… and a partridge in a pear tree?

Most of us recognize the song that starts, ‘On the first day of Christmas…,” but how many know the real origin of those famous twelve days?

Are they Christian?  Are they Pagan?

And, when do the twelve days start, anyway?  Do we celebrate the beginning [...]]]>

… and a partridge in a pear tree?

Most of us recognize the song that starts, ‘On the first day of Christmas…,” but how many know the real origin of those famous twelve days?

Are they Christian?  Are they Pagan?

And, when do the twelve days start, anyway?  Do we celebrate the beginning of them, the conclusion, or every day?

BABYLON

The Mesopotamians may have started it in Babylon.

The festival was Zagmuk, their twelve-day festival of renewal that began their new year. According to lore, this celebration honored their chief god, Marduk, who brought order to a chaotic world.

At the darkest time of year, Marduk needed the help of humans to defeat Chaos once again.

In Babylonian traditions, Chaos was an actual god.  His natural state was inertia.  Anything that upset inertia was a threat to Chaos, and he tried to destroy it.

Pop Quiz: Where was Babylon?

Answer: About 50 miles south of modern Baghdad, just north of the Iraqi town of al-Hillah.

For more information, see A Brief History of Babylon. [Link]

EGYPT

Others claim another source for the 12 days.

They explain that the tradition began 4000 years ago in Egypt.  There, an annual twelve-day celebration signified the twelve divisions of their calendar year.

During these twelve days that started at the Winter Solstice, Egyptians celebrated the rebirth of Horus in his new form, the Sun.

At this festival’s conclusion, the new year began — just as ours does today — approximately 12 days after the Solstice.

PERSIA AND GREECE

Next, the Persians and the Greeks adopted the twelve-day festival, as Sacaea.

In Persia’s Sacaea traditions, servants swapped roles with their masters, so their masters served them.

(This holiday tradition is still in practice today in various parts of the world.)

In Greece, Sacaea celebrated Zeus’ defeat of Kronos (the original “Father Time”) and the Titans.

Sacaea also marked the annual ritual to protect the family–especially children–from the Kallikantzaroi (Christmas goblins).

The Kallikantzaroi are faeries or imps who live underground but visit our world between December 25th and January 6th, to wreak havoc here.

To protect the home from Kallikantzaroi, it is traditional to leave on the doorstep something with many holes in it.

Apparently, the Kallikantzaroi love to count, but–in our world–can’t safely count above two (three being a holy number). When they pronounce the number three, they are instantly returned to the Underworld.

ROME

The Persian and Egyptian versions of the twelve-day festival merged in Rome, where the celebration became Saturnalia.

During Saturnalia, people dress up in costume, visit friends, and exchange gifts.

In fact, it is from this Roman tradition that historians trace our “Christmas gift” traditions.

MITHRAS

In addition to the Winter Solstice festival, the Romans also adopted the Persian god, Mithras (or Mithra).  He was the sun god worshipped by Constantine, who made Christianity the official religion of Rome.

Mithras was the “Unconquered Sun”.  Like Jesus, he was called “the light of the world”, and we can trace Mithras’ popularity to the sixth century, BCE.

Mithras’ birthday was the 25th of December, but that’s not the only parallel with Jesus Christ:

• Mithras’ birth was attended by shepherds.
• At the end of his time on earth and before returning to his father, Mithras celebrated with a “last supper” involving bread and wine with his twelve followers (sometimes linked to the twelve signs of the zodiac).
• Mithras was put to death on a cross, and just as he was born in a cave, he was buried in a cave until he rose to join his father.
• Mithras’ followers await his return when he will raise the dead and begin a final judgement of all who have lived on earth.
• Mithras’ and Jesus’ birthday also coincide with the birthday of another, earlier Roman god who led the cult of Sol Invictus.

AND THE REST IS HISTORY

As Christianity spread–and with it the celebration of Christmas (and its “twelve days”)–more Pagan traditions were incorporated into the celebration.

And by Shakespeare’s time, the twelve days had spawned another celebration, Twelfth Night.

But, it probably started with the Babylonians and the Egyptians.

Whether you begin your “twelve days” on the Winter Solstice or with Christmas, may your 12 days (and many past then) be filled with blessings and delights of the season.

However, today’s Pagans celebrate Yule as the pre-Christian holiday, when the Sun appears to be reborn.

Winter Solstice

Traditionally, Yule is celebrated around December 22nd at the Winter Solstice. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is celebrated on June [...]]]> Today, we often think of “Yule” as synonymous with “Christmas,” and in a way, that’s true.

However, today’s Pagans celebrate Yule as the pre-Christian holiday, when the Sun appears to be reborn.

Winter Solstice

Traditionally, Yule is celebrated around December 22nd at the Winter Solstice. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is celebrated on June 22nd.

The word “solstice” means “standing still of the Sun.” In winter, it marks the time when light starts returning and the days become longer again.

We know that the Solstice was significant in Pagan beliefs. The midwinter Sun’s movements were marked by monuments such as

• Newgrange (Ireland)
• Mae Howe (Orkney)
• Dorset’s seven-mile monument (England)
• One entrance at the Cumberland Circle (England)
• Stonehenge (England)

In the year 730, the religious historian, Bede, wrote that the most important annual (Pagan) festival in England was Modranicht. In English, that means “Mother Night,” and it was celebrated on the 24th of December according to the Roman calendar.

Although Bede’s research seems shaky, the solstice was significant in England from earliest times.

In 877, Alfred the Great passed a law that no servant had to work during the 12 days of celebration following Midwinter. (And this relates to the “12 Days of Christmas” tradition.)

But, how did December 25th become Christmas? How does this link to the Pagan midwinter festivals?

Christmas and December 25th

Most Bible scholars agree that there is little historical evidence that Christ’s birthdate was on December 25th. In fact, no actual date was suggested in the Bible.

The first time that Christ’s birth was celebated in December, was in the year 354. That’s when Philocalus put the date on his calendar in Rome. The Romans hoped to combine various religions’ holidays, so everyone was celebrating at the same time.

The Roman Holidays

In Rome, the first Pagan festival of this season was Saturnalia, honoring Saturn, the god of fertility and agriculture. Celebrations were held in late December, when “his” astrological sign, Capricorn, rose in the sky.

This Roman festival preceded an even larger New Year’s celebration called Kalendae on January first.

Several other Roman religions also celebrated the birth of the Sun-god around the end of December.

Sol Invictus, a prominent tradition in Rome, celebrated the birth of God on Natalis Invictus just as the cult of Mithra/s did, on or close to the Winter Solstice.

So, Constantine–wearing his sun god costume to many decision-making meetings–moved Christmas from January 6th to December 25th.

(This is one reason why Christmas is celebrated on December 25th in the Roman Catholic Church, but not the Greek Orthodox.)

By making one general holiday on December 25th, the Romans hoped to unify the various religions in one grand celebration. Constantine took this effort one step further, when he made Christianity the official religion of Rome.

However, no decrees could fully banish Pagan beliefs and practices. The links between Christmas and midwinter/Solstice festivals have continued through the centuries.

The name, Christmas?

The English name, Christmas, didn’t appear until the year 1083 when it was recorded as Cristes Maessan.

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