The real reason for the season

1.If one believes the bible stories...Jesus was born in mid-June...
most bible scholars now agree upon June 17th, as his actual birth date.

2.Historical fact is that Pope Julius set Dec 25 as 'Christmas' in 349 C.E.
He chose that date by aligning it with the ROMAN holidays of Sol Invictus (festival of the invincible Sun God)
and Saturnalia--the Festival of the God, Saturn.
The traditions of gift giving and feasting came from those holidays.

3. Winter solstice (AKA Yule) was a Pagan holiday a hundred thousand years before ANYONE was born in Bethlehem, or Rome.
Decorating evergreen trees, caroling, mistletoe, holly, (and the Holly King AKA Santa Claus) all that came from YULE.
(These are the reasons Puritans, Jehovah's witnesses and other strict Christian faiths don't celebrate Xmas because of it's Pagan roots.)

4. And if ya want to go all scientific....the 'reason for the season' (and all seasons)
is the tilt of the (mother Goddess) Earth and the incoming light from the (father God) Sun.

So, all y'all Christians out there..who want to celebrate Yuletide as Jesus' birthday...
firstly ya got the date wrong, but no worries, I'm sure he doesn't care, go ahead celebrate that on the date Pope Julius set up for ya.
BUT recognize and respect that Julius borrowed (or stole) that date and those traditions from Romans and Druids...both PAGAN ancient faiths that pre-date Christianity.
Some of us modern Pagans still celebrate those older Gods and Holidays and traditions. Jews have a festival about a miracle of extra lamp oil....
Hindu's just celebrated Dawali, Muslims just had the Hajj pilgrimage....lots of faiths have winter holidays...
and many nonreligious people celebrate Christmas as a nonreligious holiday like thanksgiving.

Why can't we all just 'celebrate and let celebrate'
instead of one group trying to force their dogma down our throats....
or at least that group should educate themselves so they don't misstate their own faith's history, much less other faiths'.

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