Yeah, Christ’s birthday was shifted from Spring to December 25th midway through the Fourth Century. It was transplanted onto a long series of Winter festivities: the Solstice, Saturnalia and the Roman New Year. Writing about the ritual of Sol Invictus (‘The Undefeated Sun’), Syrus (retrospectively, in the 12th Century) wrote,
“It was a custom of the pagans to celebrate on the same 25 December the birthday of the Sun, at which they kindled lights in token of festivity. In these solemnities and revelries the Christians also took part. Accordingly when the doctors of the Church perceived that the Christians had a leaning to this festival, they took counsel and resolved that the true Nativity should be solemnized on that day.”
In the Julian calendar the solstice would have fallen on, roughly, December 25th.
So, it’s really anyone but Sun-worshipping heathens who can forget the pressies and feasting 🙂
There’s a good argument that Wicca was an invented amalgamation of esoteric magic systems (particularly Aleister Crowley’s thelemic magick), freemason initiation ceremonies and structures and folk magic. Gerald Gardner was pretty key here but others lay claim to it (most noticeably Bill Liddell).
Get them a nice bottle of whisky and turn up round theirs skyclad as a mark of respect 🙂
