![]() ![]() It is just as likely, however, that those pagans felt it was a suitable time to get properly shitfaced, as it represented a lull in the yearly workload that happened to coincide with everyone having enough to eat and drink. Finally, those nice green trees looked nice and served to slightly cover the common medieval poverty urine smell so pervasive in homes at the time.įor the Norse and Germanic pagans, late December was chosen, ostensibly due to the Winter Solstice. Also, these were simpler times and evergreens were thought to be magic, as they opted out of the whole seasonal cycle of death and rebirth that the other plants put up with. The fir tree is thought to have been in celebration of the great world tree Askur Yggdrasil. ![]() The mistletoe played a pivotal role as the plant that was used to slay Baldur, the closest thing to a Christ figure found in Norse mythology. With the Winter Solstice merger, Christmas absorbed the indoor fir trees and the parasitic plant mistletoe, both of which played an important role in Norse mythology. This was quickly rationalized by the birth of Christ being a sort-of solstice celebration, as Christ was the most awesome sun of them all, conquering the darkness, changing his own diapers, etc. But of course they dropped all the healthy venting and partying in favour of good old-fashioned repression.Īs the Christian faith spread into areas that celebrated the Winter Solstice, slapping their Aion-Saturn holiday onto the pagan customs was a smooth process. The Christmas practise of gift giving was probably picked up from Saturnalia, as Christianity continuing accumulating customs like an endless game of Katamari Damacy. Think of it as a benign version of The Purge. A topsy-turvy day to let people vent their frustration on the Winter Solstice. People took the day off work, slaves were allowed to be disrespectful to their masters, and people satirized leaders by randomly appointing a King of Saturnalia, who got to shout arbitrary decrees. ![]() Saturnalia was a festival of role reversal, gambling, ritualistic sacrifice, drinking, binge eating, and the quest for knowledge. The date was later changed to December 25, partly because of the swap from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, and partly to steal a little thunder from Saturnalia-a holiday dedicated to the deity Saturn, which was celebrated from December 17-23. Christianity is in the business of mergers and acquisitions. In the process they borrowed the symbolism of the stables. His date of birth was once estimated to be January 6, in an attempt to beat a competing holiday (the celebration of the virgin birth of Aion, the Hellenistic deity of eternity). Nobody knows exactly when he was born guesses range from 7 to 2 BC and the date is a mystery. The idea of throwing a big celebration in honour of the birth of Christ is a relatively recent idea. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |