The origins of Christmas

[gzt]

There are a lot of liberalist myths floating around about the origin of Christmas and the date of Christmas. Fortunately, John Sanidopoulos has done his usual great work on this, compiling a set of resources on the origins of the feast. Consider and enjoy.

Christmas Origins Resource Page | MYSTAGOGY RESOURCE CENTER

 

[ArmyMatt]

a great resource

 

[SkyWriting]

There are a lot of liberalist myths floating around about the origin of Christmas and the date of Christmas. Fortunately, John Sanidopoulos has done his usual great work on this, compiling a set of resources on the origins of the feast. Consider and enjoy.

Christmas Origins Resource Page | MYSTAGOGY RESOURCE CENTER

Galatians 4:10-11
You observe days and months and seasons and years!
I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.

What Does the Bible Say About Celebrating Holidays?

 

[ArmyMatt]

There is nothing Biblical about celebrating Christmas
so even bringing up the topic is a secular question.
There can be no "conservative" position except
in not having the holiday.

I think there are some Magi, angels, and shepherds who would disagree with you.

 

[All4Christ]

...

 

[Monk Brendan]

There is nothing Biblical about celebrating Christmas
so even bringing up the topic is a secular question.
There can be no "conservative" position except
in not celebrating the holiday.

Galatians 4:10-11
You observe days and months and seasons and years!
I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.

WRong.

It was the Christian feast of the Nativity that got paganized under Emperor Julian the Apostate.

Pleas read the book THE APOSTASY THAT WASN'T

 

[SkyWriting]

WRong.
It was the Christian feast of the Nativity that got paganized under Emperor Julian the Apostate.
Pleas read the book THE APOSTASY THAT WASN'T

Thank you. I have retracted my post.

 

[Hieronymus]

I think there are some Magi, angels, and shepherds who would disagree with you.

that wasn't on the winter solstice.

 

[ArmyMatt]

that wasn't on the winter solstice.

I never said it was

 

[Hieronymus]

I never said it was

Okay, but Christmas is.
I think there are some Magi, angels, and shepherds who would disagree with that.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Galatians 4:10-11
You observe days and months and seasons and years!
I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.

What Does the Bible Say About Celebrating Holidays?

your link is incorrect. St Paul makes a point in Acts AFTER his conversion to make it to feast days

 

[Hieronymus]

 

[ArmyMatt]

Okay, but Christmas is.
I think there are some Magi, angels, and shepherds who would disagree with that.

Christmas has nothing to do with the solstice. the calendar shift puts the traditional day of Christmas almost three weeks after the solstice

 

[Hieronymus]

Christmas has nothing to do with the solstice. the calendar shift puts the traditional day of Christmas almost three weeks after the solstice

I don't know what the traditional date is, other than when we celebrate it around the winter solstice.

 

[gzt]

It does have something to do with the solstice in that it's 9 months after Annunciation, whose date is said by some to have been chosen to relate to Good Friday, which is related to the spring equinox. Of course, as mentioned, this is obscured by the drift of the calendar. However, that drift is not terribly relevant when considering origins, is it?

 

[~Anastasia~]

Welcome visitors - you are posting in The Ancient Way, which is the EO subforum. Like all congregational subforums, members can receive staff action if mods notice anyone posting contrary to the doctrines.

But if you're truly interested, it might be worth looking into actual history instead of the pseudo-history that was fabricated by Hislop and others. Are you aware of the calendar shift, and that the early Church did not celebrate the Nativity on Dec. 25? It's also worth noting that the Church commemorates many events in the life of Christ and the establishment of the Church, and the Nativity was actually part of a season that focused more directly on Christ's baptism - most properly called "Theophany" because it was at His baptism that the Holy Trinity was distinctly revealed to mankind, in the form of the incarnate Son being baptized, the descent of the Holy Spirit like a dove, and the voice of the Father heard speaking from heaven.

Those on the old calendar celebrate the Nativity on Jan. 7. Theophany is 12 days after the Nativity.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I don't know what the traditional date is, other than when we celebrate it around the winter solstice.

prior to the calendar change, Christmas was celebrated in what we today know as January 7th, putting it 17 days after the solstice.

 

[ArmyMatt]

It does have something to do with the solstice in that it's 9 months after Annunciation, whose date is said by some to have been chosen to relate to Good Friday, which is related to the spring equinox. Of course, as mentioned, this is obscured by the drift of the calendar. However, that drift is not terribly relevant when considering origins, is it?

it is though because you are right about the connection between the annunciation and Pascha, and nine months from 25 March is 25 Dec. the solstice may have been used to preach to the pagans, but it wasn't the main reason for the date

 

[Hank77]

a great resource

Maybe you can explain to me clearly this quote from the rules for St Justin Marty's forum.

Active promotion of views contrary to the established teachings of canonical Orthodox Churches are considered off topic. This includes schismatic or Old Believer teachings. You may debate Orthodox doctrines and talk about other doctrines but do not promote other doctrines.

It seems that there is a fine line between 'talk about other doctrines and promoting other doctrines"
I don't want to run into breaking any rules but wish to point out a problem in the interpretation of Luke 1:9, in the above resource, according to Maimonides, RAMBAN.
I thought that maybe I could do this in St. Justin's but maybe not?

 

[~Anastasia~]

Maybe you can explain to me clearly this quote from the rules for St Justin Marty's forum.

Active promotion of views contrary to the established teachings of canonical Orthodox Churches are considered off topic. This includes schismatic or Old Believer teachings. You may debate Orthodox doctrines and talk about other doctrines but do not promote other doctrines.

It seems that there is a fine line between 'talk about other doctrines and promoting other doctrines"
I don't want to run into breaking any rules but wish to point out a problem in the interpretation of Luke 1:9, in the above resource, according to Maimonides, RAMBAN.
I thought that maybe I could do this in St. Justin's but maybe not?

You're fine to debate what you want there.

Orthodoxy has a particular situation where leaving the Church means you aren't part of the canonical Church ... I think those rules imply something particular to schismatics.

It sounds like you simply want to debate. That's what St. Justin's is for.