p. 8 | Christmas; Its Origin and History by S. MORTENSEN

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 16, 1909

Christmas; Its Origin and History

By S. MORTENSEN

(Continued)

S. MORTENSEN

The Origin From Paganism

“LITTLE children, keep yourselves from idols.” This admonition is given to us by John, the beloved disciple (1 John 5:21), and those who love Jesus truly are willing to obey the injunction. Now we will note more closely how this festival is related to paganism: “No other Christian festival penetrated so deeply into the household as Christmas, probably because its character is essentially joy, such as it appears in the household. However, many features indicate that there were more Christian elements present in its origin. The giving of the presents was a Roman custom. The yule tree and the yule log are remnants of old Teutonic nature worship. In the household also, the festival gradually sank down to a mere revelry.”—Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia.

“From the first institution of this festival, the Western nations seem to have transferred to it many of the follies and censurable practices which prevailed in the pagan festivals of the same season, such as adorning the churches fantastically, mingling puppet-shows and dramas with worship, universal feasting and merrymaking, Christmas visits and salutations, Christmas presents and jocularity, and Christmas revelry and drunkenness. . . . The Christmas holy days, which by a law of Theodosius the Greek (emperor A. D. 383-395) were to comprise fourteen days, . . . have borne so close a resemblance wherever they have been observed to the Roman Saturnalia, Sigillaria, etc., and to the yule feast of the ancient Goths, as to afford strong presumption of an unhappy alliance between them from the first.”—“Ecclesiastical History,” by Mosheim, Vol. I, page 280.

“Upright men strove to stem the tide, but in spite of all their efforts the apostasy went on, till the church, with the exception of a small remnant, was submerged under pagan superstition. That Christmas was originally a pagan festival is beyond all doubt. The time of year, and the ceremonies with which it is still celebrated, prove its origin. In Egypt the son of Isis, the Egyptian title for the queen of heaven, was born at this very time, ‘about the time of the winter solstice.’ The very name by which Christmas is popularly known among ourselves—yule day—proves at once its pagan and Babylonian origin. ‘Yule’ is the Chaldee name for an ‘infant’ or ‘little child,’ and as the twenty-fifth of December was called by our pagan Anglo-Saxon ancestors ‘yule day,’ or the ‘child’s day,’ and the night that preceded it ‘mother night,’ long before they came in contact with Christianity, that sufficiently proves its real character. Far and wide in the realms of paganism was this birthday observed.”—“The Two Babylons,” pages 93, 94. “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”

The author of “The Two Babylons” identifies also the child, whose birth was so universally celebrated, with Nimrod, who built the tower of Babel, and says that he was worshiped by the name Osiris in Egypt, and Tammuz (the same one as Adonis the famous hunter) in Phenicia and Assyria. (See page 56.) This Tammuz is also mentioned by the holy prophet Ezekiel, who in a vision saw the women of Judah weeping for him. He is there spoken of in company with sun-worship.

“It was an essential principle of the Babylonian system that the sun, or Baal, was the one only god. When, therefore, Tammuz was worshiped as God incarnate, that implied also that he was an incarnation of the sun.”—“The Two Babylons,” page 96.

In this way we trace sun-worship back to Nimrod, whose worship was universal in the old time. Again we have good reason to say: “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”

About the transferring of the pagan customs into Christendom the same author says: “The wassailing-bowl of Christmas had its precise counterpart in the ‘Drunken Festival’ of Babylon;

and many of the other observances still kept up among ourselves at Christmas came from the same quarter. The candles, in some parts of England, lighted at Christmas eve and used so long as the festive season lasts, were equally lighted by the pagans on the eve of the festival of the Babylonian god, to do honor to him, for it was one of the distinguishing peculiarities of his worship to have lighted candles on his altars. The Christmas tree, now so common among us, was equally common in pagan Rome and pagan Egypt. In Egypt that tree was the palm tree; in Rome it was the fir; the palm tree denoting the pagan Messiah, as Baal-Tamar; the fir referring to him as Baal-Berith. . . . On Christmas day the continental Saxons offered a boar in sacrifice to the sun, to propitiate her. In Rome a similar observance had evidently existed; for a boar formed a great article of Saturn, as appears from the words from Martial, ‘That boar is able to make you a good Saturnalia.’ Hence the boar’s head is still a standing dish in England at the Christmas dinner, when the reason of it is long since forgotten. Yea, the ‘Christmas goose’ and ‘yule cake’ were essential articles in the worship of the Babylonian Messiah, as that worship was practised both in Egypt and at Rome.”—Id., pages 97, 100, 101.

What is here said about the yule boar in England is also true about it in Scandinavia; and all this proves, (1) that the Roman sun festival originated in Babylon and Egypt; (2) that it was celebrated in honor of a son who was worshiped as an idol, and who was born the last part of December; (3) that this idol can be traced back to the rebellious Nimrod, who was idolized; (4) and that the customs at this old pagan festival were transferred to Christmas. This is truly surprising. Here are indeed reasons for a solemn search of heart, fervent prayer, and firmness of character for those who wish to be pure in the sight of God.

Chicago, Ill.

(To be concluded)