Looper's Delight Archive Top (Search)
Date Index
Thread Index
Author Index
Looper's Delight Home
Mailing List Info
[Date Prev][Date Next]   [Thread Prev][Thread Next]   [Date Index][Thread Index][Author Index]

Re: OT The Roots of Christmas


On Dec 25, 2008, at 5:34 PM, Rick Walker wrote:

> from a scholar I know:
>
> "Don't forget the root of Christmas too!  December 25 is actually  
> the birthday of the Persian Sun God, Mithras, not Jesus.

More to the point, imo, is that both the birthday of Mithras and  
Jesus are celebrated when they are because the date marks the Winter  
Solstice, the rebirth of light in the world. Appropriate, huh? (But,  
yes, the Christians--Constantine in particular--co-opted the Greek  
mystery cults and Christianized them.)

Recommended reading on this score: James Frazer, The Golden Bough. A  
devastating critique of Christianity is hidden amongst those  
thousands of pages about pagan gods, goddesses, myths, and rituals.

Jeff