Pagan Truth:- The Green Santa - In the Beginning

The original Santa, or Saint Nicholas, was green and not red, as we portray him today. Not only that, but he had a totally different meaning to the Santa Claus we know today.

Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas and simply "Santa", is a figure with legendary, mythical, historical and folkloric origins who, in many western cultures, is said to bring gifts to the homes of the good children during the late evening and overnight hours of Christmas Eve, December 24. The modern figure was derived from the Dutch figure of Sinterklaas...

from Santa Claus page @ Wikipedia

The Santa we see in modern times only came about in the early 1950's, when Coca Cola had a problem with sales in some European countries. They adopted his image at the time for a couple of reasons: The first being Post war depression. But the main reason was Coca Cola was little known to Europeans, and the depression's effects made it harder.

Vintage Cocoa Cola Christmas Advert

One astute salesman (sent to Europe to help sales) -who happened to be studying children's stories- came across the legend of Saint Nicholas. (A character who willingly gave to children - to spread joy into their povity-stricken-lives.)

Deciding to use this fabled character in a world-wide marketing campaign, Coca Cola came up with a sales pitch to capture the market. They increased the sales of cola with a jolly fat man in a red and white suit, which perfectly matched their product colours, and instilled a feeling of joy (about a man like St. Nicholas who gave presents one day of each year to enrich their lives) even just for a while.

The Europeans ate up this American link to their own heritage seeing similarities to their own versions of St. Nicholas; especially as they didn't knowing this was created just to sell a product.

Spirit of Yule

It might be of surprise to realise that Santa's suit was originally green before Cocoa Cola changed it to their logo colours of red and white; and all just to push cola into the depressed European market. So strange, but really true.

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Pagan Truth:- Christmas Pagan Origins

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Reblogged: « Christmas Pagan Origins »

Spirit of Yule

Few people realize that the origins of a form of Christmas was pagan and; celebrated in Europe long before anyone there had heard of Jesus Christ.

No one knows what day Jesus Christ was born on. From the biblical description, most historians believe that his birth probably occurred in September, approximately six months after Passover. One thing they agree on is that it is very unlikely that Jesus was born in December, since the bible records shepherds tending their sheep in the fields on that night. This is quite unlikely to have happened during a cold Judean winter.

So why do we celebrate Christ's birthday as Christmas, on December the 25th?

The answer lies in the pagan origins of Christmas. In ancient Babylon, the feast of the Son of Isis (Goddess of Nature) was celebrated on December 25. Raucous partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were traditions of this feast.

In Rome, the Winter Solstice was celebrated many years before the birth of Christ. The Romans called their winter holiday Saturnalia, honouring Saturn, the God of Agriculture. In January, they observed the Kalends of January, which represented the triumph of life over death. This whole season was called Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun. The festival season was marked by much merrymaking. It is in ancient Rome that the tradition of the Mummers was born. The Mummers were groups of costumed singers and dancers who travelled from house to house entertaining their neighbours. From this, the Christmas tradition of carolling was born.

In northern Europe, many other traditions that we now consider part of Christian worship were begun long before the participants had ever heard of Christ. The pagans of northern Europe celebrated the their own winter solstice, known as Yule. Yule was symbolic of the pagan Sun God, Mithras, being born, and was observed on the shortest day of the year. As the Sun God grew and matured, the days became longer and warmer. It was customary to light a candle to encourage Mithras, and the sun, to reappear next year.

Huge Yule logs were burned in honour of the sun. The word Yule itself means "wheel," the wheel being a pagan symbol for the sun. Mistletoe was considered a sacred plant, and the custom of kissing under the mistletoe began as a fertility ritual. Holly berries were thought to be a food of the gods.

The tree is the one symbol that unites almost all the northern European winter solstices. Live evergreen trees were often brought into homes during the harsh winters as a reminder to inhabitants that soon their crops would grow again. Evergreen boughs were sometimes carried as totems of good luck and were often present at weddings, representing fertility. The Druids used the tree as a religious symbol, holding their sacred ceremonies while surrounding and worshipping huge trees.

In 350, Pope Julius I declared that Christ's birth would be celebrated on December 25. There is little doubt that he was trying to make it as painless as possible for pagan Romans (who remained a majority at that time) to convert to Christianity. The new religion went down a bit easier, knowing that their feasts would not be taken away from them.

Christmas (Christ-Mass) as we know it today, most historians agree, began in Germany, though Catholics and Lutherans still disagree about which church celebrated it first. The earliest record of an evergreen being decorated in a Christian celebration was in 1521 in the Alsace region of Germany. A prominent Lutheran minister of the day cried blasphemy:

"Better that they should look to the true tree of life, Christ."

The controversy continues even today in some fundamentalist sects.

More Roots of Halloween (the Celtic Samhain)

As I said last week, the roots of Halloween can be found in the Celtic (Samain) Samhain.

For the Celts, this time of the (wheel of the) year was marked by the sun's passage into the underworld - thus allowing the forces of 'the underworld' to ascend.

Halloween Lantern (Photo credit: somewhereintheworldtoday)

Unfettered by the controlling the sun-god, Mog Ruith, the Lord of the Underworld, becomes able to walk the earth from Autumn to Winter, along with all the other creatures -of the dead- of his abode. (In Celtic mythology, the Lord of the Dead is often identified as Donn.)

Both Donn and Mog Ruith (the sun-god  are closely associated with Samhain. (Mog Ruith, as sun-god  sojourned at the realm of the underworld, the abode of Donn during this time of the year.)

The Celts were fascinated by their ancestors  causing a belief that at death they went to the house of their ancestor, the god of the underworld, Donn.

For the Celts, this was a time when fairies, goolies and all manner of other creatures and ghosts traveled abroad (walking the earth).

Their fires were lit in honor of the sun-god  Mog Ruith, and to keep the Lord of the Dead/Underworld at bay.

(Samhain is placed on the boundary between Summer and Winter, between the two halves of the year; giving it the unique status  to the Celts of being suspended in time. Belong to neither the old year nor the new. During the night of Samhain, life's natural order is thrown into chaos; the world of the living becoming entangled with the world of the dead.)

On this night, the unwary Celtic traveler  would expect to encounter creatures of the dead. (Back then, it was advisable to refrain from going out at night.) Ghosts were everywhere.

Lighting the bonfires marked the domestic celebration of the feast. Allowing the spirits of the ancestors back into the household.

The ancestral ghosts needed appeasement in the form of ritual offerings; to insure good luck through the following year. This is were the 'Trick or Treat' tradition of the modern Halloween originated. (Children dressed as the dwellers of the underworld - ghosts, witches, and monsters - visit homes with the hope of getting 'treats' or performing a 'trick' on the household's occupants - the equivalent of a dose of bad luck.)

Toffee Apples (Photo credit: julie gibbons)

More next week

The roots of Halloween can be found in the Celtic (Samain) Samhain

As millions of children and adults prepare to participate in the fun of Halloween, few are aware of its ancient Celtic roots in the Samhain (Samain) festival.

Halloween Costumes (Photo credit: Transguyjay)

In Celtic Ireland about 2,000 years ago, Samhain was the division of the year between summer (the lighter half of the year) and winter (the darker half if the year.

At Samhain the division between the other-world and this world is at its thinnest; allowing spirits to pass between the two.

The honoured family's ancestors were invited into the home. (Whilst warding-off harmful spirits.)
By wearing masks and costumes, the community disguised themselves as harmful spirits, in the hope of preventing being attacked by them.

The festivities would take place on the Eve of Samhain, as Halloween does today. The Samhain festival marked the end of the Celtic year and the beginning of the next one. (Halloween can be seen to the Celtic equivalent of New Year's Eve. This festival being the most important of the four Celtic Festivals: Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain.)

A large part of the festivities surrounded bonfires and food: Household fires were extinguished and started again from the communal bonfire. The bones from the slaughtered livestock used to feed the community were cast into this bonfire.

English bonfire (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Both the living and the dead were fed. Because the ancestors were in unable to eat their share, the less well off ritually ate for them.

Great numbers of Irish immigrants flocked to America during the Nineteenth Century (around the time of 1840's famine), taking with them their Halloween traditions. (Where it has become a crucial time of year; one of the USA's major holidays during modern times. The American harvest-time tradition of carving pumpkins has been embedded into these traditions.)

Jack-o-lantern (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There is no doubt that that Halloween is loaded with symbolic significance from its Samhain past.

The lighting of these Winter Fires (bonfire) marked the sun's passage across the skies; and preceded its symbolic death in December. Fire being the sun's earthly counterpart, especially during the onset of winter.


More next week

Samhain? Is It Time To Talk About Ancestors Yet? « myvillagewitch

reblogged: Samhain? Is It Time To Talk About Ancestors Yet? « myvillagewitch:

'via Blog this'

Not quite? Not yet? Still a holy day to go before that one, you say?

Perhaps I should shorten my vision a bit.

We have been deeply…enmeshed in the process of creating a group of clergy for Mother Grove Goddess Temple. It’s has been scary and invigorating and silly and annoying. And very very good. This time next week, it’ll be a done deal since the rite of ordination occurs Friday night. At New Moon.

In some ways it seems a simple thing–a group of women who’ve been studying for over a year are capping off their studies with a ceremony. Like graduation or something.

And then I remember what this is. It’s the ordination of clergy in a Goddess temple.

A Goddess temple. In Asheville. A College of Celebrants in a…Goddess temple.

Then I gulp and rub my eyes and have to sit down for a minute because that part seems rather glorious and a little magical and filled with mystery and import.

And it is–on the one hand. We’re part of a rising movement across the globe–a movement that is sometimes called the Return of the Goddess or the Rise of the Great Mother. Each time I hear of a new temple starting out, my heart swells with joy and I feel the pull of past and future simultaneously, as though I stand on a hill and see forward and back. I feel the pull of the mythic past and the tug of a future that we weld together with fire and longing.

These are not only Temple priestesses but also clergy as the modern world understands that notion. Marrying and burying and everything in between. In fact, the week after this ordination, there’s a wedding to do. And I’m talking to old friends about a blessing for their grandson.

The pleasant ending of a year of work and exploration. A ceremony of transition for strong and wise women. A liminal place, a doorway through which they walk into a new and ancient world.

Excellent.

A Happy Mabon Blessing to All

With the fields empty of crops (having been harvested), it's time for Mabon - the mid-harvest festival of Pagans and Wiccans everywhere. Whether you're a town / city Pagan / Wiccan or a country one, this is a time to honor the second harvest and celebrate the changing of the seasons.

• 
• • The VudooMan
  • i-faith & i-life Magazine, Thursday 20 September 2012

Happy Mabon! (Photo credit: Fel ix_Nine).

The autumn equinox, is usually on nineth month between 20th and 22nd - and this year falls on September 22nd (in Northan Hemisphere, or March 22nd in Southern Hemisphere).