Page 14 - lesson1.vp

14 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course Lesson 1

driven by a garlanded crowd carrying olive feasting, and December 18 and 19 were general
branches and chanting. holidays. During the feast the day began with an
early bath. Later, sucking pigs were sacrificed
Since Christmas incorporated many and cooked, friends were visited, and it was a
elements of the feast of Saturnalia, could this time for happiness and merry making, games
pagan festival have been the immediate and the presentation of gifts. Noticeable among
predecessor of the Christian celebration? Saturn the many gifts were wax candles which rather
was an ancient Greek agricultural god and in his like the traditional yule log were thought to
Roman form he became connected with all commemorate the returning power of the Sun’s
things that are put into the earth -- seeds, treasure light after the solstice. During the festival the
and perhaps even stores of produce. In Rome he schools were closed, and no punishments were
was closely associated with the market, and inflicted. The toga was replaced by a more
market days were sacred to him. Even though the informal garment.
god was somewhat obscure, his feast was not. As
a popular holiday it was extended from the The best-known feature of Saturnalia
one-day religious observance to about a week. was the part played in it by the slaves.
Augustus, the emperor of Luke 2, limited it to Distinctions of rank were laid aside, slaves sat at
three days in respect of legal business, but later table with their masters, and in many cases the
on this was increased to five. Seneca tells us that roles were completely reversed, the slaves
in his day all Rome seemed to go mad on this actually being waited on by the masters. Slaves
holiday. were allowed for once in the year to say exactly
what they liked. They were
allowed to gamble with dice,
something which at other
times was completely illegal.

What of our present
Christmas customs? The
adoration of the cradle of the
Messiah, which takes place on
Christmas Eve, seems to have
been taken over from the cult
of Adonis. The Empress
Helena took over the cave
where the child Adonis was
Rome’s Four Lords of Misrule -- a part of the Saturnalia celebration. born and this cave was richly
decorated by the Emperor
The popularity of Saturnalia was Constantine in A.D. 335. Christmas obviously
probably based on the human need to rest and inherited the general merriment of Saturnalia,
enjoy oneself in midwinter. A widespread the excessive eating and drinking, the games, the
celebration took place among the northern tribes gifts, the abundance of sweatmeats. It also
at about the time of the longest night, when the inherited some of the ceremonial elements,
evenings ceased to draw in and the Sun began its especially the burning of candles. Centuries later
return to the northern skies to warm the land. at the English Court a Lord of Misrule was
Saturnalia started on December 17 with a public appointed to organize the revels, while in
sacrifice at the temple of Saturn followed by

The Pagan Origins of Christmas