By: Charles Ray
Many people who buy Easter bunnies for their children, or who gather around a Christmas tree to sing carols, are blissfully unaware that they are performing what was, centuries ago, a pagan ritual.
Around the 4th century AD, Emperor Constantine, who had professed Christianity, sought to widen his influence over all the people of the Roman Empire, including the barbarian tribes within and on the fringes of the empire. By incorporating pagan ritual into church ceremonies, he attracted the tribes; and by giving these rituals Christian names, he sought to avoid offending the Christians in the empire.
For much the same reason, the church in England did the same with many Druid rituals in the British Isles. After two thousand years, these practices have become such a part of our culture, few realize where they originated.
Some Biblical scholars dispute the claim that Jesus was born in December. Why then do we celebrate Christmas on December 25? The winter solstice is thought to have been the time of a pagan celebration to commemorate the birth of a son to the Babylonian Queen of heaven. The traditional Yule log, for instance, is actually a representation in pagan lore of the revival of Nimrod, and mistletoe and holly were plants that represented fertility. In an effort to woo people away from pagan customs, the church co-opted this holiday worshiping the sun god, and made it into one honoring the Son of God.
Easter is another Christian holiday that is deeply rooted in pagan ritual and custom. The very word is believed to have been derived from the name of the goddess Astarte, or Ishtar. The Easter sunrise services grew out of rituals honoring a pagan deity. Even the innocent Easter bunny is a pagan totem; the rabbit is one of the world's oldest symbols of fertility. We have the Druids to thank for Easter eggs - the egg, as a source of life, was a sacred Druid symbol, and eggs were often hung over the transom of residences to bring good fortune from the gods.
Finally, there's Halloween, or All Saints' Day. The kids who dress up as ghosts, goblins and witches and go out trick or treating are unknowingly acting closer to the ancient ritual than they or their parents know. This holiday is derived from the Celtic Samhain, a day honoring pagan deities, with emphasis on fire, the dead, and the powers of darkness.
Christian adoption of these customs and rituals is so complete that, 2,000 years later, few celebrants realize that much of what they believe about the meaning of these holidays is actually a fiction that grew out of the political realities of the times. So, the next time you stand under mistletoe waiting for a kiss from your sweetheart, think about what they act signified in ancient times. It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, "the spirit of Christmas," doesn't it?
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