The sun rose just a little bit further north than it has in the last three days. It has once again begun its northward journey. The cycle of life continues, unbroken.
This morning, Peter and Ephraim were the first two of the children up. At 6:30. It was still dark out. Sunrise this morning was at 7:50, so we had time to get everyone up and open a few presents before it started to get light. Having studied the solar astrology/mythology that underlies the choice of December 25 as the birth of many mythical gods and heroes, all personifications of the sun, I had a different view of this Christmas sunrise.
As wonderful as Christmas is as a Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus (which probably did not occur on December 25), there is so much more to the holiday when one considers all of the midwinter traditions.
December 21 is the Winter Solstice. From the Summer Solstice until the Winter Solstice, the sun appears to move southward. In the Northern Hemisphere, the length of the daylight portion of the day gets shorter, and the weather gets colder. Summer ends and the harvest is brought in, the leaves turn and fall leaving the trees bare. If one is far enough north, as the solstice approaches, the sun can actually set and not rise for a few days. In other places, the sun seems to barely be able to rise into the sky. The sun, which is "the light of the world" appears to be dying, and the world along with it. Darkness seems to be overcoming the light. If the sun cannot regain its strength and reverse its course, then all the world will die. From the 21st to the 24th, the sun has stopped moving southward, but has not yet begun to move back to the north. On the 25th, the sun is perceptibly further north.
Many stories were probably told around the fires as people huddled together for warmth. Over time these stories mutated into the different traditions of solar mythology. The Eygptians talked of Horus, the Persians had Mithra. Dionysus, Baccus, Addonis, Apollo, Mithras, and many other stories were invented. And, as happened with Greek drama, the stories became rituals and began to take on deeper meanings as the story tellers added to their wares.
In the Jewish tradition, the rededication of the temple and the miracle of the container of oil which burn in the temple lamps for eight days when there was only enough consecrated olive oil for one day. Without commenting on the historical aspects of the rededication and the "festival of lights" that occurred afterward, it is not hard to see the story of the rededication and the miracle as being related to the restoration of light in the Jewish world. It is probably no accident that Hanukkah falls near the solstice, as adjusted to the Jewish lunar calendar.
Although it no longer coincides with the Winter Solstice, the Hindu religions celebrate "Dwali" ("Festival of Lights") in the late Autumn to comemerate the triumph of good over evil (Rama's defeat of Ravena) ONe of the hallmarks of Dwali is the lighting of candles to celebrate "awareness of the inner light."
The Germanic tradition of Yule, from the northern part of Europe, is the origin of the Christmas tree, mistletoe, holly and ivy. Each of these a symbol of continuing life, despite the dissappearence of the sun. Holly honored the Holly King, who reigned from Summer Solstice to Winter Solstice, and Mistletoe, which grows high in the oak tree, honored the Oak King, who overpowers the Holly King at midwinter and reigns until midsummer. The yule log would be lit before the sun set on Yule and would remain lit until the sun was again ascendant.
The word "Christ" comes from the Greek, and was not the surname of Jesus of Nazareth during his lifetime. Before the Romans had conquered Palestine, Alexander the Great had occupied the land as part of the Grecian Empire, and the Greek language had become the lingua franca used throughout the empire, and which held over after the Romans came in about 37 B.C. E. Since Paul and the other New Testament writers were ministering to the gentiles outside of Jerusalem, they wrote in Greek. One meaning of the word is "savior."
Without the sun the Earth and everything in it will die. In that sense, the rebirth of the sun is vital to the world. It is a time of new beginnings; a time of rebirth. A time when the light overtakes and prevails against darkness. It is the radiant warmth and light of Sol that makes life possible. It is right and proper to recognize the importance of this natural phenomenon, this miracle of creation. It is right and proper to set our intentions and rededicate ourselves at this time of year. Once again the sun has saved us all. And so we celebrate the birth, and rebirth, of that "savior," that "christ." So "Christmas" it is, whether Jesus was born on this particular day of the year or not.
I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday, no matter what you call it.
This morning, Peter and Ephraim were the first two of the children up. At 6:30. It was still dark out. Sunrise this morning was at 7:50, so we had time to get everyone up and open a few presents before it started to get light. Having studied the solar astrology/mythology that underlies the choice of December 25 as the birth of many mythical gods and heroes, all personifications of the sun, I had a different view of this Christmas sunrise.
As wonderful as Christmas is as a Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus (which probably did not occur on December 25), there is so much more to the holiday when one considers all of the midwinter traditions.
December 21 is the Winter Solstice. From the Summer Solstice until the Winter Solstice, the sun appears to move southward. In the Northern Hemisphere, the length of the daylight portion of the day gets shorter, and the weather gets colder. Summer ends and the harvest is brought in, the leaves turn and fall leaving the trees bare. If one is far enough north, as the solstice approaches, the sun can actually set and not rise for a few days. In other places, the sun seems to barely be able to rise into the sky. The sun, which is "the light of the world" appears to be dying, and the world along with it. Darkness seems to be overcoming the light. If the sun cannot regain its strength and reverse its course, then all the world will die. From the 21st to the 24th, the sun has stopped moving southward, but has not yet begun to move back to the north. On the 25th, the sun is perceptibly further north.
Many stories were probably told around the fires as people huddled together for warmth. Over time these stories mutated into the different traditions of solar mythology. The Eygptians talked of Horus, the Persians had Mithra. Dionysus, Baccus, Addonis, Apollo, Mithras, and many other stories were invented. And, as happened with Greek drama, the stories became rituals and began to take on deeper meanings as the story tellers added to their wares.
In the Jewish tradition, the rededication of the temple and the miracle of the container of oil which burn in the temple lamps for eight days when there was only enough consecrated olive oil for one day. Without commenting on the historical aspects of the rededication and the "festival of lights" that occurred afterward, it is not hard to see the story of the rededication and the miracle as being related to the restoration of light in the Jewish world. It is probably no accident that Hanukkah falls near the solstice, as adjusted to the Jewish lunar calendar.
Although it no longer coincides with the Winter Solstice, the Hindu religions celebrate "Dwali" ("Festival of Lights") in the late Autumn to comemerate the triumph of good over evil (Rama's defeat of Ravena) ONe of the hallmarks of Dwali is the lighting of candles to celebrate "awareness of the inner light."
The Germanic tradition of Yule, from the northern part of Europe, is the origin of the Christmas tree, mistletoe, holly and ivy. Each of these a symbol of continuing life, despite the dissappearence of the sun. Holly honored the Holly King, who reigned from Summer Solstice to Winter Solstice, and Mistletoe, which grows high in the oak tree, honored the Oak King, who overpowers the Holly King at midwinter and reigns until midsummer. The yule log would be lit before the sun set on Yule and would remain lit until the sun was again ascendant.
The word "Christ" comes from the Greek, and was not the surname of Jesus of Nazareth during his lifetime. Before the Romans had conquered Palestine, Alexander the Great had occupied the land as part of the Grecian Empire, and the Greek language had become the lingua franca used throughout the empire, and which held over after the Romans came in about 37 B.C. E. Since Paul and the other New Testament writers were ministering to the gentiles outside of Jerusalem, they wrote in Greek. One meaning of the word is "savior."
Without the sun the Earth and everything in it will die. In that sense, the rebirth of the sun is vital to the world. It is a time of new beginnings; a time of rebirth. A time when the light overtakes and prevails against darkness. It is the radiant warmth and light of Sol that makes life possible. It is right and proper to recognize the importance of this natural phenomenon, this miracle of creation. It is right and proper to set our intentions and rededicate ourselves at this time of year. Once again the sun has saved us all. And so we celebrate the birth, and rebirth, of that "savior," that "christ." So "Christmas" it is, whether Jesus was born on this particular day of the year or not.
I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday, no matter what you call it.
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