Christian holidays stolen from paganism Throughout history, religion has played a significant role in shaping cultures and societies. Christianity is no exception, with its own set of holidays that hold great importance for its followers. However, what many may not realize is that some of these Christian holidays have roots that can be traced back to pagan traditions and practices. One of the most prominent examples of this is the holiday of Christmas. Many of the customs and symbols associated with Christmas, such as the Yule log and the Christmas tree, can be traced back to pre-Christian winter solstice celebrations. In ancient pagan cultures, the winter solstice marked the rebirth of the sun and the beginning of longer days.
In ancient pagan cultures, the winter solstice marked the rebirth of the sun and the beginning of longer days. To celebrate, they would bring evergreen trees into their homes and decorate them with ornaments and lights. Similarly, the Yule log was burned as a symbol of protection and good fortune during the winter months.
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A heartbreaking classic from Terry Huff and his Special Delivery group – a hip 70s harmony soul ensemble who deliver some wonderful backup on the set! The record's a stone east coast classic from way back – arranged and conducted by Al Johnson, with a vibe that's a slightly more polished take on the harmony modes used by George Kerr over at All-Platinum – still never slick or commercial, but that great indie blend of heartbreaking vocals and deeper male sensibilities. Terry Huff has a high-end vocal approach that's great – never cloying or too-sweet, but nicely crackling and almost in a Ralfi Pagan mode at points. Huff wrote most of the songs, and titles include "Poochie", "The Lonely One", "When You're Lonely", "I Destroyed Your Love", "That's When It Hurts", and "Why Doesn't Love Last". (In case you didn't notice, this guy's pretty broken up about love!) Also features the bonus tracks "The Lonely One (inst)", "Come Back With Love (parts 1 & 2)", and "The Lonely One (single)". CD
One of the hippest sets we've ever seen on Spanish Harlem – a collection that goes way past the Latin Soul hits, to dig deep in the uptown underground at the end of the 60s! The package is compiled with gems from the Fania catalog, but rally moves past the obvious – going for some of the more obscure artists who recorded singles for some of the smaller Fania-held labels – and often focusing on tunes that drew more from late 60s soul and funk than they did from any Latin rhythms of the time. The singers are especially wonderful – and often hit a vibe that's right up there with some of Joe Bataan's best of the period – richly soulful, but often deeply personal too – never as polished as chart soul, and often showing a grittier, more realistic style that's totally great – especially when mixed with instrumentation as tight as this! Titles include "Reflections Of My Life" by 125th Street Candy Store, "On Old Broadway" by 107th Street Stickball Team, "Don't Be Afraid" by Lebron Brothers, "Central Park" by Harvey Averne Dozen, "Heaven" by Tito Ramos, "Your Smile" by Parris, "Some Lonely Heart" by Ronnie Marks, "There's No Girl" by Olivieri, "Maria Maria" by King Nando, "Already Satisfied" by Tony Middleton & Bobby Matos, "Nitty Boo Boo" by The Nitty Sextette, "Lonely Has Been My Day" by Ralphie & The Latin Lovers, "I'm Gonna Leave You" by Russell Cohen & The New Yorkers, and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Ralfi Pagan . CD
Various — Cocktail Disco – Mixed By Dimitri From Paris . CD
BBE (UK) , Late 70s. New Copy 2CD . Temporarily Out Of Stock
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A whole new genre of disco – served up by one of the biggest club collectors in the world! Dimitri's the man who's guided us through so many other great sets of rare disco tracks over the years – and this time around, he's launching new look at the form! Cocktail Disco is a unique variation that's often heavy on orchestrations, and which sometimes has echoes of older jazz, vocal, or Latin recordings – classic influences that simmer nicely through the mix – and help deepen the sound of the already-soulful late 70s style! And although "cocktail" normally means laidback or sleepy, these tunes definitely aren't – because all tracks here are in a soaring midtempo mode or better – cuts you'd be happy to play with some of the funkier numbers on the dancefloor, and which should stand out nicely, given their unique twist. 2CD set features 21 titles that include "Summertime" by Blue Velvets, "What You Need Is My Love" by Cindy Rodriguez, "It's Got To Be Love" by Darcus, "Ocean's Apart" by Vast Majority, "Show You The Way To Go" by Charlie's Roots, "Again" by Night People, "Lady Of The Night" by Ray Martinez, "Disco Village" by J Elliot Group, "Something About You" by Moses, "Baby I Just Wanna Love You" by Jonell Allen", "Canteen" by Serenade, "Starflight" by The Band Who Fell To Earth, "Take Me With You" by Ralfi Pagan , "Never Too Late" by Ms Victoria Barnes, and "Girl From Ipanema (disco version)" by Astrud Gilberto. CD
Various — Soul Of Spanish Harlem – Beautiful Soul Music From The Heart Of New York's Spanish Harlem . LP
Fania/ BGP (UK) , Late 60s/ Early 70s. New Copy 2LP . Temporarily Out Of Stock
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One of the hippest sets we've ever seen on Spanish Harlem – a collection that goes way past the Latin Soul hits, to dig deep in the uptown underground at the end of the 60s! The package is compiled with gems from the Fania catalog, but rally moves past the obvious – going for some of the more obscure artists who recorded singles for some of the smaller Fania-held labels – and often focusing on tunes that drew more from late 60s soul and funk than they did from any Latin rhythms of the time. The singers are especially wonderful – and often hit a vibe that's right up there with some of Joe Bataan's best of the period – richly soulful, but often deeply personal too – never as polished as chart soul, and often showing a grittier, more realistic style that's totally great – especially when mixed with instrumentation as tight as this! Titles include "Reflections Of My Life" by 125th Street Candy Store, "On Old Broadway" by 107th Street Stickball Team, "Don't Be Afraid" by Lebron Brothers, "Central Park" by Harvey Averne Dozen, "Heaven" by Tito Ramos, "Your Smile" by Parris, "Some Lonely Heart" by Ronnie Marks, "There's No Girl" by Olivieri, "Maria Maria" by King Nando, "Already Satisfied" by Tony Middleton & Bobby Matos, "Nitty Boo Boo" by The Nitty Sextette, "Lonely Has Been My Day" by Ralphie & The Latin Lovers, "I'm Gonna Leave You" by Russell Cohen & The New Yorkers, and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Ralfi Pagan . LP, Vinyl record album
Various — El Barrio – Sounds From The Spanish Harlem Streets . CD
Fania , Late 60s. Used . Out Of Stock
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A killer batch of boogaloo and Latin Soul – and a set that even features 2 unissued gems from the vaults of Fania Records! As with the previous entry in this series, the sound here is plenty darn soulful throughout – lyrics that are often in English, and rhythms that borrow heavily from American funk and soul of the late 60s – mixing African-American musical styles with Puerto Rican and Cuban elements – all to come up with a groove that's as fresh today as it was back in the Spanish Harlem scene of the time! Previously unreleased tracks include "Evil Ways" by Pete & Louie, and the full length version of "O Elefante" by Ray Barretto – and other tunes include "Rise Up" by Orchestra Harlow, "Safari" by Tito Puente, "Revolucionando" by New Swing Sextet, "Times Are Changing" by Jimmy Sabater, "MC2" by Willie Colon, "Crystal Blue Persuasion" by Joe Bataan, "Musica Del Alma" by TNT Boys, "Here Comes The Judge" by Pete Rodriguez, "Ape Walk" by Al Escobar, and "Rat Race" by Ralfi Pagan . CD
Various — It's A Good Good Feeling – The Latin Soul Of Fania Records (4CDs with bonus 7 inch single) . CD
Fania/ Craft , Late 60s/ Early 70s. New Copy 4CD & 7 inch . Out Of Stock
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A mighty nice little package – one that's overflowing with the special sort of Latin and soul music hybrids that rose up from the Spanish Harlem scene in the late 60s – the kind of cuts that helped establish Fania Records as one of the most important Latin labels around – and one of the grooviest too! These aren't the 70s salsa tracks that Fania spread across the globe – but the more New York-styled numbers that often had English language lyrics in the lead, sung by a soulful vocalist – and set to small combo rhythms that were overflowing with energy, and plenty of touches of jazz, soul, and funk! These are all the mixes from the rare 45rpm singles issued by Fania back in the day – and although the songs are wonderful, the collection together is even cooler as a whole – dozens of tracks, including some really rare ones – all bound up in a 7" book-styled cover, with 60 pages of notes, and a bonus funky 45! Titles include "Silent Heart" by 125th Street Candy Store, "Micro Mini" and "Make Out" by Harvey Averne, "Too Much Lovin" and "So Fine" by Joe Bataan, "Willie Baby" by Willie Colon, "Soul Drummers" and "Mercy Mercy Baby" by Ray Barretto, "Geronimo" and "Funky Big Feet" by Bobby Valentin, "Mercie" by Ralph Robles, "Camel Walk" by The Latinaires, "Batola Boogaloo" by Bobby Quesada, "Grazin In The Grass" by Orchestra Harlow, "Spinning Wheel" by El Apollo Sound, "Hey Sister" by Monguito Santamaria, "Who Is The Girl For Me" and "Look At Her" by Ralfi Pagan , "New York Soul" by Ray Barretto, "Some Lonely Heart" by ronnie Marks, "Let's Get It Together This Christmas" by Harvey Averne, "Shaft" and "If I Were A King" by Joe Bataan, "Johnny's No Good" and "Blonde Latin Blues" by WRLC, and "Today" and "Try Just a Little Harder" by Butter Scotch. Lots more too – and the bonus 7" single features two promo tracks recorded for DJ Symphony Sid – one by Joe Bataan, the other by Bobby Valentin! CD
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One of the hippest sets we've ever seen on Spanish Harlem – a collection that goes way past the Latin Soul hits, to dig deep in the uptown underground at the end of the 60s! The package is compiled with gems from the Fania catalog, but rally moves past the obvious – going for some of the more obscure artists who recorded singles for some of the smaller Fania-held labels – and often focusing on tunes that drew more from late 60s soul and funk than they did from any Latin rhythms of the time. The singers are especially wonderful – and often hit a vibe that's right up there with some of Joe Bataan's best of the period – richly soulful, but often deeply personal too – never as polished as chart soul, and often showing a grittier, more realistic style that's totally great – especially when mixed with instrumentation as tight as this! Titles include "Reflections Of My Life" by 125th Street Candy Store, "On Old Broadway" by 107th Street Stickball Team, "Don't Be Afraid" by Lebron Brothers, "Central Park" by Harvey Averne Dozen, "Heaven" by Tito Ramos, "Your Smile" by Parris, "Some Lonely Heart" by Ronnie Marks, "There's No Girl" by Olivieri, "Maria Maria" by King Nando, "Already Satisfied" by Tony Middleton & Bobby Matos, "Nitty Boo Boo" by The Nitty Sextette, "Lonely Has Been My Day" by Ralphie & The Latin Lovers, "I'm Gonna Leave You" by Russell Cohen & The New Yorkers, and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Ralfi Pagan . CD
Another example is Easter, which has its roots in pagan spring festivals. The timing of Easter is determined by the lunar calendar and is closely associated with the spring equinox. In many pagan traditions, the spring equinox was celebrated as a time of new life and fertility. Eggs, which symbolize new life, were often dyed and exchanged as gifts during these celebrations. The Christian tradition of decorating eggs for Easter can be traced back to these pagan customs. Even Halloween has its connections to pagan traditions. The Christian holiday of All Saints' Day, which falls on November 1st, was originally established to honor the saints and martyrs. However, the night before All Saints' Day, known as All Hallows' Eve, was believed to be a time when the boundaries between the spiritual and physical worlds were blurred. This belief has its roots in ancient Celtic and pagan festivals, such as Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. During Samhain, it was believed that the spirits of the dead would return to the earthly realm, and people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off these spirits. While the Christianization of pagan holidays may seem like a deliberate attempt to suppress pagan traditions, it is important to note that it was a common practice throughout history. As Christianity spread across different regions, it often incorporated local traditions and customs into its own religious practices. This allowed for a smoother transition for people from pagan religions to Christianity. In conclusion, many of the Christian holidays we celebrate today, such as Christmas, Easter, and Halloween, have roots in pagan traditions and practices. While this may be surprising to some, it is a testament to the adaptability and evolution of religious traditions throughout history. It also serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of different cultures and religions, and the ways in which they have influenced and borrowed from one another..
Reviews for "The Pagan Origins of Halloween: Examining its Connection to Christianity"
1. Sarah - 2 stars
I was really disappointed with "Christian holidays stolen from paganism". As someone who is deeply religious and values the significance of Christian holidays, I was hoping to gain some valuable insights from this book. However, I found the author's arguments to be weak and unconvincing. He seemed to cherry-pick historical facts and draw unsupported conclusions, which left me questioning the credibility of his research. Overall, I cannot recommend this book to anyone looking for a well-rounded and balanced understanding of the subject.
2. John - 1 star
I recently read "Christian holidays stolen from paganism" and I must say it was a complete disappointment. The author's bias against Christianity is evident throughout the book, and it quickly becomes apparent that his main goal is to discredit the religious significance of Christian holidays. His arguments are based on questionable sources and lack substantial evidence. I was hoping for a more scholarly approach to the subject, but instead, I found myself reading a poorly constructed conspiracy theory. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking an accurate and unbiased understanding of the origins of Christian holidays.
3. Emily - 2 stars
"Christian holidays stolen from paganism" fell short of my expectations. While the topic itself is intriguing, I found the author's writing style to be confusing and fragmented. He jumps from one point to another without providing sufficient explanation or context. Additionally, I was disappointed by the lack of credible sources and references to support his claims. This book did not provide the thorough analysis I was hoping for, and I would caution others to approach it with skepticism.