Is Christmas a Christian or Pagan tradition?

December 25; Christmas is the time of year the kids have been waiting for. It is practiced all over the world. It is described as the season of love, giving, and celebration of Jesus Christ's birth. But is this the day when Christ was really born?

Sadly, there is not enough evidence in the bible to pinpoint exactly when Jesus was born. However, there are some evidence that would suggest that december is a very unlikely month for his birthday.

Luke 2:7-8

^"7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

Since it is cold and rainy at Bethlehem(birthplace of Jesus) in December, It is assumed that the shepherds keep their flocks in shelters at nights. Also, Joseph and Mary were said to have come to Bethlehem to register for a Roman census decreed by Caesar Augustus. Given the climate conditions in the middle of december, it is highly unlikely that a pregnant woman such as Mary would travel to register for such census.

The month of december is a very important month for early pagan religions. It is also the time of the year when the days get shorter and the nights become longer, otherwise known as the Winter Solstice. This occurs when the sun is at it's most southernly declination. Meaning during this time, most of the northern hemisphere is at it's farthest point from the sun, hence the colder climate. The Roman-pagan deity Sol, or the Unconquerable Sun God celebrates his birthday on the 25th of december. It is symbolized by the end of the Winter solstice.

The festival of Saturnalia was held to honor the Roman deity Saturn. It is held for several days starting from december 17 lasting up to december 23-25. During this period, Roman courts are closed. Any injury or death will be tolerated during the period. Roman communities would have gift-givings, banquets, partying, and sacrifices.

Theories state that during the 4th century, the Roman Catholic Church adapted the Saturnalia festival in an attempt to convince pagans into conversion. The attempt successfully converted masses of pagans into "Christianity" by allowing them to continue with the Saturnalia tradition, and so the introduction of Christmas. The festival and it's time of occurence had no relation whatsoever with Christianity. So Catholic leaders set the birth of Christ to december 25, similar to the Roman deity Sol. Christmas or "Christ-Mass" was then celebrated every year, replacing the old pagan Saturnalia.

No one will probably ever know for sure. There are a lot of other theories out there regarding Christmas and it's similarities with pagan culture. One thing is for certain; Christmas will still be an important human tradition for generations to come. No matter where it really originated, no one really cares. What's important is that on Christmas, children will be happy, gifts will be given, love will be expressed, and the day will be another special and memorable occasion that will be shared before the end of another year.

So we see evidence and similarities that suggest that the Christmas may be influenced by pagan tradition. Are there any other christian traditions today that may have been influenced by paganism? Interestingly, there are some icons of the Roman Catholic church that bear resemblance with paganism. The most popular being the worship of the Virgin Mary.

Catholics will tell you that the virgin Mary was sinless, remained a virgin throughout her life, and is the literal 'Mother of God'. However, it was not until 1854, when pope Pius IX announced the Immaculate Conception, that she was declared a pure soul. However, such claims have no biblical foundation whatsoever, and were purely an evolved human doctrine. There are even evidence in the bible that suggests that Mary and Joseph had biological children; Jesus' siblings, after the birth of Jesus himself.

Isis, is an ancient Egyptian goddess who conceived Horus, the son of the Egyptian god Osiris. Although to say that Mary is the christian incarnation of the pagan Isis seems far-fetched, modern depiction of Mary and Jesus is the spitting image of the Egyptian depiction of Isis and Horus.