Who is the pagan god of 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.


Who is the god of Christmas?

Christmas is celebrated to remember the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe is the Son of God. The name 'Christmas' comes from the Mass of Christ (or Jesus).

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 do Pagans worship on Christmas?

Gift-giving and Saturnalia

This was a pagan holiday in honour of the agricultural god, Saturn. Romans would spend the week of Saturnalia much like how we spend Christmas holidays today – feasting, drinking, giving gifts, and being joyful.

What is the pagan origin of Christmas?

Does Christmas have pagan roots? In ancient Rome, December 25 was a celebration of the Unconquered Sun, marking the return of longer days. It followed Saturnalia, a festival where people feasted and exchanged gifts.


The Pagan Roots of Christmas



Is Christmas actually pagan?

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).

Is the Christmas tree a pagan symbol?

Evergreens were also used as a sign of eternal life by early Christians in catacombs under Rome. But until the mid-19th century, Christians viewed the Christmas tree as a foreign pagan custom. Pagans would bring fir trees into their homes at Yuletide because it represented everlasting life and fertility.

What is Jesus actual birthday?

The date of birth of Jesus is not stated in the gospels or in any historical sources but most biblical scholars assume a year of birth between 6 and 4 BC.


Who are Pagans in the Bible?

The original pagans were followers of an ancient religion that worshiped several gods (polytheistic). Today, pagan is used to describe someone who doesn't go to synagogue, church, or mosque. It could be that they worship several gods at once, or they have no interest in a god at all.

Can Pagans believe in god?

Some Pagans believe in a multiplicity of Gods and Goddesses. Others see them as merely names and forms that allow us easier contact with the divine. In most cases Pagans see the divine as present in both male and female principles.

Who is Santa Claus in Bible?

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 religion started Santa Claus?

Santa Claus, legendary figure who is the traditional patron of Christmas in the United States and other countries, bringing gifts to children. His popular image is based on traditions associated with Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century Christian saint.

What is the dark history of 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.

Was December 25th a pagan holiday?

Although some evidence suggests that his birth may have occurred in the spring (why would shepherds be herding in the middle of winter?), Pope Julius I chose December 25. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival.


Which Angel is Christmas?

The Christmas Angel is also known as Angel Gabriel. He is a significant figure in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, as he is named in many holy books as a messenger of God. He's best known as the angel who appears in the Nativity Story, telling the Virgin Mary that she was going to bear the son of God, Jesus Christ.

Why is Christmas not in the Bible?

Dec. 25 is not the date mentioned in the Bible as the day of Jesus's birth; the Bible is actually silent on the day or the time of year when Mary was said to have given birth to him in Bethlehem. The earliest Christians did not celebrate his birth.

What faith do pagans believe in?

Pagans believe that nature is sacred and that the natural cycles of birth, growth and death observed in the world around us carry profoundly spiritual meanings. Human beings are seen as part of nature, along with other animals, trees, stones, plants and everything else that is of this earth.


What are pagans called today?

Some practitioners eschew the term pagan altogether, preferring more specific names for their religion, such as "Heathen" or "Wiccan". This is because the term pagan originates in Christian terminology, which individuals who object to the term wish to avoid.

What religion do pagans follow?

The pagans usually had a polytheistic belief in many gods but only one, which represents the chief god and supreme godhead, is chosen to worship. The Renaissance of the 1500s reintroduced the ancient Greek concepts of Paganism. Pagan symbols and traditions entered European art, music, literature, and ethics.

What language did Jesus speak?

Jesus likely understood Hebrew, though his everyday life would have been conducted in Aramaic. Of the first four books of the New Testament, the Gospels of Matthew and Mark records Jesus using Aramaic terms and phrases, while in Luke 4:16, he was shown reading Hebrew from the Bible at a synagogue.


What was Jesus last name?

We often refer to Jesus as Jesus Christ, and some people assume that Christ is Jesus's last name. But Christ is actually a title, not a last name. So if Christ isn't a last name, what was Jesus's last name? The answer is Jesus didn't have a formal last name or surname like we do today.

What religion doesn't put up a Christmas tree?

Sarna said rabbis across the spectrum viewed the Christmas tree as a symbol from which Jews should stand apart, while many Christian faith leaders opposed the idea of a secular Christmas and urged Jews not to put trees in their home, fearing that “Christ” would be taken out of Christmas, Sarna said.

Who started Christmas?

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.


Are Christmas lights pagan?

Christmas lights are not pagan, though the holiday's focus upon light can be inferred to have originated from pagan reverence for the sun; however, this is likely a conjecture. The use of light, particularly from candles, around the winter solstice is a symbolic means to represent light in the darkest time of year.