What pagan god is Santa Claus?

Nicholas was identified with the pre-Christian pagan deity of Odin, who visited children with his eight-footed horse, and because it was hungry, they had to have their boots full of straw near the chimney or fireplace.

What pagan god is Santa Claus based on?

Santa Claus may owe his earliest influence to Odin (also known as Wodan), a god revered by Germanic peoples in Northern Europe as early as 2 B.C.E. Odin was celebrated during Yule, a pagan holiday that took place midwinter. During this time, Odin was said to lead the Wild Hunt, a ghostly procession through the sky.

Which pagan god is celebrated on Christmas?

In Germany, people honored the pagan god Oden during the mid-winter holiday. Germans were terrified of Oden, as they believed he made nocturnal flights through the sky to observe his people, and then decide who would prosper or perish.

What religion is Santa Claus from?

Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Christmas Eve to "nice" children, and either coal or nothing to "naughty" ...

What mythology is Santa from?

The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around A.D. 280 in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey.

The PAGAN Origins of Santa Claus!

Who is the god of Santa?

Santa has been heavily influenced by traditions surrounding Odin, the Norse god of the Norse gods, a.k.a. the Allfather.

Is Christmas a pagan holiday?

Now, as Christmas applies to the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas is decidedly not pagan. However, there are some differences of opinion when it comes to the selection of day of celebration. On the Roman calendar, December 25 was the date of the winter solstice (December 21 on the modern calendar).

What parts of Christmas are pagan?

Things like kissing under a mistletoe, carolling, wreaths, and even gift-giving were all aspects of pagan holidays that were adapted into Christmas celebrations in the early years.

Is Santa considered a god?

But although Santa would indeed count as a supernatural being if people believed in him, in fact not many people older than 7½ actually do. However, the nature of the Santa Claus myth bears some striking similarities to the gods of many religions.

Who is Santa to Jesus?

Santa Claus is a legend based mostly on the life of Saint Nicholas, a real-life, historical follower of Jesus Christ –a man who gave generously to those in need and fulfilled the Biblical command to love your neighbor.

Who started Christmas pagan?

The origins of Christmas stem from both the pagan and Roman cultures. The Romans actually celebrated two holidays in the month of December. The first was Saturnalia, which was a two-week festival honoring their god of agriculture Saturn. On December 25th, they celebrated the birth of Mithra, their sun god.

Did Christmas start as pagan?

Though December 25 is the day Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the date itself and several of the customs we've come to associate with Christmas actually evolved from pagan traditions celebrating the winter solstice.

What do Pagans believe about Christmas?

Yule/pagan traditions celebrated In christianity

As you might imagine given the shared history of Christmas and Yule, many pagan traditions have found their way into modern and secular celebrations of Christmas. Yule celebrations included feasts with ham and setting intentions to better serve the gods in the new year.

Is Santa a Greek god?

Here in Greece it's not Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus), who delivers gifts at Christmas on 25th December (Which in Greece is the celebration of Christos, Christ, celebrating his birth) it's Saint Basil (or Vasilis) who visits with his sack of gifts on 31st December, New Year's Eve.

Why is Santa called Odin?

Santa may be indebted to Odin (also known as Wodan), a god revered by the Germanic peoples of Northern Europe as early as 2 BC Odin was celebrated during Yule, a pagan holiday that took place in mid winter. During this time, Odin is said to lead the Wild Hunt, a ghostly procession through the sky.

Is it OK for Christians to believe in Santa?

There is no need for Christians to reject him," said Carol Myers, founder of the St. Nicholas Center in Holland, Michigan. "Because the Incarnation is such a wonderful and amazing event, it makes sense that it would be celebrated in all kinds of ways, including ways that just add to the joy of the season.

Who invented Santa Claus?

Much earlier, the American cartoonist Thomas Nast fashioned Santa Claus's image on the pages of the American magazine Harper's Weekly. The character of Santa Claus is believed to descend from Bishop Nicholas of Myra, who lived in the 4^th century.

Is it OK to believe in Santa?

Believing in Santa is not only harmless fun, it can actually help children as their brains develop, experts say.

Was Christmas stolen from pagans?

In reality, the notion that Christmas is a festival stolen from pagans is quite as much a compound of confusions and inaccuracies as anything believed about the feast day by Christians themselves. There is no evidence — absolutely none — that the birth of Mithras was celebrated on 25 December.

What holidays are actually pagan?

What is the dark story behind Christmas?

From ancient times, the season that we now know as Christmas was a midwinter celebration called The Winter Solstice, or Yule. A pagan festival, The Winter Solstice was a time to celebrate the fact that the worst of winter was over, and the people could look forward to longer days with more sunlight in the near future.

What is pagan in the Bible?

Definitions of pagan. a person who follows a polytheistic or pre-Christian religion (not a Christian or Muslim or Jew)

What does the Bible say about putting up a Christmas tree?

The Bible never tells Christians if they should have Christmas trees or not, but the Bible does tell Christians to reject any idols in their lives and worship Him alone. Christmas is about Jesus' birth and God's promise to save us, not about what we put on our Christmas trees.

What religion does not follow Christmas?

Most religions like Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism don't recognize Christmas and Easter as they are ancient Christian festivals so the only religion to celebrate Christmas and Easter is Christianity.

What did the Vikings call Santa Claus?

Father Christmas

The Norse god Odin was said to be 'the father of all gods'. Described as a bearded old man wearing a hat and a cloak, Odin would often ride his eight-legged horse Sleipnir across the midwinter night's sky, delivering gifts to those down below.