Christmas is as pagan a holiday as they get.

[Rex]

Santa...Satan...think about it.

[hobbit709]

1. Satan isn't pagan

[Jackpine Radical]

9. No, but Santa is.

Ever see the book "When Santa was a Shaman?"

[BuyingThyme]

2. He looks Muslim to me.

[Swede]

3. What with Christ being born and all.

It's in all the newspapers.

[Warpy]

4. All the good stuff is pagan

meaning the tree, the lights, the feasting. Presents really should be given a week later to celebrate the bris or even at Twelfth Night, or Jan 6, to celebrate the gifts from the Magi.

Come to think of it, that latter idea would make the most sense. Think of doing all your Xmas shopping during the after Xmas sales!

[Rex]

5. Merry Xmas!

:hi:

[Viva_La_Revolution]

11. My boys and I always do that!

Once they were old enough to realize that if they waited till the week after Xmas, they could get twice as much, it's been our tradition.

They told me it was a 'no-brainer' lol.

[Patsy Stone]

6. Shhh.

Ixnay on the aganpay! Besides, everyone knows Santa gave the little baby Jesus his first Christmas tree.

[Ikonoklast]

7. Mithras will smite you, unbeliever.

Happy Solstice anyway, infidel.

[Rex]

10. Mithras loves me, I saved her from a rampaging

Gungalunga three weeks ago! You should have seen the hole it left! Yowza!

[kineneb]

14. let's celebrate Shab-e Yalda

http://www.parstimes.com/library/yalda_back.html

SHAB-E YALDA

The Eve of the Birth of Mithra, the Sun God

'Shab-e Yalda', celebrated on 21 December, has great significance in the Iranian calendar. It is the eve of the birth of Mithra, the Sun God, who symbolised light, goodness and strength on earth. Shab-e Yalda is a time of joy.

Yalda is a Syriac word meaning birth. Mithra-worshippers used the term 'yalda' specifically with reference to the birth of Mithra. As the longest night of the year, the Eve of Yalda (Shab-e Yalda) is also a turning point, after which the days grow longer. In ancient times it symbolised the triumph of the Sun God over the powers of darkness.

The Cult of the Sun was first introduced to Iran thousands of years ago by migrant Aryans. Mithra, the Sun God remained a potent symbol of worship throughout the following centuries. Centuries later, during the Achaemenid era, Mithra became a principal deity, equal in rank to Ahura Mazda (the god of all goodness) and Anahita (goddess of water and fertility).

In Sasanian times, Zoroastrianism became Iran's official religion, but Mithra's importance remained undiminished. This is evident from the bas-reliefs as Naqsh-e Rustam and Tagh-e Bustan. At Naqsh-e Rustam, Anahita bestows the royal diadem upon Nasri, the Sasanian King. At the investiture of Ardeshir I, Ahura Mazda bestows this diadem to the new King. At Tagh-e Bustan too, Ahura Mazda is again conferring the royal diadem upon Ardeshir II. Mithra is always present as a witness to these ceremonies.

-snip-

[Solon]

8. Actually Satan is a Christian concept adopted for Zoasterism...

As someone else said, all the good stuff about Christmas is Pagan in origin, in fact, there is a passage in the Bible warning people not to act like pagans and bring trees in to celebrate solstices. Easter is just as pagan, what with it being a fertility festival, and the symbolism that accompanies that.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

12. My boss was just telling me today how Christmas isn't the really important holiday...

Easter is! :rofl:

[Solon]

13. Try to make their head explode, tell them the word "Easter" came from the fertility goddess Eoster..

and that's also where we get the word "estrus" from.

[uppityperson]

15. Astarte, Ashtoreth also. AND, it is 1st Sun after 1st Full Moon after Equinox.

pretty pagan way of dating it. Though that probably is because of Passover, which brings up the question why is that the first whatever after the first full moon after the equinox timeish?

[Solon]

17. OK, but don't mention God's wife(consort), Asherah, who is the "Queen of Heaven"...

Actually, that's brings up another disturbing image, did God cheat on Asherah with Mary?

[Breeze54]

16. *yawn*

This meme is getting old and tired.

Give it up.

[Rex]

19. I guess the sarcasm icon is required?

I figured any intelligent creature would see that, but hey what do I know.

[Breeze54]

21. Your lack of including an emoticon makes me unintelligent?

Who knew. :eyes:

Your post is boring. *yawn*

It's been done....over and over and it isn't funny or in any way unique.

Even if you had included a :sarcasm: tag.

[Rex]

22. Whatever

nice eyeroll, never seen that one. :sarcasm:

[L. Coyote]

18. Just Don't Kill a Tree for Christ's Sake.

[Rex]

20. I'm sure Christ would love the idea of deforestation.

Okay, not really. Maybe reindeer? Ho ho ho?

[havocmom]

25. We gonna have that plastic or wood arguement again this year?

:rofl: & :toast:
Trees are renewable. Especially trees that are harvested as young as most Christmas trees are.

Merry winter holiday of your choice, L. Coyote. :hug: But taking a tree is fine, if it keeps tree farmers from having to sell out to land developers.

[Swamp Rat]

23. You are making me feel all christmasy inside.

:hug: :party:

[Rex]

24. I knew someone would feel all holiday cheery by my post!

:hug:

Poor Satan Clause, did Dubya waterboard his reindeer?

[Swamp Rat]

26. Satan Claus, Satan Claus, evil all the way!...

Cheech & Chong - Santa Claus and his Old Lady: :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSH9ryRzHQ4

No reindeer. Santa has flying alligators!

[Rex]

27. Heard that one on the radio going to work.

All time classic if there ever was one.

Magic dust, hehe. :D

[Swamp Rat]

28. Devil claws, Satan's paws,

Barbara Streisand's clay.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

29. Merry Saturnalia! Toga party!!!

Roman carousing.

Carouse!