Symbols Of Christmas

[Ken L]

Christmas trees - Pagan

Holly - Pagan

Ivy - Pagan

Santa - Nothing Christian there. The suit is interesting though. There are stories that indicate that the red and white sympolises blood and snow (with the feast to follow) or alternativly that it's the colour of those nice psycadellic Fly Ageric mushrooms.

The date - Pagan again.

 

There must be more in a similar vein.

 

Don't even get me started on Easter !

[MJB]

Santa: The red and white colours come from his sponser - Coca Cola

[Tony U]

The original Father Christmas the Spirit of Christmas Present, as depicted in A Christmas Carol owes more to the traditional images of the Green Man than any St Nicholas. With his wreath of foliage and holding a cornucopia.

[Gaz51]

Santa: The red and white colours come from his sponser - Coca Cola

 

My young son just told me that this morning! I honestly had no idea.

[Ken L]

Another urban legen I'm afraid.

http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/santa.asp

 

Mistletoe - Very, Very Pagan.

[snotty]

Where's this one going Ken?

 

I'm sure you are aware that Christmas is a Christian festival and is celebrated rightly or wrongly to coincide with an ancient pagan festival. It is to be expected that certain symbolism and icons associated with those pagan traditions will be superimposed upon this traditional holiday.

 

I get the feeling that you are really having a bit of a knock against Christian Christmas my apologies if this is not so, but the way in which you mentioned Easter led me to this conclusion.

 

One of the wonderful things about our country and its Christian faith is freedom of speech and the right not to partake.

I wish you a peaceful and happy Christmas however you choose to celebrate it.

[Tony U]

With only 7% of the UK population being active Christians, I think it is about time we acknowledged we are a secular rather than a Christian country.

This is not in any way intended to deny people their freedom of worship; but the need for relegious ceremony should be divorced from all aspects of the state.

Edited December 21, 2005 by Tony U

[Ken L]

I've no problem at all with Christians celebrating their main festival.

It just strikes me as odd that the symbols that are "traditionally" associated with Christmas are in fact co-opted from other belief systems.

I can't actually remember the last time that I saw a public display celebrating Christmas that revolved around the nativity - even the "angel" on the tree is usually refered to as a "A Fairey".

Of course, we are rapidly heading towards the point where all of the traditional symbols whether Christian or Pagan are going to be replaced by shopping.

Edited December 21, 2005 by Ken L

[Paul_D]

And the Robin?

[Tony U]

And the Robin?

 

 

Throughout Britain and Northern Europe, the robin represents the Holly King, who bloodily kills the Oak King - embodied by the wren. It is a story signifying the death of autumn and the onset of winter. The robin's red breast is the mark of this mythic bloodletting.