days (known as the Yuletide) in late December with sacrifices offered to the god each day. This was incorporated in “Christian” tradition as the “12 days of Christmas.” Again there was much feasting and drinking, especially from the “was- sail cup.” People often went from door to door “caroling” too. When you wish someone “Yuletide Greetings,” this pagan god, and these traditions in fact, are what you’re paying respect to.

The truth is that there is no spirit of Christ in “Christmas” at all. It is purely pagan worship from beginning to end. Those who choose to serve Christ will not partake of these “doctrines of devils” in any form or fashion. It is time for all to “choose ye this day whom ye will serve.”

“Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.” (2 Timothy 2:7) “Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the hea- then, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.” Jeremiah 10:2-5

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