As Christmas approaches, we enter that wonderful time of year when we are told to be cheerful, spend money we may not have, and celebrate peace and goodwill towards others. Yet, for some people, Christmas is anything but a happy occasion. Loneliness, financial pressures and emotional distress can make it one of the most difficult times of the year, sometimes with tragic consequences.
So, with Christmas fast approaching, I thought I would share a few of my own thoughts about what has become, in my opinion, the greediest time of the year.
Rightly or wrongly, these are simply my own observations and questions.
Christians teach that Jesus is the light of the world and that he was sent to save humanity from its sins.
Now, consider the Winter Solstice, an important occasion in various Pagan traditions. It marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. From that point onwards, the days gradually begin to grow longer, symbolising the return of light and the renewal of life.
This makes me wonder whether early Christians recognised the symbolism of the returning light and associated it with Jesus, whom they regarded as the light of the world.
If so, it raises an interesting question.
Did Christianity take an existing Pagan celebration associated with the Winter Solstice and gradually transform it into what we now know as Christmas?
The historical origins of Christmas are more complicated than that, and the extent of Pagan influence remains a matter of debate. Nevertheless, the similarities in symbolism are certainly worth considering.
And if Christianity did adopt elements of earlier Pagan celebrations, isn’t there a certain irony in a religion that teaches “Thou shalt not steal” incorporating traditions associated with the very people it later condemned as Pagans?
What makes this even more troubling, in my opinion, is the historical treatment of those who refused to conform to Christianity.
Throughout history, certain Christian authorities and institutions persecuted, punished and sometimes executed people whose religious beliefs differed from their own. This included people accused of heresy, witchcraft and practising forbidden religious traditions.
Of course, this does not mean that every Christian supported such behaviour, nor does it mean that Christianity alone has a history of religious persecution.
However, it does raise what I consider to be an uncomfortable contradiction.
How can a religion that teaches people not to steal, not to kill and to love their neighbours justify, at certain points in its history, persecuting those who simply wished to follow a different spiritual path?
And how ironic would it be if some of the traditions now associated with one of Christianity’s most important celebrations had their roots in the beliefs and customs of people whom Christian authorities once condemned?
Today, Christmas has become an enormous commercial enterprise, with shops and businesses encouraging us to spend more and more money in the name of giving, generosity and goodwill.
Meanwhile, the natural turning of the seasons continues, just as it did long before Christianity existed.
For me, the Winter Solstice needs no religious figure, expensive presents or commercial celebration to give it meaning. It is simply a recognition of nature, the changing seasons and the gradual return of the light.
Perhaps that is something worth remembering as we approach what has become the season of goodwill, excessive spending and, rather ironically, a great deal of greed.
These are my own thoughts, not an attempt to tell anyone what they should believe. But I do think the history of Christmas raises some interesting questions, particularly for those of us who follow a Pagan path.