Christmas Is NOT Christian

by: Richard C. Nickels It almost seems like a sacrilege for a professing Christian not to celebrate Christmas. After all, it is the celebration of the birth of the Messiah, isn't it? There is much goodwill in the "spirit of the season," isn't there? et us e!amine the histor" and m"ths surrounding the world# wide phenomenon of Christmas. "If all our festi$al da"s had to be gi$en up e!cept one, it is %uite probable that the $oices of children would mingle with those of adults and sound forth in a might" chorus in fa$or of retaining Christmas" &erbert &. 'ernecke, Christmas Customs Around the World , page ((. Christmas is the main holiday, not onl" of the professing Christian world, but also of man" other non#Christian peoples. )trange as it ma" seem, Christmas is not in the *ible, was not obser$ed b" most professing Christians until four centuries after +esus' death, and would ha$e been forbidden in earl" ,ew Testament times. Christmas is at least 2,000 years older than the birth of the Jesus, our true Messiah! Mesopotamia is the $er" ancient Mother of Ci$ili-ation. Christmas began there, o$er four thousand "ears ago, as the festi$al which renewed the world for another "ear. The 'twel$e da"s' of Christmas. the bright fires and probabl" the /ule log. the gi$ing of presents. the carni$als with their floats, their merr"making and clownings, the mummers who sing and pla" from house to house. the feastings. the church processions with their lights and song ## all these and more began there centuries before Messiah was born 01arl '. Count, 4,000 Years of Christmas, page (23. December 25: Not Christ's Birth There are se$eral reasons wh" 4ecember 56 could not be date of birth of Christ7 0(3 )hepherds do not tend their flocks b" night in *ethlehem, for it is too cold. )hepherds take in their flocks before the end of 8ctober. Adam Clarke sa"s, It was a custom among +ews to send out their sheep tot he deserts, about the 9asso$er :earl" spring;, and bring them home at the commencement of the first rain . . . :in; 8ctober or ,o$ember . . . . as these shepherds had not "et brought home their flocks, it is a presumpti$e argument that 8ctober had not "et commenced, and that, conse%uentl", our )a$ior was not born on the twent"#fifth of 4ecember, when no flocks were out in the fields . . . the flocks were in still in the fields b" night. 8n this $er" ground the nati$it" in 4ecember should be gi$en up 0Clarke's Commentary, $ol. <, p. <=>3. 053 ?oman ta!ations usuall" took place at the end of the har$est, in )eptember or 8ctober. 0<3 Tra$el was so hard in the winter season that +esus warned &is people to pra" that their flight at the end of the age would not be in winter, Matthew 24:20. 0@3 'e know the birthdates of Caesars and 9haraohs 0birthda" celebrations in 1g"pt can be documented back to the (<th Centur" *.C.3, but there is not one mention in the *ible nor in earl" church literature defining the date of Christ's birth. God did not ant us to kno the date Christ as born, other ise, !e ould ha"e told us hen it as! 8b$iousl", it was ne er !od's intention "or Christ's birthday to be celebrated# 'e do, howe$er, celebrate Christ's death, annually at the Christian 9asso$er ceremon".

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063 In A.4. 5=@, 1mperor Aurelian chose 4ecember 56 for the date of a pagan festi$al in ?ome, as the birthda" of the uncon%uered sun, natalis solis in"i#ti, which at the winter solstice begins again to show an increase in light. 0A3 9ope iberius of ?ome, in <6@ A.4., ordered 4ecember 56th obser$ed from that time forward as the birthda" of Christ, which was a Catholic substitution for the pagan ?oman $aturnalia festi$al on nearl" the same date. iberius chose the date "because the people of ?ome alread" obser$ed it as the Beast of )aturn, celebrating the birthda" of the )un" according to %he World &ook 'n#y#lo(edia. Christmas was celebrated in ?ome as earl" as <<A. +ulius I, *ishop of ?ome, was said to ha$e kept in <6>. Tradition sa"s Christ's birth was kept as earl" as C2 A.4., and was ordered to be obser$ed as a solemn feast b" Telesphorus, *ishop of ?ome, in (<=. Another source sa"s +ulius )e!tus Africanus 0historian who li$ed in Ale!andria, 1g"pt3 was the first person to specif" 4ecember 56 as the )a$ior's birthda", in 556 0or 55(3 A.4. &e selected the winter solstice through his association with pagan winter solstice practices. 0=3 Christmas as 4ecember 56 coincides with pagan festi$als such as the ?oman $aturnalia. The 9ersians obser$ed the winter solstice b" a feast re$ering the sun, kindling great fires to Mithra, their god of light, while Teutonic tribes of northern 1urope honored 'oden 08din3 b" consuming %uantities of food and drink during their "uletide season, the time of the rebirth of the sun. Christmas was not among the earliest festi$als of the Church. Irenaues and Tertullian omit it from their lists of feasts . . . the first e$idence of the feast is from 1g"pt . . . . 9agan customs centering around the +anuar" calends gra$itated to Christmas 0 Catholi# 'n#y#lo(edia, article "Christmas"3. Certain it is that the winter solstice, which the ancients erroneousl" assigned to the twent"# fifth of 4ecember, was celebrated in anti%uit" as the birthda" of the )un . . . . 8ur Christmas festi$al is nothing but a continuation under a Christian name of this old solar festi$al. for the ecclesiastical authorities saw fit, about the end of the third or the beginning of the fourth centur", arbitraril" to transfer the nati$it" of Christ . . . to the twent"#fifth of 4ecember, for the purpose of di$erting to their ord the worship which the heathen had hitherto paid on that da" to the sun 0+ames D. Bra-er, %he Golden &ou)h, page A<<3. $an%ary &: Not Christ's Ba'tism In the eastern part of the ?oman empire, a festi$al de$eloped called ('i'hany 0from the Dreek e(i(haneia, meaning manifestation3. It began at least as earl" as 5>> A.4., and became more pre$alent in the latter part of the Bourth Centur", A.4. 1piphan" celebrated both the birth and baptism of +esus. Though 1piphan" as the birth and baptism of +esus appears to ha$e earlier support than 4ecember 56, graduall" in the 'est and most parts of the empire, Christmas 04ecember 563 became the preferred celebration for the ph"sical birth of +esus, while 1piphan" became onl" a celebration of the ba(tism of +esus, &is spiritual birth. In <2(, Dregor" of ,a-ian-us called 1piphan" the festi$al of lights, in commemoration of the baptism of Christ, the true light. The &ritanni#a speculates that the introduction of Christmas as the birth of +esus ma" well ha$e been connected with the struggle of Trinitarians against the Arians, who denied Christ's di$init". Toda", onl" the Armenian Catholics continue to obser$e the nati$it" on +anuar" A. Twelfth ,ight, another name for 1piphan", is traditionall" the time for Christmas decorations to come down.

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Mass o" Christ )s )dolatry Christmas gets its name from the atin Christes Masse, or the Mass of Christ. The Brench call Christmas *oel, the )candina$ians Yulen Jul, the Italians *atale, and the Dermans Weihna#ht. *" celebrating the "Mass" of Christ, one is openl" supporting the authorit" of the ?oman Catholic Church, and its pagan Mass. 'hat is a ?oman Catholic Mass? The )acrifice of the Mass is reall" the hol" and li$ing representation and at the same time the unblood" and efficacious oblation of the ord's 9assion :suffering; and that blood#stained sacrifice which was offered for us on the cross 0%he Catholi# 'n#y#lo(edia, page <=63. In the mass, +esus is considered to be both the priest and the $ictim, represented b" the Catholic priest who offers &im as a sacrifice o$er and o$er again, each time the mass is performed. As the supposed mediator between Dod and man, the priest belie$es he has the power to change the bread and wine into +esus' literal flesh and blood 0the miracle of "transubstantiation"3, consumed b" the people. Bor more information on the ungodl" idolatr" of the Catholic ceremonies, please read &abylon Mystery +eli)ion, b" ?alph 'oodrow. *east o" +ol ?oman feast of the sun#god, at the time of the winter solstice. Also called, *atalis in"i#ti solis, or "birthda" of the uncon%uered sun." )a"s Bra-er, "The largest pagan religious cult which fostered the celebration of 4ecember 56 as a holida" throughout the ?oman and Dreek worlds was the pagan sun worship ## Mithraism . . . This winter festi$al was called 'the ,ati$it"' ## the ',ati$it" of the )E,'," Golden &ou)h, p. @=(. The Catholi# 'n#y#lo(edia sa"s, "The well#known solar feast of ,atalis In$icti," the ,ati$it" of the Encon%ured )un, "celebrated on 56 4ecember, has a strong claim on the responsibilit" for our 4ecember date," $olume <, page =5=, article, "Christmas." )ome thought that +esus was )ol, the sun#god. "Tertullian had to assert that )ol was not the Christians' Dod. Augustine denounced heretical identification of Christ with )ol. 9ope eo I bitterl" repro$ed solar sur$i$als ## Christians, on the $er" doorstep of the Apostles' basilica, turning to adore the rising sun," ,bid. Mistletoe The "Dolden *ough" of classical legend, mistletoe was gathered b" 4ruids and ,orsemen with great ceremon" and hung in their homes. Mistletoe was thought to be sacred with miraculous powers. Its berries, produced in the winter, were thought to be a se! stimulant. Fissing under the mistletoe began as part of the Celtic Midsumer 1$e ceremon" in which men would kiss each other as a displa" of their homose-uality, and was later e!panded to include both se!es. )ome historians belie$e mistletoe kissing is e$en more ancient, from temple prostitution and se!ual license that was most prolific during the ?oman $aturnalia. !reen Bo%,hs ?omans ornamented their temples and homes with green boughs during winter solstice season. Dreens ha$e been used in homes as s"mbols of the earth's fertilit" and eternal life since ancient pagan da"s. Teutonic peoples belie$ed that certain greens could frighten awa" e$il spirits.

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-olly Esed b" )a!ons, along with i$" and ba", holl"'s green lea$es and red berries were thought in medie$al times to be protection against witchcraft and the e$il e"e, and a good#luck charm for men. Wreaths of holl" andGor other e$ergreen boughs 0such as laurel3 are round to s"mboli-e the returning sun at the winter solstice, and depict the sun's returning $ictor" o$er darkness and death. &oll" berries were considered sacred to the sun#god. .%le /o, *urning "ule log was part of sun#worship. "/ule" ma" come from the )candina$ian word rol, which means "wheel," a pagan s"mbol of the sun. This ma" in turn be deri$ed from the Chaldean 'ol, which means "infant HorI little child." )"rian and 1g"ptian sun worshippers would retire to their shrines on 4ecember 56 th and at midnight come out with a loud cr", "The Jirgin has brought forthK The light is wa!ingK" 0see +ames Bra-er, %he Golden &ou)h, page @(A3. The ,orse winter solstice festi$al was called Jol 0pronounced "/ol"3, which ma" be the origin of our word "Loll"." The ashes of the /ule log, kept through the "ear, were supposed to protect the house from fire and lightning, and to ha$e the power of healing wounds and making fields and animals fertile. A piece of the old log was sa$ed and used to light ne!t "ear's /ule log. The /ule log represents the dead ,imrod, deified as the sun#god, cut down b" his enemies, but come to life again. This identifies the "yuletide season" as the birthda" of the counterfeit *ab"lonian Messiah, ,imrod. Christmas candles trace back to the burning /ule log and the reincarnation of ,imrod in Tammu-. /ule log customs continue toda" in $arious part of America. Among colonial planters in Jirginia and Mar"land, the ,egro sla$es searched for the largest water#soaked logs, since it was belie$ed that Christmas festi$ities continue as long as the burning log is kept glowing. According to Jenerable *ede, the Anglo#)a!on church historian, ancient Anglo#)a!ons called the night of 4ecember 5@ to 56 Modrane#ht, meaning "Mother's night," for it in$ol$ed ceremonies relating to the "rebirth" of the sun. At the time of the winter solstice, a feast dedicated to Thor, called Giul was held. This is from a word meaning "ale," and ma" ha$e been later corrupted to Yule. The old /ule season lasted 5> da"s in all, (5 after and 2 before Modrane#ht. Toda", it is still considered bad luck to take down the holl", mistletoe and other /uletide decorations until the "Twelfth ,ight" after Christmas. Christmas *ires and Candles ighting of fires and candles was a pagan custom of $aturnalia. As a pagan belief, fire was thought to encourage the waning sun#god as he reached the lowest place in the southern skies. ?omans fastened candles to their $aturnalia tree, indicating the sun's return to the earth. Christmas -am &am is eaten at Christmas 0and 1aster3 because Tammu- 0the sun deit" Adonis3 was thought to ha$e been killed b" a boar. Ale!ander &islop, in %he % o &abylons, shows that the boar slain at Christmas time represented ancient Nimrod. After his death, his wife )emiramis ga$e birth to a child, Tammu-, which she claimed to be ,imrod reincarnated. Tradition sa"s that ,imrod was so e$il that his great#uncle )hem ordered his e!ecution. The great hunter and empire builder ,imrod 0!enesis 00:12023 had been a might" one, worshipped b" his followers as the sun. )ince the sun "dies" at the winter solstice, the boar's head was eaten on the e$e 0beginning3 of 4ecember 56, signif"ing the death of the old sun, and the new sun Tammu- returns.

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In memor", pagans sacrificed and ate swine at the $aturnalia and other times. The entire animal was cooked, often ser$ed with an apple or pomegranate in its mouth, a custom which still pre$ails in 1ngland and parts of 1urope. In )t. ouis, Missouri, the ham is especiall" pri-ed during the Christmas season. Bor o$er <,>>> "ears, it has been common among pagans to kill and eat a pig at their winter festi$al of the return of the sun in late 4ecember. 'hat Dod thinks of eating swine's flesh is clearl" shown in )saiah &5:0234 &&:03. Christmas Cookies Christmas cookies are traceable to the cakes made to the Mueen of &ea$en 0)emiramis3, $eremiah 44:05. +ound cakes were made for the $aturnalia and &rumalia to s"mboli-e the sun. Br%malia A pagan ?oman festi$al of 4ecember 56, the word brumalia means "winter solstice." egend has it that ?omulus, the founder of ?ome, instituted the winter solstice festi$al under the name of brumalia. +at%rn 6orshi' ?oman god, e%ui$alent to the Dreek Cronus or .ronos, a god of the har$est, and ruler of the world in its Dolden Age. 4uring $aturnalia, the festi$al in honor of )aturn, the Dolden Age supposedl" returned to the earth. .ronos, or $aturn, is usuall" shown as a bent old man with a sc"the in one hand. In the other hand, he holds a serpent which bites its own tail. The m"tholog" of .ronos is clearl" shown in popular ",ew /ear's" m"ths toda" of "Bather Time." +at%rnalia The most popular ancient ?oman festi$al was $aturnalia. It was dedicated to the "god" )aturn, distinguished b" holl" and the interchange of presents between friends, and adapted b" nominal Christians from the 9agans. $aturnalia began on 4ecember (=, and lasted se$en da"s, through 4ecember 5< or 5@. 8n the first da", public religious ceremonies honoring )aturn took place. 8n the second da", man" families offered sacrifices of a "oung pig. A boar's head was ser$ed with an apple or orange in its mouth. 9lum pudding, mince pies, and decorated sweets and cookies for dessert were ser$ed. It was the ga"est holida" festi$al of the ?oman "ear, and marked b" ease of moral restrictions and a Mardi Dras#like madness. &omes were decorated with greener" and lights. )chools obser$ed holida"s and all public business stopped, including the courts. Bamilies held gatherings and ban%uets, and e$en ?oman sla$es were free to attend the festi$al. The name ")aturn" meant "abundance," and $aturnalia festi$ities had abundant feastings. The last da"s of $aturnaliawere spent $isiting and e!changing presents. )ome of the gifts were wa! candles and little cla" images or dolls, called si)illaria 0little images3. It is interesting that the word "doll" in our language ma" ha$e been deri$ed from the word "idol." )ome historians belie$e that these dolls represented original human sacrifices once offered to )aturn 0see 'n#y#lo(edia &ritanni#a, ((th edition, article ")aturnalia"3, and that the Dreeks and ?omans ga$e the name of Cronus and )aturn to a cruel 9hoenician baal, to whome children were sacrificed at Carthage. This makes it grisl" to think that the original "Christmas" was, as it is toda", "Lust for kids." $aturnalia continued to be obser$ed as late as the @th or 6th centuries A.4. )"mphosius, atin writer of that period, wrote (>> three#he!ameter riddles for the $aturnalia.

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According to the 'n#y#lo(edia &ritanni#a, article ")aturn," the influence of $aturnalia "is still felt throughout the western world . . . . The influence of the $aturnalia upon the celebrations of Christmas and ,ew /ear has been direct." In the &ritanni#a article on "Christmas," we are told that "both Christmas and 1piphan", which falls (5 da"s later on +anuar" A, are transformed pagan celebrations of the winter solstice, and so closel" linked that their origins cannot be discussed separatel"." 6orshi' o" Mithra Collier's 'n#y#lo(edia,article "Christmas," brings out another aspect of Christmas7 The choice of 4ecember 56 was probabl" influenced b" the fact that on this da", the ?omans celebrated the Mithraic feast of the )un Dod 0 natalis solis in"i#ti3 and that the $aturnalia also came at this time. The worship of Mithra was especiall" popular with the ?oman legions. Mithra means "friend," or "dead ruler." 8riginating in 9ersia, the Mithra cult found its wa" to Asia Minor, )"ria, 9alestine, ?ome, and man" parts of the ?oman 1mpire, during the time of the emperors. Bra-er in %he Golden &ou)h reports that "Mithra was regularl" identified b" his worshipers with the sun, the uncon%uered sun, as the" called him. hence, his nati$it" also fell on the 56th of 4ecember." Mithra worshipers were called "soldiers of the faith," and in$incible Lust like the sun, hence, its wide appeal to soldiers. Thus, it is not surprising that 1mperor Constantine, a sun worshiper and soldier himself, had a supposed $ision with the sun and the sign of the cross, telling him " in ho# si)no "in#es 0in this sign con%uer3." Constantine led the merger of pagan Mithraism with nominal Christianit" to produce a most unhol" mi!ture. Mithra worship became a competitor and close counterfeit of apostate Christianit" for the number one religion of the decadent ?oman 1mpire. In fact, Mithraism actuall" did win out, for Mithraic practices, mas%ueraded as Christianit", became the dominant religion of the western world. . . . :Mithras was; the creator and orderer of the uni$erse, hence a manifestation of the creati$e ogos or 'ord. )eeing mankind afflicted b" Ahriman, the cosmic power of darkness, he incarnated on earth. &is birth on 56 4ecember was witnessed b" shepherds. After man" deeds he held a last supper with his disciples and returned to hea$en. At the end of the world he will come again to Ludge resurrected mankind and after the last battle, $ictorious o$er e$il, he will lead the chosen ones through a ri$er of fire to a blessed immortalit" 0 Mystery +eli)ions in the An#ient World, page CC3. Mithra worship, the uncon%uered sun god, has been $ictorious. It is no wonder that the Apostle 9aul warned the Corinthians about false apostles, "for )atan himself is transformed into an angel of light" )) Corinthians 00:04. 7rotestants and 8mas Christmas was outlawed in 1ngland from (A@= to (AA>, under 8li$er Cromwell. Catholic Fing Charles II re#established Christmas in 1ngland in (AA>. In (A5>, the first 4ecember 56 was spent b" the 9ilgrims in the ,ew 'orld felling trees "in order to a$oid an" fri$olit" on the da" sometimes called Christmas." 'illiam *radford, second go$ernor of 9l"mouth *a" Colon", told his officers7 "'e must take the sternest measures against this popish da"." 8n Ma" ((, (A6C, the Massachusetts colonial legislature passed a law fining an"one caught celebrating Christmas7 The law read, "'hosoe$er shall be found obser$ing an" such da" as Christmas and the like, either b" forbearing of labor, feasting, or an" other wa" . . . shall pa" for each offense fi$e shillings." The purpose of the law was "for pre$enting disorders . . .

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0b"3 obser$ing such festi$als as were superstitiousl" kept in other countries to the great dishonor of Dod and the offense of others." Though repealed in (A2(, public schools remained open in *oston on 4ecember 56 until (2=>. Derman and Irish Catholics were largel" responsible for bringing the tree and other Christmas customs to America during the great migrations of the (2>>'s. *" (2<A, Christmas was a legal holida" in Alabama. Deorgia followed in (26A. The first real "Derman" celebration of Christmas in America was kept b" &essian mercenaries of the *ritish arm" at Trenton, ,ew +erse" in 4ecember, (==A, when on Christmas e$e, while the Dermans were in a drunken stupor 0a Christmas custom followed b" man" toda", patterned after the ?oman $aturnalia3, Deneral Deorge 'ashington and other re$olutionaries crossed the 4elaware ?i$er and at dawn on Christmas da" routed the blear" &essians. 'ashington's disregard of Christmas led to the $ictor" of colonial forces o$er the *ritish. Birthdays It is neither a +ewish nor a Christian custom to obser$e birthda"s with great fanfare and celebration7 The da" :of Christmas; was not one of the earl" feasts of the Christian church. In fact the obser$ance of birthda"s was condemned as a heathen custom repugnant to Christians. %he Ameri#an &ook of /ays, b" Deorge '. 4ouglas, p. A62. The earl" Catholic "father," 8rigen 0ca. 5>>3, acknowledged that7 In the )criptures, no one is recorded to ha$e kept a feast or held a great ban%uet on his birthda". It is onl" sinners :like 9haraoh and &erod, !enesis 40:204 Matthew 04:&4 Mark &:20 ; who make great reLoicings o$er the da" in which the" were born into this world" 0 Catholi# 'n#y#lo(edia, article ",atal 4a""3. 8rigin said it was sinful to keep Christ's birthda" like pagan festi$als, "as though he :Christ; were a Fing 9haraoh." Dregor" of ,a-ian-us 0d. <2C3 denounced the intermingling of pagan and Christian elements in Christmas, warning against e!cessi$e indulgence in feasting, dancing and dressing in grotes%ue costumes of animal skins. 9rofessing Christians ha$e forgotten the commanded 9asso$er, as the annual memorial of the death of our )a$ior for our sins. Instead, the" ha$e appropriated the pagan Christmas as the birth of the *ab"lonian false Messiah. (9chan,in, !i"ts at Saturnalia and Christmas An important part of pagan ?oman festi$al of $aturnalia 0?omans also e!changed gifts at the ,ew /ear3, gift#gi$ing was frowned upon b" the earl" Church for hundreds of "ears. Dift# gi$ing in the Enited )tates was not a custom until the (Cth centur". The wise men did not e!change gifts among themsel$es. the" presented gifts to +esus sometime after &is birth, when &e and Mar" and +oseph were in a house, Matthew 2:00. The onl" place in the *ible where we find the masses e!changing gifts is in celebration of the death of the Two 'itnesses, at the end of the age, Re elation 00:00. &owe$er, their Lo" will be short#li$ed, for the merchants of the earth, who ha$e fostered sales of merchandise through Christmas gift#gi$ing promotions, shall, as part of *ab"lon, be destro"ed, Re elation 01:00224.

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The interchange of presents between friends is alike characteristic of Christmas and the )aturnalia, and must ha$e been adopted b" Christians from the 9agans, as the admonition of Tertullian plainl" shows 0&ibliothe#a $a#ra, $olume (5, pages (6<#(663.

7%blic -olidays ?ome's festi$als of the official calendar were ci$ic holida"s, and keeping the feasts was re%uired b" patriotism. &olida"s which once were mainl" religious graduall" became secular, much as toda". +anta Cla%s )anta Claus supplants the Christ#child as the central person of Christmas. ")anta Claus" ma" be a corruption of the name ")t. ,icholas," a supposed ?oman Catholic *ishop of M"ra, in Asia Minor, who ma" ha$e li$ed in the @th Centur". More churches ha$e been named after ,icholas than an" of the apostles. )t. ,icholas is the patron saint of ?ussia and Dreece. In spite of ?oman Catholic tradition, there is no real proof that an historical )t. ,icholas 0)t. ,ick3 e$er e!isted. 9hilip ?e$-in in %he Wall $treet Journal 04ecember 55, (C2A3, writes that "$irtuall" nothing is known for sure about the original ,icholas of M"ra." 4utch settlers brought the idea of a gift#bringing Christmas patron of children to ,ew Amsterdam 0,ew /ork Cit"3 during the (=th Centur". 4utch children shortened ",icholas" to "Claus," and the )panish influence in the ,etherlands changed ")aint" to ")anta." Christmas in &olland is still celebrated on 4ecember A, the supposed da" of )t. ,icholas' death. Brench children call )anta 0ere *oel, while Derman children call him .ris .rin)le, )candina$ians Yule %omten, Italians 1ady &efana, while Binnish children see their holida" patron as a )oatK 4utch seamen are supposed to ha$e carried the tradition of ,icholas' generosit" to 1urope, as a result of which 4utch children recei$ed presents on 4ecember A. )t. ,icholas was traditionall" represented as a beared saint riding a white horse and carr"ing a basket of gifts for good children, and birch rods for naught" ones. The 4utch Americans transformed him into a chubb" cheer#bringer. 'ashington Ir$ing in (2>C pictured )anta Claus as a Loll", chubb" fellow riding through the air in a sleigh drawn b" reindeer. 4r. Clement C. Moore in his (255, poem, "A Jisit from )t. ,icholas," published in (25< in the Tro", ,ew /ork $entinel, enshrined the present form and spirit of )anta Claus. Binall", in (2A<, cartoonist Thomas ,ast, in !ar(er's ,llustrated Weekly, ga$e the white#bearded gentleman his red, fur#trimmed coat. M"th transferred into modern commercialism, )anta Claus' popularit" among Christ#reLecting multitudes is assured. Called b" man" different names, $arious customs and traditions e$ol$ed into the modern )anta Claus from 8din or )aturn, the sun#god. )anta, like 2din, has a home far awa" in &ea$en or the ,orth 9ole 0Dod's throne is in the north, 7salm 41:0224 $ob 2&:33, he comes on horseback or in a sleigh dri$en b" reindeer, he is associated with fire, b" entering the house b" the chimne" or lea$ing gifts b" the hearth 0since he is a sun#god3. 8din, the gift#gi$er, is re#incarnated in toda"'s )anta Claus. )t. ,icholas, bishop of M"ra, a saint honored b" the Dreeks and atins on the Ath of 4ecember . . . . A legend of his surreptitious bestowal of dowries on the three daughters of an impo$erished citi-en . . . is said to ha$e originated the old custom of gi$ing presents in secret on the 1$e of )t. ,icholas :4ecember A;, subse%uentl" transferred to Christmas da". &ence the association of Christmas with )anta Claus 0 'n#y#lo(aedia &ritanni#a, ((th edition, $olume (C, pages A@2#A@C3.

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Throughout the "ear, parents punish their children for telling lies. Then, at Christmas time, the" tell the lie of )anta Clause to their own children. It is no wonder the" grow up %uestioning what their parents told them about Dod as well. "8ld ,ick" is a term for the de$il, the father of lies. That is what )anta Claus reall" represents.

Christmas :ree )ince e$ergreen trees do not lose all their lea$es and become brown 0s"mbolic of death3, the" were re$ered and worshipped b" pagans, as s"mbolic of immortalit" and fertilit". 9erhaps the first decorating of an e$ergreen tree was done b" pagans to honor the god Adonis, who after being slain was brought back to life b" the serpent Aesculapius. Around the stump of the dead tree 0the slain god3 coiled the snake Aesculapius, s"mbol of restoring life 0but, in the *ible, the serpent signifies )atan the de$il, !enesis ;4 Re elation 02:5 3. Brom the roots of the dead tree came a different tree ## an e$ergreen tree s"mbolic to pagans of a god who cannot die. In 1g"pt, this god was worshipped in a palm tree as *aal#Tamar. 1g"ptians brought the green date palms indoors, for the" signified to them life triumphant o$er death. The ?omans worshipped the fir tree as the same newborn god *aal#*erith, restored to life b" the same serpent, and a feast was held in honor of him on 4ecember 56th called the "*irthda" of the uncon%uered )un." ?omans trimmed trees with trinkets and to"s during $aturnalia. Again, all this pagan s"mbolism shows that the "sacred" tree simpl" represents Nimrod, who was e!ecuted, or cut down, b" )hem 0,oah's son3 for his apostas" against the Almight". And, the new tree growing from the stump represents Tammu-, the supposed rebirth of ,imrod. Catholic )t. *oniface in the 2th centur" completed the catholic con%uest of Derman" b" dedicating the fir tree to the &ol" Child to replace the sacred oak of 8din. Martin uther, strolling home on a clear, star#lit Christmas 1$e, was "inspired" to cut a tall e$ergreen, place lighted candles on it to s"mboli-e the stars and ga$e it to his children. 'hile lighted and decorated trees date centuries earlier, uther made the decorated Christmas tree popular. Derman settlers brought the tree custom to 9enns"l$ania in the (=th centur", while Derman#born 9rince Albert introduced it to 1ngland in (2@(, a "ear after his marriage to Mueen Jictoria. 9ossibl" the first Christmas tree in a church in America was pro$ided b" 9astor &enr" )chwan, in (26( at Cle$eland, 8hio. In numerous *ible passages, the "green" tree is associated with false worship and idolatr"7 De%teronomy 02:24 ) <in,s 04:2222;4 )) <in,s 0&:0244 03:52004 )) Chronicles 21:44 )saiah 53:;254 $eremiah 2:204 ;:&40;4 03:0224 and (=ekiel &:0; . The aserah, or "gro$es," followed the practice of the pagan Canaanites, who cut branches of a li$e tree, and car$ed it into a phallic s"mbol and worshiped it. 8belisks and church steeples of toda" are a continuation of this pagan fertilit" se! worship. )uch false worship was one of the primar" reasons wh" the 1ternal e$icted the ten northern tribes of Israel from the 9romised and, and send them capti$e to Ass"ria, )) <in,s 03, especiall" erses 00202. +ust as the Almight" in old times was angr" when &is people followed the wa"s of the heathen, so toda", &e is angr" at those who mi! paganism and the laws of Dod. +udgment and capti$it" awaits our people, part of modern Israel, unless the" repent of following heathen customs. $eremiah 00:025 ma" refer to an ancient pagan practice similar to toda"'s Christmas tree. Brederick +. &askins, in Ans ers to 3uestions, sa"s, "The Christmas tree is from 1g"pt, and its origin dates from a period long anterior to :before; the Christian 1ra." 9rofessing Christians toda" do not worship the Christmas tree, but the" ha$e continued the same pagan customs of sun worshippers who did indeed worship the e$ergreen tree as

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s"mbolic of their immortal sun#god. Dod sa"s not to follow pagan practices, &erbert 'ernecke, in Christmas Customs Around the World , sa"s that the Christmas tree is the "center of holida" obser$ance" 0page 5>3. Take awa" the Christmas tree 0and the associated greener" and lights3, and the customs and traditions of Christmas would be greatl" diminished. Although professing Christians claim that the Christmas tree represents immortalit" and Christ, the "light of the world," our )a$ior is definitel" not pleased. )her"l Ann Faras, author of %he $olsti#e '"er)reen4 %he !istory, 5olklore and 2ri)ins of the Christmas %ree, tells of her fascination with the "magic" of the Christmas tree, and shows wh" the tree is so uni$ersall" admired and adored. The warmth of friends, e!changing of gifts with friends, beautiful light of the decorated tree create an aura which is irresistible 0in spite of the fact Faras is a +ew and was denied celebration of Christmas when she was a child3. Faras now relishes in the pagan underpinnings for our modern Christmas tree customs7 The e$ergreen pla"ed an influential role in the spiritual life of earl" societies throughout the world . . . . Jeneration of the tree dates from at least @>>> "ears before Christ. Its per$asi$e s"mbolism was central to primiti$e cosmologies, the beliefs about the uni$erse which laid the foundation for e$er" maLor religion, including Christianit" . . . . Man" people like to de#emphasi-e our pagan heritage . . . . /et paganism is . . . part of our spiritual past. In the case of the Christmas Tree, this knowledge can enrich the celebration of the ritual for e$en the most fundamentalist Christians and re$itali-e the winter holida"s for those who are not 0pages @#63. 'h" did the pagans so re$ere the tree, especiall" the e"er)reen tree? After three "ears of detailed research, Faras was able to trace the Christmas tree back to the Darden of 1den. )inful, degenerate man rebelled against Dod, and the most common deities in pagan religions were the "trinit"" of the )un Dod, the Mother 1arth, and the )k" )pirit. The earth being the temple of the sun, pagan gods and goddesses were worshipped outdoors in naturall" protected spots such as under trees. These gro$es, or "high places" forbidden in the *ible acted as sanctuaries, much like modern churches and cathedrals. The" were held to be sacred places, and it was considered sacrilegious to break a branch or cut down one of the trees in such a sacred gro$e. Trees were held to be houses of spirits, and if a tree was cut, it was belie$ed that the spirit would die. 1$ergreens came to be most re$ered, from the Cedars of ebanon to the C"press and 9ine of China. 1$ergreens s"mboli-ed to pagans eternal life, the belief that life would continue fore$er. ,umerous m"ths and legends attest to a common pagan belief that man either came from a tree, or his spirit returns to a tree upon death. Thus, the e$ergreen is a common pagan s"mbol of rebirth and eternal life. The Tree of ife from the Darden of 1den was reLected b" Adam and 1$e, and their posterit" e$er since has "earned to return to that garden and eat of that tree, and li$e fore$er. That is wh" the tree is the central part of the worship of nature religions. That is wh" the Christmas tree li$es on with uni"ersal a((eal. Dionys%s The m"th of 4ion"sus has man" parallels with that of +esus 0andGor common ideas of +esus3. &e was the son of Neus and a mortal woman )emele. &e was supposedl" born on 4ecember 56. &e became god of wine and performed miracles such as turning water into wine. &e was ambushed and killed b" Titans, who tore his bod" apart. &owe$er, 4ion"sus was resurrected andGor rose to hea$en on March 56. 'hen the pruned grape $ine comes back to life in the spring, it was celebrated b" the Dreeks as the resurrection of 4ion"sus. 4uring the processional, a bab", representing the newl" reborn god, was carried in a place of honor. Then, the wild fren-ied *acchanalian rites began, with drinking large %uantities of wine and wild orgies. The 4elphic oracle commanded the Corinthians to worship the (ine tree along with 4ion"sus, and images of 4ion"sus were made of pine wood, along with *acchinalian celebrations with pine torches, and pine cones 0s"mbolic of fertilit"3. This counterfeit Messiah tradition became melded with nominal Christianit".

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:he :ree and the Cross Baced with such a pre$alent tradition of uni$ersal adoration and worship of the tree, the Catholic Church transformed tree worship to worship of the cross, the "tree" upon which the )a$ior was slain. +ust as the tree was the passagewa" into paradise and eternal life for the ancients, apostate Christianit" made the #ross the obLect of worship, and the pathwa" to eternal life. 8$er a period of 6>> "ears, Catholic con$ersion of 1urope was accompanied b" woodcutters who put the a!e to the sacred gro$es of the Teutons. ?ituals that could not be suppressed were re#interpreted and incorporated into the supposed Christian faith. And "et, changed in form, but not in substance, the adoration and re$erence toward trees continued. )her"l Faras' fascinating stor" of %he $olsti#e '"er)reen shows how mankind indeed has not changed much in A,>>> "ears. The" still worship under e$er" green treeK Christmas +tockin,s A legend associated with *ishop ,icholas ma" be the origin of the custom of hanging Christmas stockings b" the fireplace. 'hen ,icholas generousl" pro$ided dowries for the three daughters of a nobleman who had lost his fortune, he threw each one a bag of gold into the house, which fell into a stocking that had been hung on the chimne" to dr". Clement C. Moore's "A Jisit from )t. ,icholas" ga$e this stocking stor" the greatest impetus. In a $ariation of this custom, the 4utch children put their wooden shoes in the chimne" corners on the e$e of 4ecember A, awaiting presents before the ne!t morning. 6assail Bowl The word "wassail" comes from the Anglo#)a!on aes hael, which means "to "our health," or "here's to "ou." A mi!ture of ale and spices ser$ed in a large bowl, the custom of "wassailing" brings forth the real Christmas spirit, that of one of drunken debaucher". +emiramis 'ife of ,imrod, she married her son Tammu-, whom she claimed was the reincarnated ,imrod. )emiramis, the first deified Mueen of *ab"lon, is also known as 4iana, Aphrodite, Astarte, ?hea and Jenus. :amm%= The false *ab"lonian Messiah, Tammu- was the son of )emiramis, and married his own mother. &e was also known as *acchus, Adonis, 8siris, )aturn, or Cronus. The *ible condemns ancient Israel for worshipping Tammu-, which included sun worship and the asherah 0possibl" a phallic s"mbol3, (=ekiel 1:04201. :ert%llian Catholic Church "father" Tertullian wrote about 5<> A.4., in$eighing against professed belie$ers in the Messiah, who were obser$ing pagan ?oman festi$als, such as the $aturnalia, &rumalia, and Matronalia, with gift e!changing and great ban%ueting. 9ope eo I 0@@>#@A(3 chastised Catholics who on Christmas celebrated the birth of the sun deit". &ow much the date of the festi$al depended upon the pagan &rumalia :4ecember 56; following the $aturnalia:4ecember (=#5@;, and celebrating the shortest da" of the "ear and the 'new sun' . . . cannot be accuratel" determined. The pagan $aturnalia and &rumalia were too

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deepl" entrenched in popular custom to be set aside b" Christian influence . . . . The pagan festi$al with its riot and merr"making was so popular tht Christians were glad of an e!cuse to continue its celebration with little change in spirit and in manner. Christian preachers of the 'est and the ,ear 1ast protested against the unseeml" fri$olit" with which Christ's birthda" was celebrated, while Christians of Mespoptamia accused their 'estern brethren of idolatr" and sun worship for adopting as Christian this pagan festi$al. 0 *e $#haff6!er7o) 'n#y#lo(edia of +eli)ious .no led)e, article "Christmas"3 Certain atins, as earl" as <6@ :A. 4.;, ma" ha$e transferred the birthda" from +anuar" Ath to 4ecember 56, which as then a Mithraic feast . . . or birthda" of the uncon%uered sun . . . . The )"rians and Armenians, who clung to +anuar" Ath, accused the ?omans of sun worship and idolatr", contending . . . that the feast of 4ecember 56th, had been in$ented b" disciples of Cerinthus . . . 0'n#y#lo(aedia &ritanni#a3. >n ?riental Christmas Brom +apan, to Taiwan, to Mala"sia, Christmas is a $er" popular holida" in the 8rient, e$en among those who do not profess to be Christian. In +apan, less than ( per cent of the population claims to be Christian. 1$en among the few +apanese Christians, most belie$e that there is nothing wrong with celebrating festi$als of different religions. As a result, a +apanese person ma" celebrate a )hintoist, and then a *uddhist holida", later to obser$e Christmas, a supposedl" Christian holida". The foreign holida" of Christmas has become entrenched into Asian culture. +apanese feel that one should be open#minded, and not too rigid about religion. If something is pleasurable, then do it, but don't let it affect other aspects of life. At first glance, we ma" think this modern phenomenon is $er" strange and shows a lack of character. &owe$er, (,6>>#(,A>> "ears ago, professing Christians did something e$en worse. The" took a pagan holida", $aturnalia, and began obser$ing it as a "Christian" festi$al. A logical +apanese could ask these %uestions7 &ow can 'estern Christians celebrate a festi$al originall" a pagan celebration of the winter solstice, that was not the birthda" of +esus, but the rebirth of the sun? &ow can 'esterners critici-e the +apanese as being unprincipled in celebrating a "Christian" holida" along with their )hinto and *huddhist holida"s, when the 'esterners ha$e done essentiall" the same thing? 8nce again, the 8riental mind can see clearl" the h"pocris" and l"ing of 'estern ci$ili-ation. ?ecentl", the E.). 9resident and business leaders tra$eled to +apan to tr" to increase E)A e!ports to the 9acific ?im. Much ball"hoo was made o$er the attempt of the Americans to sell E.). cars in +apan, to o$ercome +apanese trade barriers. +ohn Chancellor of ,*C news noted that so far, no American car maker has bothered to sell cars in +apan with the steering wheel on the right side of the $ehicle, as is standard in +apan 0and the Enited Fingdom3. Can "ou imagine how man" +apanese cars would sell in the E)A if the" did not adapt to the American practice of putting the steering wheel on the left side? 'estern h"pocris" is dumbfoundingK 8bser$ing Christmas as a "Christian" holida" is colossial h"pocris", and Christmas keepers ha$e no right to critici-e the +apanese for obser$ing holida"s of religions other than their own. Incidentall", e!ports of ,orth American Christmas trees to +apan appears to be a booming businessK Biblio,ra'hy "Christmas . . . a man#made holida"," %he $a#red *ame &road#aster, (5G(C2>. "Christmas7 A Time of Besti$it" for 8rientals," %he Wat#hto er, 4ecember (6, (C2A. "Christmas and the Baith of 8ur Bathers." Medford, 8regon7 American Co$enant Church.

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Faras, )her"l Ann, %he $olsti#e '"er)reen4 %he !istory, 5olklore and 2ri)ins of the Christmas %ree. *oulder Creek, California7 Aslan 9ublishing, (CC(. Fent, +ohn ., "Christmastime Celebrations Antedate the *irth of Christ," in 4ecember 5=, (C25 $(otli)ht. Me"er, +acob 8., "The Case Against Christmas," %he $a#red *ame &road#aster, (5G(C25. 9ollack, +ack &arrison, "'hat is Christmas?" ,o$ember 5C, (CA@ 0arade. ?e$-in, 9hilip, "If &e 1!isted at All, ,icholas of M"ra 'as the Birst )anta," Wall $treet Journal, 4ecember 55, (C2A. Tardo, ?ussell F. "The )hocking Truth about Christmas," Arabi, ouisiana7 Baithful 'ord 9ublications. "The Entold )tor" of Christmas." Fingdom Cit", Missouri7 /ahweh's ,ew Co$enant Assembl", (CC>. 'ernecke, &erbert &., Christmas Customs Around the World. 9hiladelphia7 The 'estminster 9ress, (C=<. 'oodrow, ?alph, &abylon Mystery +eli)ion. ?i$erside, California7 ?alph 'oodrow 1$angelistic Association7 (CAA.

>dditional >rticles: +ho%ld a Christian ?bser e :his 6orld's -olidays@ Christmas is N?: Christian Christmas Rein ented :he 7lain :r%th >bo%t (aster -alloween: A/earn Not :he 6ay ?" :he -eathenA B$eremiah 00:2C Main -oly Day Men%

'ritten b"7 ?ichard C. ,ickels Di$ing O )haring 98 *o! (>> ,eck Cit", M8 A@2@C Enited )tates of America This material distributed on the Web by the Giving & Sharing site at: http://www.giveshare.org

htt':DDwww.,i eshare.or,D-olyDayD9masnotchristian.html

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