I wonder why?
I work retail so it is very hard for me to get into the holiday season. It is not even Thanksgiving yet, but everywhere you look there are Christmas Trees and music playing. I can't stand it. There so much commercialism is going on. It takes away the joy. Also people get grumpy. Just the other day I had a lady come through my line at work and she was saying how Christmas has got so bad that it was turning into a "Pagan" holiday. I just gave her a funny look and told her Pagans don't celebrate Christmas they celebrate Yule. It shut her right up, but I am sure she had no idea what I was talking about. Why is everyone thinks if something is Pagan it is bad? Or bad that it is Pagan? Most people don't even know what Pagan's celebrate. They just like to use them for a scape goat for anything they don't understand. If you put the words "holiday traditions" into almost any search engine, your going to find that almost all hoildays have "Pagan" roots. That isn't what makes it bad. Ignorance is what makes it bad. People become frightened by what they don't understand. For example did you know
Mistletoe was used by Druid priests 200 years before the birth of Christ in their winter celebrations. They revered the plant since it had no roots yet remained green during the cold months of winter.
The ancient Celtics believed mistletoe to have magical healing powers and used it as an antidote for poison, infertility, and to ward of evil spirits. The plant was also seen as a symbol of peace, and it is said that among Romans, enemies who met under mistletoe would lay down their weapons and embrace.
Scandinavians associated the plant with Frigga, their goddess of love, and it may be from this that we derive the custom of kissing under the mistletoe. Those who kissed under the mistletoe had the promise of happiness and good luck in the following year.
I celebrate both Yule and Christmas, and as the days grow closer I will list some more traditions. I will also sit back and smirk and wonder if that customer went home and looked up the word Yule
Mistletoe was used by Druid priests 200 years before the birth of Christ in their winter celebrations. They revered the plant since it had no roots yet remained green during the cold months of winter.
The ancient Celtics believed mistletoe to have magical healing powers and used it as an antidote for poison, infertility, and to ward of evil spirits. The plant was also seen as a symbol of peace, and it is said that among Romans, enemies who met under mistletoe would lay down their weapons and embrace.
Scandinavians associated the plant with Frigga, their goddess of love, and it may be from this that we derive the custom of kissing under the mistletoe. Those who kissed under the mistletoe had the promise of happiness and good luck in the following year.
I celebrate both Yule and Christmas, and as the days grow closer I will list some more traditions. I will also sit back and smirk and wonder if that customer went home and looked up the word Yule
Labels: Random Thoughts
posted by Patty at
Friday, November 17, 2006
6 Comments:
I also celebrate both Yule and Christmas and it always gets me that all these people have no idea that their Christian 'traditions' were stolen from the Pagans.
I work in retail too so I know where you're coming from. It's funny; I complain about all the pagan holidays turning into Christian holidays. ::chuckle::
I used to not even acknowledge the winter holiday but the last few years just celebrated winter solstice. I am trying to get into "christmas" for my nephews because that was how us children were raised but it is hard.
I can remember the stores not putting any Christmas stuff out til after Thanksgiving.
Now it seems to me the whole ideal behind the holidays is to see who can spend the most money.
I'm one who won't go into debt to impress someone.
I had someone ask me if pagan was devil worship? It has to do with the word pagan, sounds ungodly...hehehe
We have had Christmas Decorations out in the stores since early December ... it is too early, it is driving me nuts !! Listening to Christmas Carols for almost 2 months is just too much !!
Have a great week.
Take care, Meow
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