*handfast4me*

Re: *handfast4me*

• handfast4me member

  

  September 2011 edited December 2011

  Not at all, I'd rather folks asked.
  
  So, Constantine converted to Christianity, and in order to make it more palatable to many of the current Pagans, he incorporated the holidays.  That's where the trouble began. :-)  (Only kidding there.)  
  
  As for Christmas, the actual day is the start.  December 21st is the shortest day of the year, Yule, also known as the winter solstice.  We celebrate the "rebirth" of nature.  It's been on the down swing, and mother nature is getting ready.  The colors, red and green, have symbolized the god and goddess for centuries, long before Christianity.  There are plenty more (the yule log, etc.) but those are the ones I can think of right off the top of my head. Constantine put it on the 25th so that it coincided with Yule.  That's why it always makes me laugh when I see these billboards here in Georgia that say "Jesus is the Reason for the Season."  Nope.  Yule is, but y'all co-opted our holiday.   And Christmas was actually illegal in many countries, including England and what is now the US.
  
  Easter, even the name is from the Pagan is from the goddess oestre.  The bunnies, eggs, etc. are all sign of the growing season and from the Pagan festivals. 
  
  The term "tie the knot" is even of Pagan origin--it's the original handfasting ceremony.   But, there's a lot of "reactionary" stuff too.  For example, in Paganism, male and female are equal, but you can't have ritual without female. You CAN have ritual without male.  It's not that any are less powerful or virtuous or whatever, it's that women give birth, and women are much more intuitive and share more knowledge, in many cases (not all).  Christians have this thing with males being head in many churches.  When Christians join hands (right) during their marriage ceremony, that's in contradiction to ours, which is left and right.  Equal.  Left is sacred feminine, right is sacred masculine.  By cutting out the left, they've eliminated the feminine aspect. 
  
  It's easy to find some history of all of these, and I'm happy to answer the questions--I'm not an expert, but did a good bit of research after questioning my own beliefs and realizing that I wasn't feeling it for the Christian stuff.  Long, boring, story there.   I always wondered why Christians don't celebrate the holidays outlined in the New Testament.  I still can't figure it out.

  Don't mess with the old dogs; age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill! BS and brilliance only come with age and experience.

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