I have just finished three Squidoo lenses for the celebration of Yule. I was surprised to find that one of the Google search terms used to find one of them was "do pagans celebrate Christmas?" I'm glad the question came up because the answer is - NO.
Christmas is a religious Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. Although it has been secularized over the years, much to the dismay of Christians, and has pagan origins, it still remains Christ's Mass.
The date of Jesus' birth is unknown, and I won't delve into the various theories of why Christmas was placed on December 25th, which is the birthday of a Roman god, Mithras. The fact is that pagans do celebrate this season, and actually had the season before the "reason." (In response to the Christian saying, "Jesus is the reason for the season.")
Pagans and Wiccans celebrate Yule or the Winter Solstice which occurs several days prior to Christmas (In the Northern Hemisphere; in the Southern Hemisphere the Winter Solstice is in July). The Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year, a time when indigenous people in northern lands were concerned with making it through the winter. Food was scarce, people died from illness and the cold.
Our ancestors were aware of the turning of the wheel of the year, and knew that at midwinter the days would gradually become longer. It was a time to celebrate the rebirth of the Sun. The many Christmas traditions today can be traced back to these Nordic and Celtic traditions; including the Yule Log, mistletoe, holly, and singing carols.
So we also decorate trees, light candles, and give each other gifts just as Christians do, but not on December 25th. Therefore I decided to create a few lenses related to Yule decorations and gifts, and a special one for what to wear to the Yule Ball (you do remember Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire?
)I invite you to visit these three lenses
Pagan Friendly Decorations for Yule
Should I Give My Pagan Friend a Christmas Gift?
What to Wear to the Yule Ball
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