To the untrained eye all of the merriment and decorations currently available in shops are innocently staples of 'Christmas', but how many people truly know the origin of the items they are decorating their houses with?
As a Pagan, I celebrate a festival called Yule, or Yol, which was Scandinavian in root.
I'd also like to be clear - I am not against Christianity. At all. I am, however, against the uneducated. I don't know about you, but as a Pagan the amount of times I've been asked why I'm decorating a tree or hanging holly or setting up stars (5-pointed) at this time of year when I don't believe in the Christianity of Christmas sets my teeth on edge. If half of the people who asked these questions did even one iota of research into the items THEY are decking their halls with the world would be a more tolerant place.
So, to clarify for those who are unsure, here is what actually puts the Christ in CHRISTmas (and I went to a church school, I'm not just preaching with no practice):
1) Nativity: Yhup, Mary, Joseph, Jesus in the Manger (NOT the 5-pointed star). All those adorable plays of kids with tea-towels on their heads is definitely a church thing.
2) Jesus: Yes, he was a person and nothing to do with Paganism, except that he was created to put an end to Pagans.
3) Saint Nicholas (not Santa Claus) - A gift-giver from Greece revered as a Saint by Christians. In deed, yes, he is Santa Claus. In appearance, no.
4) Carols - singing about the things taken from Pagans, or the birth of the Saviour. Excluding: Deck the Halls, Holly and the Ivy, and O' Christmas Tree, of course.
What is PAGAN about Christmas:
1) The 5-pointed star, i.e. the pentacle.
2) Yule log - firstly, YULE is in the title. Secondly, it was not originally a chocolate log but an actual log that was brought in and burnt after the festivities ended.
3) Christmas trees - Vikings would bring in large boughs and fir trees to symbolise fertility.
4) Holly and Ivy - In pagan times, Holly was thought to be a male plant and Ivy a female plant. An old tradition from the Midlands of England says that whatever one was brought into the house first over winter, tells you whether the man or woman of the house would rule that year! But it was unlucky to bring either into a house before Christmas Eve.
5) Mistletoe - dates back to Norse times (again) as a symbol of fertility, but was also used by druids at weddings.
6) Elves - Or more importantly, Tomte or Nisse, are house guardians who dwell in buildings all year round, but are celebrated especially at Christmas time. One of their jobs is to let Santa in to the houses where no chimney is present.
7) SANTA CLAUS - Or specifically his appearance. The original bearded appearance and green robes is a throwback to the appearance of the Norse god Odin, or the Celtic horned god or Green man. Red only started when Coca-Cola decided they'd use Santa as a marketing tool.
8) The date - The early Christian church hijacked December 25 to celebrate the birth of Jesus because they saw that everyone was already having a good time and decided to take advantage of it.
9) Lights, or specifically - candles - which would light the long night on December 21st when early Pagans celebrated the rise of the new sun.
10) Presents - Despite popular belief, the customs of giving presents did NOT come from the three wise men. Instead, present giving comes from the Roman festival Saturnalia which used to be celebrated around December 17.
11) Food - the Roman feast of Mithras was celebrated on December 25th and would celebrate the God of Light with food galore (and we all know from Key Stage 2 Romans that they could EAT).
12) New Years Eve - another Roman festival to honour the God Janus, who had two faces and so could look back on the old year and forward to the new.
13) Bows and greenery - Wiccanism centres around worshipping the Earth and its abundance.
14) Robins - The Holly King is believed to take the form of a robin at this time of year, with the Oak King taking the form of a wren.
15) Wreaths - The never-ending circle has been a Pagan symbol for hundreds of years, and traditional laurel wreaths are another roman hang-around.
"We celebrate the rebirth of the sun, not the son," said Kate West, High Priestess of a Wiccan coven in Cheshire.
So, next time someone tries to argue as to why Pagans get a bit angsty around this season, you'll have a fully formed argument to give back to them.
Blessed be, and seasons greetings,
Young Witch
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