Pagan festivals Hijacked by Christianity Throughout history, there have been numerous instances of cultures adopting or incorporating elements from other cultures. One such example is the manner in which Christianity appropriated pagan festivals and incorporated them into its own religious calendar. This process, known as assimilation or syncretism, occurred for various reasons, such as the desire to convert pagan communities to Christianity, the need to establish Christian religious holidays, or the attempt to replace pagan practices with Christian ones. In many cases, Christian leaders strategically chose to place Christian celebrations, such as Christmas and Easter, around the same time as existing pagan festivals. This was done to make Christianity more appealing to the local population and to facilitate the transition from paganism to Christianity. By aligning Christian holidays with pre-existing festivals, it allowed for a level of familiarity and continuity for those converting to Christianity.

How Christianity Hijacked Pagan Holidays

Christian extremists like to blather on about a war on Christmas. Given that my post “Take Your ‘War On Christmas’ Talk And Shove It” has been getting a lot of traction on Facebook this week, I think it’s time for a history lesson.

Mood music:

We hear a lot about how Christmas is a Christian holiday, which it is, but important facts are being forgotten. One is that Jesus wasn’t actually born on Dec. 25. Another is that many of our Christmas traditions—the lights, decorations and gatherings—originated with pagan cultures.

One reader, John Conner, commented to that effect yesterday. He said:

This whole controversy is bogus to begin with. Any biblical scholar worth his or her salt will tell you that Jesus WAS NOT born on Dec. 25. That is the date of the pagan feast of Yule, closely following the winter solstice a few days prior. Many, many traditions celebrate Dec. 25 as a holy day, not just Christians.

On the Christian History website, Elesha Coffman wrote that for Christianity’s first three centuries Christmas wasn’t even celebrated. She wrote:

If observed at all, the celebration of Christ’s birth was usually lumped in with Epiphany (January 6), one of the church’s earliest established feasts. Some church leaders even opposed the idea of a birth celebration. Origen (c.185-c.254) preached that it would be wrong to honor Christ in the same way Pharaoh and Herod were honored. Birthdays were for pagan gods.

The Yule holiday is rooted in German paganism. Modern-day Wiccans still celebrate the winter solstice as a time of rebirth.

Coffman wrote that Dec. 25 also marked two other festivals: natalis solis invicti, the Roman “birth of the unconquered sun”, and the birthday of Mithras, the Iranian “Sun of Righteousness.” Since pagans were already celebrating deities with some parallels to the true God, Coffman wrote, church leaders decided to commandeer the date and introduce a new festival.

Remolding pagan traditions into a Christian holiday was pretty clever. You might even say it was devious. Either way, it turned out for the good. December is now a time where a melting pot of faiths and cultures celebrate the best of humanity: our charitable instincts, a trust in a higher power and the desire to see good win out over evil.

I choose to celebrate as a Catholic grateful that Christ was brought into this world, giving us all a shot at redemption. But I refuse to embrace the notion among today’s Christian leaders that Christmas has been hijacked by a collection of pagans who deny Christ’s divinity.

It was the other way around, many centuries ago.

My more-extreme Christian brothers and sisters need to get over it.

By aligning Christian holidays with pre-existing festivals, it allowed for a level of familiarity and continuity for those converting to Christianity. For example, Christmas was scheduled around the time of the winter solstice, a pagan festival that celebrated the rebirth of the sun. The early Christian Church consciously positioned the birth of Jesus during this period, symbolizing the birth of the "Son" who brings light and salvation.

5 Replies to “How Christianity Hijacked Pagan Holidays”

Great post Bill! Good timing too. I was just having a conversation along these lines earlier today. Your blog was much better researched than my poor memory.

Similarly, the celebration of Easter was aligned with the spring equinox and the pagan festival of Eostre, the goddess of spring and fertility. By appropriating the timing and symbolism of these festivals, Christianity was able to attract a broader audience and integrate itself into the cultural fabric of society. Alongside the strategic placement of Christian holidays, elements of pagan customs and traditions were also incorporated into Christian practices. For example, the use of evergreen trees, a common symbol in pagan winter festivals, was adapted and incorporated into the celebration of Christmas. This practice served as a way to reframe the significance of the tree within a Christian context, representing eternal life through Jesus rather than pagan beliefs. While the assimilation of pagan festivals into Christianity allowed for the successful spread and acceptance of the religion, it also resulted in the loss and erasure of indigenous cultures and beliefs. Many unique and ancient traditions were replaced or marginalized to accommodate Christian customs. This process reflects the complex history of religious and cultural interaction, where the dominant religion often assimilates or subsumes the practices and celebrations of indigenous or minority cultures. In conclusion, pagan festivals were hijacked by Christianity through a process of assimilation and syncretism. Christian celebrations were strategically aligned with existing pagan festivals to make Christianity more appealing and to facilitate the conversion of pagan populations. Additionally, elements of pagan practices and customs were incorporated into Christian holidays, resulting in a successful assimilation of pagan beliefs into Christian traditions. However, this process also led to the erasure of indigenous cultures and beliefs. The history of Christianity's appropriation of pagan festivals serves as a reminder of the complexities and consequences of cultural assimilation and syncretism..

Reviews for "The Pagan-Christian Syncretism: A Clash of Traditions"

1. John - 1 out of 5 stars - I was really disappointed with this book. I was expecting an in-depth analysis of how pagan festivals were transformed by Christianity, but instead, I found a poorly researched and biased account. The author seems to have an agenda, and it shows throughout the entire book. I would not recommend this to anyone looking for an objective and well-researched study on the topic.

2. Mary - 2 out of 5 stars - As someone who has studied pagan festivals extensively, I was excited to read this book. However, I found it to be shallow and lacking in substantive information. The author doesn't delve deep enough into the historical context and fails to provide any real evidence to support their claims. It reads more like a rant against Christianity rather than an informative book on the topic.

3. Robert - 1 out of 5 stars - I couldn't even finish this book. The author's bias against Christianity is so overwhelming that it's hard to take anything they say seriously. It feels more like a personal vendetta against religion rather than a scholarly exploration of pagan festivals. If you're looking for a fair and balanced discussion on this topic, look elsewhere.

4. Sarah - 2 out of 5 stars - While I found some interesting points in this book, overall, I was disappointed. The author's writing style is very convoluted and hard to follow. It feels like they are jumping from one topic to another without any clear structure. Additionally, their constant negativity towards Christianity made it difficult for me to engage with the material. I would advise readers to approach this book with caution.

5. Michael - 1 out of 5 stars - This book is an utter waste of time. The author's biased view is evident from the very first page and it's clear that they are not interested in presenting a balanced perspective. They cherry-pick historical facts and ignore any evidence that doesn't fit their narrative. I regret spending money on this book and would not recommend it to anyone.

Pagan Festival Traditions Integrated into Christian Worship