Following is from an article by Dr Abdul Halim Quick: Since earliest times the inhabitants of the Northern countries have observed that there is a period during the year when the days begin to lengthen and the cold begins to strengthen. This event is the Winter Solstice, the turning point when winter having reached its zenith, has also reached the point when it must decline again towards spring. Thus, December 21st is the shortest day of the year. It was on or about December 21st that the Ancient Greeks celebrated the Bacchanalia or festivities to honour Bacchus the god of wine. In Ancient Rome the Saturnalia of festivals in honour of Saturn, the god of time, began on December 17th and continued for seven days. Both festivals ended in drunkenness, obscenity and disorder. The Druids observed this season in their great roofless temples at Stonehenge and Avebury in England. Torches were lit and strange pagan ceremonies were enacted in honour of the Sun god and to cut the Mysterious Mistletoe to which they gave god-like powers. Even the Ancient Egyptians celebrated this mid-winter in honour of Horus, the son of Isis, born at the close of December. The Ancient Germanic tribes celebrated the pagan feast of the 12 Night from Dec. 25th to Jan. 6th. The conflicts between the active forces of nature were represented as battles between the gods and plants. The winter was the Ice-Giant, cruel and unruly, and darkness and death followed him. The Sun god and the South Wind were symbols of light and life. At last Thor, the god of the Thunderstorm riding on the wings of the air hurled his thunderbolt at the winter castle and demolished it. In Scandinavian countries, great fires were kindled to defy the Frost King. The followers of Mithra, throughout the Northern countries, called this period sol invictus representing the time of the victory of light over darkness. Mithra, for them, was not only the Sun god, but the Mediator between mankind and the Supreme Being. His birthday was celebrated on the 25th of December. Sunday, the seventh day of the week (for seven was his number) was consecrated to him, and known as the Lord’s Day long before the Christian Era. The roots of the Christmas observance, therefore, go deeply into the folklore of the early pagan traditions. What we may read of Christmas in ancient days finds its flower in the past and present customs of Western Civilization. We should clearly understand one important fact. Christmas is not the actual date of the birth of Jesus (p.b.u.h), but a compromise with paganism. The Gospels say nothing about the seasons of the year when Jesus was born. On the other hand, they do tell us that shepherds were guarding their flocks in the open air. Hence, many of the early leaders of the Church considered it most likely that the nativity took place either in the late summer of early Fall. This and countless facts point to the conclusion that Christmas (Dec. 25th) actually has nothing to do with Jesus (p.b.u.h.) and Mary (p.b.u.h.), the humble of servants of Allah who abstained from the world and submitted entirely to their lord. Christmas has actually incorporated into itself all the pagan festivals; Greek, Roman, Druid, German, Scandinavian, etc and given them new meaning. The wild revels of the Bacchanalia, the Saturnalia, and the Twelve Nights survive in a milder form in the merriment that marks the season of Christmas today. “Christmas gifts themselves remind us of the presents that were exchanged in Rome during Saturnalia. In Rome, it might be added, the presence usually took the form of wax tapers (candles) and dolls – the latter being in turn a survival of human sacrifices once offered to Saturn. It is a queer thought that in our Christmas presents we are preserving under another form one of the most savage customs of our barbarian ancestors! The shouts of ‘Bona Saturnalia’, which the Roman people exchanged among themselves are the precursors of ‘Merry Christmas!’ The decorations and illuminations of our Christians churches recall the temples of Saturn, radiant with burning taper and resplendent with garlands”
