Transcript The Truth About Christmas

The Truth About Christmas
Hotep-Ndugu INC.
[email protected]
Objectives
• To discuss the origins of the Christmas holiday
– Topic Areas Include
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The Winter Solstice
Mithras (The Roman Sun God)
The birth-date of Jesus
The Council Of Nicea
The Wise Men
Objectives
– The Symbols of Christmas
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The Christmas tree
Saint Nicholas (Santa Clause)
The Yule Log
Wreaths, Holly, Mistletoe
Giving Gifts
Etc.
The Winter Solstice
• The Winter Solstice, also known as Midwinter, occurs
around December 21 or 22 each year in the Northern
hemisphere, and June 20 or 21 in the Southern
Hemisphere. It occurs on the shortest day or longest
night of the year, often said to mark the beginning of a
hemisphere's astronomical winter. The word solstice
derives from Latin, Winter Solstice meaning Sun set still
in winter. Worldwide, interpretation of the event varies
from culture to culture, but most hold a recognition of
rebirth, involving festivals, gatherings, rituals or other
celebrations. Many cultures celebrate or celebrated a
holiday near the winter solstice
The Winter Solstice
• Historically known as midwinter
• Occurs around Dec. 21-24
• It occurs on the shortest day or the longest
night of the year
• In astronomy the winter solstice is when the
sun is at the greatest distance from the
celestial equator
The Winter Solstice
• Celebrations were held by various groups of European
people during the time of the winter solstice
• The celebrations were to honor the sun who they
thought died during the autumn and rose or was born
again during the solstice
• They believed this because during the autumn they
saw the sun getting further and further away from the
earth and they thought that the sun was in its dying
phase, during the solstice the sun would rise up during
the 3 days of the solstice and was born again
Mithras (The Roman Sun God)
• Mithras was the god of the sun worshipped by the
Romans, this god was first worshipped by Persia a
thousand years before the Romans worshipped him
• Other names for this god include Apollo
• Romans took the cult of Mithraism in 1st to 4th AD.
They praised Mithras, the sun god or the son of god,
Jupiter, during the midwinter celebration, the winter
solstice.
• Mithras date of birth or the day of his rebirth was on
the 25th of December after the solstice took place
Mithras (The Roman Sun God)
Jupiter - King of the Gods
Juno - Queen of the Gods
Neptune - God of the Sea
Pluto - God of Death
Mithras - God of the Sun
Diana - Goddess of the
Moon
Mars - God of War
Venus - Goddess of Love
Cupid - God of Love
Mercury - Messenger of
the Gods
Minerva - Goddess of
Wisdom
Ceres - The Earth Goddess
Proserpine - Goddess of the
Underworld
Vulcan - The Smith God
Bacchus - God of Wine
The Birth Date of Jesus
Luke 2:22
• And when the days of her
purification according to the
law of Moses were
accomplished, they brought
him to Jerusalem, to
present him to the Lord
• Mary takes Jesus to the
temple after his birth when
the days of her purification
were complete
The Birth Date of Jesus
Leviticus 12:1-4
o
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1 And the LORD spake unto Moses,
saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel,
saying, If a woman have conceived seed,
and born a man child: then she shall be
unclean seven days; according to the
days of the separation for her infirmity
shall she be unclean.
3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his
foreskin shall be circumcised.
o
4 And she shall then continue in the
blood of her purifying three and thirty
days; she shall touch no hallowed thing,
nor come into the sanctuary, until the
days of her purifying be fulfilled.
• If a mile child is born the
time of purification is 40
days
• Lev 12:5 If a female child is
born the days of purification
is 80 days
• 40 days after Jesus is born
Mary takes him to
Jerusalem to be presented
to the Lord Luke 2:22
Luke 2:36-37
• 36 And there was one
Anna, a prophetess, the
daughter of Phanuel, of the
tribe of Aser: she was of a
great age, and had lived
with an husband seven
years from her virginity;
• 37 And she was a widow of
about fourscore and four
years, which departed not
from the temple, but served
God with fastings and
prayers night and day.
• Anna the prophetess was at
the temple when Mary
brings Jesus after her days
of purification, and she was
there night and day
The Birth Date of Jesus
• The only time a year when Hebrew/ Jewish
temples were/are open 24 hours a day was
one time a year.
• This time of year is known as the Day of
Atonement. This celebration today is known
as Yom Kippur
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The Day Of Atonement
The key point s to this verse are
the dates of this celebration and
the times of this celebration.
The 10th day of the 7th month is
when the day of atonement takes
place.
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On the ninth day from eve to eve
you shall celebration your
sabbath, this celebration was a
sabbath unto you.
This means that from the night of
the 9th day of the 10th month to
the night of the 10th day of the
10th month you were to celebrate
this sabbath by going to the
temple or church with fastings
and prayers.
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Leviticus 23:26-32
26 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month
there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an
holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict
your souls, and offer an offering made by fire
unto the LORD.
28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for
it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement
for you before the LORD your God.
29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be
afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off
from among his people.
30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any
work in that same day, the same soul will I
destroy from among his people.
31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a
statute for ever throughout your generations in
all your dwellings.
32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye
shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the
month at even, from even unto even, shall ye
celebrate your sabbath.
Hebrew/Jewish Calendar
Hebrew Months
1. ABIB
2. ZIF
3. SIVAN
4. TAMMUZ
5. AB
6. ELUL
7. ETHANIM
8. BUL
9. KISLEV
10. TEBET
11. SHEBAT
12. ADAR
The Birth Date of Jesus
• The Jewish calendar is a lunisolar calendar, or
"fixed lunar year," based on twelve lunar months
of twenty-nine or thirty days, with an intercalary
lunar month added seven times every nineteen
years (once every two to three years) to
synchronize the twelve lunar cycles with the
slightly longer solar year. Each Jewish lunar
month starts with the new moon; although
originally the new lunar crescent had to be
observed and certified by witnesses, the timing of
the new moon is now mathematically
determined.
The Birth Date of Jesus
• The twelve regular months include: Nisan (30
days), Iyar (29 days),Sivan (30 days), Tammuz
(29 days), Av (30 days), Elul (29 days), Tishri
(30 days), Marcheshvan (29 or 30 days), Kislev
(29 or 30 days), Tevet (29 days), Shevat (30
days), and Adar (29 days). In the leap years an
additional month, Adar II (30 days) is added.
The Birth Date of Jesus
Exodus 12:2
• 1 And the LORD spake unto
Moses and Aaron in the
land of Egypt saying,
• 2 This month shall be unto
you the beginning of
months: it shall be the first
month of the year to you
• This passage of the Bible
speaks on the instituted
concept, or law, from God
of the passover
The Birth Date of Jesus
Deuteronomy 16:1
• 1 Observe the month of
Abib, and keep the passover
unto the LORD thy God: for
in the month of Abib the
LORD thy God brought thee
forth out of Egypt by night.
• This passage shows that in the
month of Abib the celebration
of the passover shall be
observed.
• Abib is the month that the
Lord brought the children of
Israel out of Egypt
• Abib today is called Nisan. In
the calendar of the western
world this month is April.
• Abib is the first month of the
new year according to the
Bible
The Birth Date of Jesus
• Ethanim today is called Tishri. This is the 7th
month
• In the calendar of the western world this
month is October
• The Day of Atonement falls on the 10th day of
the 7th month, this would be the 10th of
Tishri/Ethanim or the 10th of October.
• Trshri is a month with 30 days in it. The month
before Elul has 29.
The Birth Date of Jesus
• Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary
– Catholic holiday celebrated on December 8th
• It is one of the few Holy days of obligation on the Church
calendar -- that is, all Catholics are obligated to attend Mass
on this day
• This feast which is given the Rank of Solemnity in the
liturgical calendar has been celebrated since the seventh
century. It is the celebration of the conception of Mary, the
Mother of God, by St. Anne. Pope Clement XI in 1708, in his
bull, Commissi Nobis, established the feast as a Solemnity
for the entire Church.
– December 8th to the end of August beginning of
September = 9 months, the time it takes to carry a
child
The Birth Date of Jesus
• If Mary brought Jesus to the temple after the
days of her purification were complete during
a day or time when the only time the
temples/church were open 24 hours a day
then this means that she gave birth either on
the 30th of Av or the 1st of Elul
• Which ever day it is doesn’t matter what
matters is that Jesus, according to the Bible,
was not born on December 25
Council Of Nicea
• The newly-converted Emperor Constantine
had hoped Christianity would be the uniting
force of his empire. He was thus distressed to
hear of the dispute over Arianism, which held
that Christ was greater than man but inferior
to God. In 325, Constantine called the Council
of Nicea with full confidence that the bishops
could work out their differences.
Council Of Nicea
• The gathering must have been a moving sight
to behold. After centuries of persecution,
Christian bishops from across the Empire
journeyed to Nicea under state protection to
discuss theological problems with the help of
the Emperor. Official persecution had been so
recent that many of the bishops still bore its
scars; Constantine himself is said to have
kissed the eyeless cheek of one attendee.
Council Of Nicea
• The Council of Nicea condemned the
teachings of Arius and adopted a creed
outlining correct belief about the Son's
relationship to the Father. The council was the
first to include bishops from several different
regions, and is thus considered the first
"ecumenical council" of the church
Council Of Nicea
• Although many other local synods were held,
seven important councils were attended by
representatives of churches throughout the
empire, and were therefore "ecumenical." All
three main branches of Christianity - Roman
Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant consider the decisions of these seven councils
to be authoritative. Roman Catholics recognize
several more.
Council Of Nicea
• Emperor Constantine of Rome calls the Bishops of
the Roman empire to council in the town of Nicea
to resolve disagreements over the nature of Jesus
in relation to the Roman church
• Council Established in 325 AD
– Jesus is the son of God
– Celebration of the resurrection
– Making the midwinter celebration/birth of the sun
god Mithras the date of birth of the Son of God, Jesus
Christ
Council Of Nicea
• 250 of the 1800 bishops attended and voted
on these matters as well as the principles of
Christianity
• The Roman church under the leadership of
Emperor Constantine made a Pagan
celebration into the celebration of the birth of
the Christ
• We call this celebration today Christmas
The Wise Men
• Christmas Myth
– 3 wise men rode on camel back to see the baby
Jesus in the manger. Once they got to the manger
and saw the baby Jesus they gave him silver and
gold
• Truth
– This story is just that. A story. The bible says
nothing about 3 wise men ridding on camels to
bring gifts to the baby Jesus in the manger
Matthew 2:1-2
This passage of the bible show
that there were no set number
of wise men that came nor does
it state how that came to
Jerusalem
The traditional notion that
there were 3 stems from the
number of gifts that were given
unto Jesus
2:2 Saying. This present
participle conveys the idea of
continuous action. It suggest
they went around the city
questioning everyone they met
Who were these wise men and
where did they come from?
• 1 Now when Jesus was born
in Bethlehem of Judaea in
the days of Herod the king,
behold, there came wise men
from the east to Jerusalem,
• 2 Saying, Where is he that is
born King of the Jews? for we
have seen his star in the east,
and are come to worship
him.
Genesis 25:5-6
Abraham gives gifts to
the sons of his
concubines and sent
them to the country
of the east
• 5 And Abraham gave all
that he had unto Isaac.
• 6 But unto the sons of the
concubines, which
Abraham had, Abraham
gave gifts, and sent them
away from Isaac his son,
while he yet lived,
eastward, unto the east
country.
Genesis 21:14, 21
This passage show that Hagar, a
concubine of Abraham, was sent away
with her son Ishmael, they departed and
wandered into the wilderness of
Beersheba
In verse 21 it reads how Ishmael and his
mother dwelt in the wilderness of Paran
The wilderness of Beersheba and the
wilderness of Paran lye in the southeast
area of Canaan, in what is now Isreal’s
Negev desert
Hagar and Ishmael and the concubines of
Abraham with their sons went to east
into these wildernesses
These descendants were angry and upset
that the first born birthright were not
bestowed unto them, Deuteronomy
21:15-17 (Firstborn Inheritance Rights),
and for this they were and still against the
children of Israel.
• 14 And Abraham rose up early
in the morning, and took
bread, and a bottle of water,
and gave it unto Hagar, putting
it on her shoulder, and the
child, and sent her away: and
she departed, and wandered in
the wilderness of Beersheba.
• 21 And he dwelt in the
wilderness of Paran: and his
mother took him a wife out of
the land of Egypt.
Judges 6:3
This passage shows
that the children of
the east or the
children of the
descendants of
Ishmael were up
against Israel
• 3 And so it was, when
Israel had sown, that the
Midianites came up, and
the Amalekites, and the
children of the east, even
they came up against them;
Judges 7:12
Supporting verse on the
battles between the
children of Israel and the
people of the east
Read this entire story to
get a better understanding
of this battle and what was
going on
It is clear that the people
of the east had a hatred for
Israel by the many battles
that they had
• 12 And the Midianites and
the Amalekites and all the
children of the east lay
along in the valley like
grasshoppers for
multitude; and their camels
were without number, as
the sand by the sea side for
multitude.
The Wise Men
• These wise men, or Maji, who were from the
east and were from the people of the east
sought out to find “Where is he that is born
King of the Jews?” so that they could pay
homage to or to worship Jesus Christ
Matthew 2:11
When the wise men found Jesus he
was not a baby he was a young child,
and when they found him he was not
in a manger he was in a house.
The bible also states that when they
opened up their treasures to him
•Psalms 72:10
•Isaiah 60:6
These two verses states that the gifts
of their treasures were praises unto
the Lord and they presented to him
gold, frankincense, and myrrh these
are gifts suitable for a king.
So the Story of the 3 wise men ridding
on camel back to the manger to give
gifts to the baby Jesus is just that, a
Story.
• 11 And when they were
come into the house, they
saw the young child with
Mary his mother, and fell
down, and worshipped
him: and when they had
opened their treasures,
they presented unto him
gifts; gold, and
frankincense and myrrh.
The Origin of the Christmas Tree
• The tradition of a holiday tree
has been around since ancient
times and has played an
important part in winter
celebrations for many
centuries. Many pagan
festivals used trees when
honoring their gods and
spirits. In Northern Europe the
Vikings considered the
evergreen a symbol and
reminder that the darkness
and cold of winter would end
and the green of spring would
return.
• The Druids of ancient England
and France decorated oak
trees with fruit and candles to
honor their gods of harvests.
At the festival Saturnalia the
Romans decorated trees with
trinkets and candles.
The Origin of the Christmas Tree
• There have also been
many legends
surrounding the lore of
the Christmas tree. In one
story Saint Boniface, an
English monk, came upon
a group of pagans who
had gathered around an
oak tree and were
preparing to sacrifice a
child.
• To stop the sacrifice and
save the child, the Saint
flattened the oak tree
with one blow of his fist.
A small fir sprang up in its
place, which Saint
Boniface told the pagans
was the Tree of Life and
represented the life of
Christ.
The Origin of the Christmas Tree
• Another legend tells of Martin Luther, the
founder of the Protestant religion, walking
through the woods late one night. As it was
clear, many stars were shining through the
branches of the trees giving the impression of
twinkling lights. Luther was so inspired by the
beauty of the sight that he cut down a small
evergreen and brought it home. He recreated
the stars by putting candles on the tree's
branches.
St. Nicholas
• The true story of Santa Claus begins with
Nicholas, who was born during the third century
in the village of Patara. At the time the area was
Greek and is now on the southern
coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised
him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic
while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus'
words to "sell what you own and give the money
to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance
to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He
dedicated his life to serving God and was made
St. Nicholas
• Under the Roman Emperor Dioceltian who
ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop
Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and
imprisoned. The prisons were so full of
bishops, priests, and deacons, there was no
room for the real criminals—murderers,
thieves and robbers. After his release,
Nicholas attended the Council Of Nicaea in AD
325.
St. Nicholas
• He died December 6, AD 343 in Myra and was buried in
his cathedral church, where a unique relic, called
manna, formed in his grave. This liquid substance, said
to have healing powers, fostered the growth of
devotion to Nicholas. The anniversary of his death
became a day of celebration, St. Nicholas Day.
• How did the kindly Christian saint, good Bishop
Nicholas, become a roly-poly red-suited American
symbol for merry holiday festivity and commercial
activity? History tells the tale.
• HIS-STORY tells the tell
The Yule Log
• In Northern Europe, Winter
festivities were once considered
to be a Feast of the Dead,
complete with ceremonies full of
spirits, devils, and the haunting
presence of the Norse god, Odin,
and his night riders. One
particularly durable Solstice
festival was "Jol" (also known as
"Jule" and pronounced "Yule"), a
feast celebrated throughout
Northern Europe and particularly
in Scandinavia to honor Jolnir,
another name for Odin.
• Since Odin was the god of
intoxicating drink and ecstasy, as
well as the god of death, Yule
customs varied greatly from
region to region. Odin's sacrificial
beer became the specially
blessed Christmas ale mentioned
in medieval lore, and fresh food
and drink were left on tables
after Christmas feasts to feed the
roaming Yuletide ghosts. Even the
bonfires of former ancient times
survived in the tradition of the
Yule Log, perhaps the most
universal of all Christmas
symbols.
Yule Log
• The origins of the Yule Log
can be traced back to the
Midwinter festivals in which
the Norsemen
indulged...nights filled with
feasting, "drinking Yule" and
watching the fire leap
around the log burning in
the home hearth. The
ceremonies and beliefs
associated with the Yule
Log's sacred origins are
closely linked to
representations of health,
fruitfulness and productivity
• In England, the Yule was cut
and dragged home by oxen
or horses as the people
walked alongside and sang
merry songs. It was often
decorated with evergreens
and sometimes sprinkled
with grain or cider before it
was finally set alight.
The Yule Log
• To all European races, the Yule
Log was believed to bring
beneficial magic and was kept
burning for at least twelve
hours and sometimes as long
as twelve days, warming both
the house and those who
resided within. When the fire
of the Yule Log was finally
quenched, a small fragment of
the wood would be saved and
used to light the next year's
log.
• It was also believed that as
long as the Yule Log burned,
the house would be protected
from witchcraft. The ashes
that remained from the sacred
Yule Log were scattered over
fields to bring fertility, or cast
into wells to purify and
sweeten the water.
Sometimes, the ashes were
used in the creation of various
charms...to free cattle from
vermin, for example, or to
ward off hailstorms.
Wreaths, Holly, Mistletoe
• The ancient Greeks, and Romans,
used evergreen leaves and
garlands to make headdresses
that were awarded as prizes to
Olympic athletes, military hero’s,
kings and others. Athletes
received wreaths of Laurel,
military hero’s received wreaths
made from olive branches.
Members of the aristocracy
began adding jewels and precious
metals to these headdresses,
creating what became the Crown.
The word crown comes from the
Latin word corona which means
wreath or garland. The bible
associates Christmas wreaths
with joy, triumph and honor.
• In Christianity the holiday wreath
represents the circle, and likewise
is given as a symbol of eternity.
When made of evergreen leaves
and branches the Christmas
wreaths symbolize everlasting life
with the green color symbolizing
hope and new life. It was
somewhere during the 15th
century that the wreath began to
be used as a hanging decoration
Wreaths, Holly, Mistletoe
• The Holly, which is
strongly linked with
Christmas, has a history
of its own. Though
Christmas Holly history
has its roots in
Northern Europe, the
sanctity of the Holly
plant has a pagan
origin.
• The Holly plant is
characterized by green
leaves that have a
prickly nature and it
was the Druids who
used to adorn their
heads with twigs of the
Holly plant whenever
they went to the forest.
Wreaths, Holly, Mistletoe
• The Romans offered Holly
to Saturn during the time of
Saturnalia festival as it was
taken into account that the
Holly was the sacred plant
of Saturn. They not only
embellished the image of
Saturn with Holly but also
gifted each other holly
chaplets (flower
arrangement used for
ornamental purposes).
• The Christians in order to
avoid ill treatment, made
Holly a part of their
Christmas decorations. It is
interesting to note that with
the passage of time Holly’s
association with the
Christmas Festival became
strong as it became one of
the important Christmas
Symbols, and in the way lost
its connection with its roots.
Wreaths, Holly, Mistletoe
• The history and origin of the
Christmas mistletoe can be
traced back to the ancient
Scandinavian custom as well
as to the Norse myth. The
Scandinavian people believed
mistletoe to be a plant of
peace. Even if enemies
happened to pass beneath the
plant, they had to lay down
their arms and call truce at
least until the next day. Slowly
and gradually, this custom
gave rise to the kissing
tradition that is still in vogue
• However, Christmas mistletoe
is also very much associated
with one of the Norse myths,
known as the myth of Baldur.
Baldur, the God of vegetation,
was the son of Norse goddess,
Frigga. When he was born,
Frigga made each and every
plant, animal and even
inanimate object promise that
it will never ever harm Baldur.
Wreaths, Holly, Mistletoe
• Somehow, the mistletoe plant
escaped the attention of
Frigga and Loki, the enemy of
Baldur, took advantage of this
lapse. He tricked one of the
other Gods into killing Baldur
with a spear made of
mistletoe.
• With the death of Baldur,
winters came into this world.
• To correct this situation, the
Gods restored Baldur to life.
After this incident, Frigga
pronounced the mistletoe to
be a sacred plant, which would
bring love in the world, rather
than death. From then
onwards, whenever two
people pass under mistletoe,
they kiss and celebrate
Baldur's resurrection. Apart
from the customs and myths,
the Christmas mistletoe has
also been associated with
kissing as it is regarded as an
aphrodisiac.
Conclusion
• The lecture has provided you with a lot of
information of the celebration about Christmas.
All of which is factual and can be found through
simple research. I implore you to take what I have
shown you as a starting point to free you mind of
the grip that this holiday has on us.
• The celebration of Christmas is the celebration of
a false god
– Exodus 20:3
• You shall have no other gods before me
Conclusion
• If you celebrate this holiday and you call yourself a Christian
you are in violation of the law from God
• If you place a Christmas tree in your home or in your
church you might as well place the statue of Buddha, or the
Muslim cresset moon, or the Jewish star of David, because
as these symbols do not have a Christian background nor
does the Christmas tree
– Jeremiah 10:2-4
• 2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not
dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
• 3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the
forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
• 4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with
hammers, that it move not.
Conclusion
• Objectives Covered
– Winter Solstice
• Celebration by the ignorant European nations to welcome
the rebirth of the son
– Mithras (The Roman Sun God)
• Stolen deity that the Romans worshipped/birthday during
the winter solstice
– The Birth date of Jesus
• Not December 25th sometime in late Aug. early Sept.
– The Counsel Of Nicaea
• Establishes the principles of Christianity
Conclusion
• Objectives Covered
– The Wise men
• Myth of three men on camel back is a made story
– The Origins of the symbols of Christmas
• All are from Euro-Gentile pagan origin
• This has been The Truth About Christmas
Ma’at-Hotep