Evergreens-pagan
yule-pagan
lights and fires-pagan
date of solstice-pagan
Christmas tree and wreath-pagan
Jesus was born when the animals where calving.
So what??
“Evergreens-pagan
yule-pagan
lights and fires-pagan
date of solstice-pagan
Christmas tree and wreath-pagan
Jesus was born when the animals where calving.”
Evergreens - God made and fun
Yule Log - God created it all and beautiful
Lights and fires - beautiful
Date - God made it all!
Christmas Tree and Wreath - beautiful and we do it celebrate the season
Jesus was born when Shepherds were keeping watch over their flock at night.
The Jewish Temple kept sheep just outside Jerusalem for sacrifice year round.
If you personally are celebrating a pagan holiday, well... I guess it’s your right. I can assure you we are celebrating the most amazing gift ever!
I don't remember reading anything about that. I DO remember reading that the shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks by night. Wouldn't shepherds always do that, if their flocks are out grazing, and didn't make it back home before dark? He would watch over them to keep predators away. They wouldn't necessarily be calving.
“Evergreens-pagan....” symbolism of being green and surviving all year long, symbol of eternity...
“Yule-pagan...” earliest symbol of Jesus being a sun and associated with warmth, and a fire with a long-lasting log being associated with warmth, too much of a stretch eh?
“lights and fires-pagan...” because Jews didn’t light candles or use fires...
“Date of solstice-pagan...” because Jews didn’t celebrate anything around the same time that they would have liked to bring into their new faith...
“Christmas tree and wreath-pagan...” Christmas tree again having symbolism of life, and according to Martin Luther the lights on it being symbolic of the beauty of the stars and God’s creations.... the wreath being in a circle, again a symbol of eternity and god with no beginning and end...
You really bought into the idea that there’s no other explanation than “pagan.” School system and History channel at work. Reality? Symbols are only symbolic according to what you prescribe to them. For instance, an early symbol of Christ and Christians was the pentagram. But because of recent rewriting of history, that symbol has been stolen and rewritten as belonging to a religion that didn’t even exist 100 years ago. Let it go.
As far as when Christ was born... ever celebrate President’s Day growing up instead of every President’s birthday? Yeah, history seems to point towards Spring for His birth and His death. (Why would anyone do a census in winter when it was harder to travel?) However, again looking at Jewish Christians (which would have been the majority when Christianity was starting...) wouldn’t it have made sense to replace one festival of lights with another festival of lights to commemorate Christ coming into their lives?