Welcome to the "Myth of...Christmas"

"I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to man."

--Longfellow

This month we honor one of the oldest festivals known to man--the celebration of the Winter Solstice or Yule--which this year falls on December 21st. An ancient pagan celebration, which usually lasted a whole week, it was also one of the solar fire festivals observed by the Druids, when the dark tide of destruction (winter) had reached its zenith and finally begins to slowly lose its grip on the land. The many "heathen" nations of the north included in this celebration a feast to commemorate the birth--or rebirth--of the Sun. The Winter Solstice marks the longest night and the shortest day of the year. For the next six months, the sun will rise earlier each day and stay in the sky a little longer, adding a bit more light and warmth to the cold and silent days of winter.

Not coincidentally, Christians the world over also celebrate a special day this month--Christmas, the anniversary of the birth of Christ. Early Christians, however, did not celebrate his birthday on the 25th of December or for that matter, during this month, at all. The date of our present day celebration originated during the 4th or 5th centuries and was no doubt chosen to supplant the many festivities of the pagan peoples mentioned above.

And so the Myth began.

The Christian Church changed the date of Christ's birthday to coincide with the already huge celebrations all pagans observed at the end of December. The actual date of Christ's birth has been lost to antiquity, although the real date may be hidden away somewhere within the vaults of the Vatican.

All aspects of the Christian celebration of 'Christmas' derive their roots from the pagan festivals of Yule and the Winter Solstice. People today bring trees into their homes, light candles to brighten the rooms and give each other gifts, without really knowing why they follow these 'customary' rituals. All of the symbolic, cultural and spiritual traditions of the season that Christians practice are directly linked to our ancient pagan festivals.

One of the many pagan traditions that are still followed today is to decorate the door of our homes with a wreath of pine boughs and holly, which symbolizes the pagan Wheel of the Year. Today, as in ages past, witches and Christians alike decorate their homes from the doorway inward, thus inviting the light of the new season inside. Candles were left burning all night long in homes to offer warm light and help dispell the dark grip of winter.

Christians bring trees into their homes at Christmas (a tradition Anglo Saxons picked up from the Germans, with their long history of Celtic heritage). Evergreen trees of pine or fir remain green all year round, reminding us during this season of prolonged darkness that life is renewable. Our pagan and Celtic ancestors brought an evergreen tree inside to ensure that there would be light all year. Christians decorate their trees with ornaments and festive lights, just as the ancient Celts hung glass bowls with candles inside of them on their Yule trees. These were called Faery Lights and were thought to attract Faeries. Each light on the tree is said to represent the beating of a Faery's heart.

During the celebration of the Winter Solstice, a large Yule log of oak, a symbol of the new born sun, was burned in the hearth. The oak tree was sacred to pagan Celts and the Druids, as was mistletoe, which frequently grew on the limbs of this revered tree. Mistletoe, which is actually a parasitic plant, deriving its sustenance from the tree it is attached to, was associated with fertility by ancient pagans. This was possibly because the plant appeared to grow 'magically' without the need of soil or water to sustain itself. It was believed that the gift of fertility was bestowed upon couples who kissed beneath a sprig of mistletoe. Today, the tradition is somewhat different, but it is still customary for people to kiss beneath the mistletoe.

While Christian tradition offers the origin of giving presents at Christmas to the Three Wise Men bringing gifts to the baby Jesus, in reality, the origins go back much farther in time. Father Winter was an ancient pagan figure who wore red, fur-trimmed robes, had a long white beard and gave presents to children during the Yuletide celebration. In those days, gifts of fruit, plants and magical herbs were frequently given (which required no instructions or batteries and were never returned the next day for a different color or size).

All pagan calendars revolved around their precious crops and livestock, so were associated with the changing of the seasons. Consequently, a bountiful harvest and the fertility of their livestock were of the utmost importance to our ancestors.

Pagan peoples worshiped the earth through the Earth Goddess or Earth Mother (today remembered as our Mother Nature), knowing that without Her kindness and generosity, they and their families would likely not survive. Our ancestors revered the earth and sky, as well as the plants and animals that shared this planet with them, knowing they were all connected and dependant on each other.

The pagan festivals of old are all but forgotten in this day and age of crass commercialism and the importance of the all-mighty dollar. We no longer celebrate nature--her glory, her beauty, her bounty. We no longer treat with respect those fragile surroundings that support and protect us, feed and clothe us and make our lives possible. We are no longer close to those things that at one time all pagan peoples of the earth revered as sacred.

Sadly, we have become civilized.

And so the Myth goes.

Allow me to end this month's presentation with an American Indian blessing and in closing, I wish you all a Happy Feast of the Sun.