Page 16 - 200912 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - December 2009

16 Winter Solstice Celebrations 16 Winter Solstice Celebrations Winter Solstice people would be troubled as the life-giving sun Winter Solstice bash in Roselle NJ; Winter Winter Solstice celebrations: a.k.a. sank lower in the sky each noon. They feared Solstice Parties in York PA, Boise ID, North celebrations: a.k.a. Bethesda MD, and Des Moines IA; Winter that it would eventually disappear and leave Christmas, Saturnalia, them in permanent darkness and extreme cold. Solstice Gatherings in Phoenix AZ and Denver Christmas, Saturnalia, CO: a Year End Awards and Review Dinner After the winter solstice, they would have Yule, the Long Night, reason to celebrate as they saw the sun rising (YEAR) in San Francisco, CA. Yule, the Long Night, * BUDDHISM: On DEC-8, or on the etc. and strengthening once more. Although many Sunday immediately preceding, Buddhists etc. months of cold weather remained before spring, they took heart that the return of the warm celebrate Bodhi Day (a.k.a. Rohatsu). It recalls Religious folk worldwide observe many season was inevitable. The concept of birth and the day in 596 BCE, when the Buddha achieved seasonal days of celebration during the month or death/rebirth became associated with the enlightenment. He had left his family and of December. Most are religious holy days, and winter solstice. The Aboriginal people had no possessions behind at the age of 29, and sought are linked in some way to the winter solstice in elaborate instruments to detect the solstice. But the meaning of life -- particularly the reasons the Northern Hemisphere. On that day, due to they were able to notice a slight elevation of the for its hardships. He studied under many the earth's tilt on its axis, the daytime hours are sun's path within a few days after the solstice -- spiritual teachers without success. Finally, he at a minimum in the Northern hemisphere, and perhaps by DEC-25. Celebrations were often sat under a pipal tree and vowed that he would night time is at a maximum. (In the southern timed for about the 25th. stay there until he found what he was seeking. hemisphere, the summer solstice is celebrated in On the morning of the eighth day, he realized December, when the night time is at a minimum December celebrations in many faiths and that everyone suffers due to ignorance. But and the daytime is at a maximum. We will locations - ancient and modern ignorance can be overcome through the assume that the reader lives in the Northern Eightfold Path that he advocated. This day is hemisphere for the rest of this article.) * ANCIENT BRAZIL: Brazilian generally regarded as the birth day of People view other religions in various archeologists have found an assembly of 127 Buddhism. Being an Eastern tradition, Bodhi ways, and thus treat the celebrations of other granite blocks arranged equidistant from each Day has none of the associations with the faiths differently: other. They apparently form an ancient solstice and seasonal changes found in other * Some people value the range of astronomical observatory. One of the stones religious observances at this time of year. December celebrations, because it is evidence marked the position of the sun at the time of the However, it does signify the point in time when of diversity of belief within our common winter solstice and were probably used in the Buddha achieved enlightenment and humanity. They respect both their own religious religious rituals escaped the endless cycle of birth, death and traditions and those of other faiths for their * ANCIENT EGYPT: The god- rebirth through reincarnation -- themes that are ability to inspire people to lead more ethical man/savior Osiris died and was entombed on observed in other religions in December. lives. Religious diversity is to them a positive DEC-21. "At midnight, the priests emerged * CHRISTIANITY: Any record of the influence. from an inner shrine crying 'The Virgin has date of birth of Yeshua of Nazareth (later known * Others reject the importance of all brought forth! The light is waxing" and showing as Jesus Christ) has been lost. There is sufficient celebrations other than the holy day recognized the image of a baby to the worshipers." evidence in the Gospels to indicate that Yeshua by their own religion. Some even reject their * ANCIENT GREECE: The winter was born in the fall, but this seems to have been religion's holy days which are seen to have solstice ritual was called Lenaea, the Festival of unknown to early Christians. By the beginning Pagan origins (e.g. Easter and Christmas). the Wild Women. In very ancient times, a man of the 4th century CE, there was intense interest * Some view other religions as being representing the harvest god Dionysos was torn in choosing a day to celebrate Yeshua's birthday. inspired by Satan. Thus the solstice celebrations to pieces and eaten by a gang of women on this The western church leaders selected DEC-25 of other religions are rejected because they are day. Later in the ritual, Dionysos would be because this was already the date recognized seen to be Satanic in origin. reborn as a baby. By classical times, the human throughout the Roman Empire as the birthday of sacrifice had been replaced by the killing of a various Pagan gods. Since there was no central Origins of solstice celebration goat. The women's role had changed to that of Christian authority at the time, it took centuries funeral mourners and observers of the birth. before the tradition was universally accepted: The seasons of the year are caused by * ANCIENT ROME: Saturnalia began - Eastern churches began to celebrate the 23.5© tilt of the earth's axis. Because the as a feast day for Saturn on DEC-17 and of Ops Christmas after 375 CE. earth is rotating like a top or gyroscope, it points (DEC-19). About 50 BCE, both were later - The church in Jerusalem started in the in a fixed direction continuously -- towards a converted into two day celebrations. During the 7th century. point in space near the North Star. But the earth Empire, the festivals were combined to cover a - Ireland started in the 5th century. is also revolving around the sun. During half of full week: DEC-17 to 23. - Austria, England and Switzerland in the year, the southern hemisphere is more By the third century CE, there were the 8th exposed to the sun than is the northern many religions and spiritual mysteries being - Slavic lands in the 9th and 10th hemisphere. During the rest of the year, the followed within the Roman Empire. Many, if centuries. reverse is true. At noontime in the Northern not most, celebrated the birth of their god-man Many symbols and practices associated Hemisphere the sun appears high in the sky near the time of the solstice. Emperor Aurelian with Christmas are of Pagan origin: holly, ivy, during summertime and low in the sky during (270 to 275 CE) blended a number of Pagan mistletoe, yule log, the giving of gifts, winter. The time of the year when the sun solstice celebrations of the nativity of such god- decorated evergreen tree, magical reindeer, etc. reaches its maximum elevation occurs on the men/saviors as Appolo, Attis, Baal, Dionysus, Polydor Virgil, an early British Christian, said day with the greatest number of daylight hours. Helios, Hercules, Horus, Mithra, Osiris, "Dancing, masques, mummeries, stageplays, This is called the summer solstice, and is Perseus, and Theseus into a single festival and other such Christmas disorders now in use typically on JUN-21 in the Northern called the "Birthday of the Unconquered Sun" with Christians, were derived from these Hemisphere -- the first day of summer. on DEC-25. At the time, Mithraism and Roman Saturnalian and Bacchanalian festivals; "Solstice" is derived from two Latin words: Christianity were fierce competitors. Aurelian which should cause all pious Christians "sol" meaning sun, and "sistere," to cause to had even declared Mithraism the official eternally to abominate them." In Massachusetts, stand still. The lowest elevation occurs about religion of the Roman Empire in 274 CE. Puritans unsuccessfully tried to ban Christmas DEC-21 and is the winter solstice -- the first day Christianity won out by becoming the new entirely during the 17th century, because of its of winter, when the night time hours are official religion in the 4th century CE. heathenism. The English Parliament abolished maximum. * ATHEISTS: There has been a recent Christmas in 1647. Some contemporary In pre-historic times, winter was a very increase in solstice observances by Atheists in Christian faith groups do not celebrate difficult time for Aboriginal people in the the U.S. For example, The American Atheists Christmas. Included among these was the northern latitudes. The growing season had and local Atheist groups have organized Worldwide Church of God (before its recent ended and the tribe had to live off of stored food celebrations for 2000-DEC, including the Great conversion to Evangelical Christianity) and the and whatever animals they could catch. The North Texas Infidel Bash in Weatherford TX; Jehovah's Witnesses. (Continued on Page 17)