Christmas
The Jolly Season
If you are an honest, sincere and discerning Christian, please read on!
They tell you that it is the season to be jolly. It is a time of ornaments, red and green decorations, silver bells, holly, mistletoe and colored
lights. It is also a time of department store Santa's calling out their universal mantra, "Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas." Nearly all of the realm
of so-called "Christianity" is to join in and repeat this same greeting, "Merry Christmas!"
Although we hear these words constantly as they resonate millions of times throughout the land, almost nobody understands what they
are really saying. It is the purpose of this tract to take the words, "Merry Christmas" and examine the true meaning and essence of those
words and of Christmas.
A 'true' Christian would want to examine everything they say, because Jesus said in Matthew 12:36-37, "But I say unto you, that every
idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by
thy words thou shalt be condemned."
Christmas is filled with unscriptural traditions. The exchanging of gifts, the Christmas tree, the singing of carols, and Santa Claus are all of
pagan origin. These all crept into the church during or after the Fourth Century.
There are many unscriptural traditions that have cluttered up the story of the birth of Christ. For instance, many people believe that the
wise men of the East and the shepherds were together in Bethlehem at the time our Lord was born. But nothing could be further from the
truth. The shepherds came to Bethlehem to see Jesus at His birth. The wise men came to Nazareth to see Jesus when He was almost
two years old (see Matthew 2:16).
Furthermore, the Bible says nothing about three wise men, nor does it say that they were kings. The fact is the Bible does not give their
number at all, but merely states that they were wise men.
Perhaps the worst part of the Christmas celebration is that thousands of parents will teach their children the falsehood of Santa Claus.
Children are taught that Santa Claus makes his home at the North Pole, and once each year he fills his sled with toys for the boys and
girls who have been good throughout the year. If they are good, he rewards them by bringing them toys on Christmas Eve; and if they
are bad, he passes them by.
The Bible says in Colossians 3:9, "Lie not one to another" And we are commanded in Ephesians 4:25 to "put away" lying and to
"….speak every man truth with his neigh...."
Now I know that some of you loving mothers are saying, "Don't you think we should give the children a good time? They don't
understand all the paganism behind Christmas."
"For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it
with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak;
they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good."-Jeremiah 10:3-5
Let's teach our children the truth about Christmas!
The pagan history of Christmas has been well-known throughout history. In fact, at one time the celebration of this pagan custom was
forbidden by law in England. In 1644, Parliament declared Christmas to be unlawful; and, consequently, it was abolished. The English
Puritans looked upon the celebration of Christmas as the work of Satan.
At one time in early American history, the observance of Christmas was illegal. A law was adopted in the general court of
Massachusetts about 1650 which required that those who celebrated Christmas were to be punished. The statute read, "Whosoever
shall be found observing any such day as Christmas, or in any other way ... shall be subject to a fine of 5 shillings." The law's preamble
explained its purpose was "for preventing disorders ... (by) observing such festivals as were superstitiously kept in other countries to the
great dishonor of God and the offense of others."
After the Mayflower pilgrims landed in 1620, the first December 25th was spent in labor and cutting down trees "in order to avoid any
frivolity on the day sometimes called Christmas."
Opposition to the observance of Christmas continued just past the second half of the Nineteenth Century. An article in the December
26, 1885 edition of The New York Daily Times stated, "The churches of the Presbyterians, Baptists, and Methodists were not open on
December 25 except where some mission schools had a celebration. They do not accept the day as a holy one, but the Episcopalian,
Catholic, and German churches were all open. Inside they were decked with evergreens."
". . . Learn not the way of the heathen,. . . For the customs of the people are vain- for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of
the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move
not... But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities"
(Jer. 10:2-4, .
Here you have a perfect description of the Christmas tree, called by God, "the way of the heathen." Christians are commanded not to
learn that way or follow it! The Christmas tree is also viewed in this passage as idolatry. The fifth verse says that these trees cannot
speak cannot walk-must be carried. Some people misread this to make it say that there is no harm in having a Christmas tree, but that is
not what it says at all. Rather, the Prophet Jeremiah tells us that it is vanity and foolishness, and says, "....Learn not the way of the
heathen..... "
Some people will stay up all night to work on an old dead tree. They'll trim it all up and stand off a little ways and admire their
handiwork. Then many of them will sit up all night and look at that old Christmas tree.
I realize that some of you will just gnash your teeth and call me "narrow-minded." Well, you can call me anything you want, but I'm just
giving you the Word of God.
Did you know that the green tree is mentioned 14 times in the Bible, and in every instance it is linked with idolatry? There isn't one place
in the Bible where God commends the use of the "green tree" in connection with true worship.
Perhaps you're wondering why people have a Christmas tree during the Christmas celebration. You can search the Bible through and
through, but you won't find a reason for it there. The first decorating of an evergreen tree began with the heathen Greeks and their
worship of their god Adonia, who allegedly was brought back to life by the serpent Aessulapius after having been slain. And each
Christmas, multitudes of people will secure an evergreen tree and dress it up with bright glitter, lights, and tinsel, not realizing that they
are following in the tradition of a pagan festival in honor of a false god!
No doubt there are many sincere Christians who think that they are honoring Christ by having their Christmas tree when, in reality, they
are dishonoring Him by having anything to do with a heathen festival that God hates.
As you read these lines, perhaps you say, "I have my Christmas tree but I don't worship it, and consequently, I see nothing wrong with
it." Let me remind you, however, that you don't determine what is right and what is wrong. God determines what's right and wrong. If
the Christmas tree is not an idol to you, why are you so reluctant to give it up? What are you doing down on your knees when you place
your gifts under it?
Sometimes well-meaning people will make the statement, "Let's put Christ back into Christmas." This sounds very good on the
surface-but beloved, how can you put Christ back into something when He was never there?
Christmas is not in the Bible. Not a single thing connected with Christmas is biblical. You have to go outside of the Bible to learn of the
Christmas tree, Santa Claus, the holly wreath, mistletoe, the Yule log, and all the other things that go along with the Christmas
celebration. Christians, let's be honest before God and admit that this is a pagan holiday and a trick of the devil.
For now, we will set aside all of the customs, glitter and traditions of Christmas, which were taken from pagan religions and popularized
by the Roman Catholic Church, and we will focus on the true meaning of the words, "Merry Christmas!"
The word "Merry" is simple to define. It unquestionably means to be happy, joyful and light-hearted. The word "merry" fits into the
ambience of laughter and frivolity. This word "merry" by itself is innocent and innocuous enough, but as we will now see, it becomes
heinously blasphemous when used with the word "Christmas."
Here let it be noted that most people think that the word, "Christmas" means "the birth of Christ." But, by definition, it means "death of
Christ", and I will prove it by using the World Book Encyclopedia, the Catholic Encyclopedia, and a book entitled, "The Mass In Slow
Motion".
The World Book Encyclopedia defines "Christmas" as follows: "The word Christmas comes from "Cristes Maesse", an early English
phrase that means "Mass of Christ." (1) It is interesting to note that the word "Mass", as used by the Roman Catholics, has traditionally
been rejected by the so-called Protestants, such as Lutherans, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Pentecostals and so on. The
word "Mass" is strictly a Catholic word and thus, so is "Christ-Mass."
It would stand to reason, that since all of these denominations love and embrace "Christ-Mass", that December 25th is the great
homecoming day, when all of the Protestants become Catholic for a day.
As previously stated, the word "Mass" in religious usage means a "death sacrifice." The impact of this fact is quite shocking; for when the
millions of people are saying, "Merry Christmas", they are literally saying "Merry death of Christ!"
Furthermore, when the fat man in the red suit laughs boisterously and says, "Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas", he is mocking and laughing at
the suffering and bleeding of Christ. He does this while parents place their little children into his waiting arms to hear his promises of gifts
that he says he will give them. Christians, consider what you are saying when you say "Merry Christmas."
What is so amusing about Christ's painful death? What is so funny? Why is Santa laughing? Why are you going along with it? Your
words do count and Satan knows it. Yes, the word "Mass" does mean "death sacrifice", and to cement that fact, we will consider the
definition of the inventors of the religious application of the word "Mass."
I am looking at page 537 of the Catholic Encyclopedia, which says, "In the Christian law, the supreme sacrifice is that of the Mass." It
goes on to say, "The supreme act of worship consists essentially in an offering of a worthy victim to God, the offering made by a proper
person, as a priest, the destruction of the victim." (2) Please note carefully the word, "victim" of the Mass.
The Latin word for victim is "Hostia" from which the word "host" is derived. The Mass, by definition of those who coined the word, is a
sacrifice involving a victim. There is no other meaning for the word "Mass" or "Christ-Mass." On page 110 of a book entitled "The Mass
In Slow Motion", we find the following words: "It is only with the consecration that the sacrifice of the Mass is achieved. I have
represented the Mass to you, more than once, as a kind of ritual dance." (3)
In essence, the Mass is the ceremonial slaying of Jesus Christ over and over again, followed by the eating of his flesh and the drinking of
his blood. The Mass is the death sacrifice, and the "Host" is the victim. This is official Roman Catholic doctrine, and "Christmas" is a
word that they invented.
Again, I ask, what is so merry about the pain, bleeding, suffering and death of Jesus Christ? Apparently Satan has done quite a job of
getting millions of so-called "Christians" to blaspheme. What a deceiver he is.
Now you know the true meaning of the word "Christmas" or Mass of Christ. There is much more to know about this pagan holiday, and
I can prove to you with plenty of evidence that Jesus was not born on December 25th, and that Christmas is not only a lie, but is actually
a witches' sabbat called "Yule" in clever disguise! For the sake of your soul, flee from idolatry!
First and foremost, there is neither Biblical command nor Biblical precedent for celebrating Messiah's birth at all. In ancient Hebrew
tradition, it is the anniversary of a person's death that is commemorated, not of their birth.
Second, God has established an entire annual cycle of feasts and festivals that He gave to Israel to be celebrated forever. There is
nothing in Scripture that suggests that God is pleased when His people seek to worship Him in ways of their own designing; in fact, the
exact opposite is quite true.
Third, the Festival that God has ordained that coincides with Jesus's birth is Sukkot [Tabernacles], which is the actual date of the Fourth
on the Jewish calendar.
Finally, Christ Mass has its deepest roots in the Babylon Mystery Religion where the Queen of Heaven and her infant son were
worshipped as deity. When Emperor Constantine made "Christianity" the official religion of the Roman Empire, he succeeded in creating
a blend of pagan Roman polytheism and the Messianic branch of Judaism known as "The Way" that has survived until today as "Roman
Catholic Christianity."
The Romans celebrated a winter feast to their god Saturn, called Saturnalia, which was celebrated by the giving and receiving of gifts. All
that the apostate Roman church actually did was to continue the same pagan winter feast and give it a new "Bible-sounding" name: Christ
Mass.
The Roman Catholic Mass is, in their own words, "… a continuation and a re-offering of Christ's sacrifice on Calvary." Since the Christ
Mass is rooted in paganism and is a festival in honor of the god Saturn (an idol), then any sacrifice that is rooted in that paganism would
be the same as a sacrifice to an idol.
The Bible says that Gentile [non-Jewish] sacrifices are sacrifices to demons: "But I say that the things which the Goyim [Gentiles]
sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and I don't desire that you would have communion with demons."--1 Corinthians
10:20
December 25 is the day that is marked on the Gregorian calendar as the date of birth for Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ), but as we
have demonstrated, that date was established by a corrupt and pagan Roman church to "Christianize" and give some sense of legitimacy
to their worship of the Roman sun god Saturn, which was simply another name for Nimrod, the sun god of the ancient Babylonian
Mystery Religion. Using the evidence of Scripture, it is a simple task to calculate the actual birth date of Mashiach to within a very few
days; the exact date is then easily extrapolated.
For the past several hundred years, Gentile Christians have taught that poor Mary and Joseph were forced to go to Bethlehem to
register for their taxes, and that there were so many people trying to register at the same time that all the motels and hotels were full.
Most of us have seen the Christmas play in which a third-grader with a pillow tied to his tummy and a cotton beard hanging by strings
from his ears comes to the door and tells Mary and Joseph that the inn is full, but they are welcome to sleep in his barn out behind the
inn. They trudge through the snow out to the barn where Joseph moves the cattle, sheep, donkeys, and sometimes even chickens out of
the way to find some clean straw, and he makes a bed in a manger for baby Jesus to sleep in. It's a beautiful story, but it's simply not
true ... it's only a Gentile myth.
First of all, when the decree was issued, citizens were given a full year during which to register for the census. There was absolutely no
reason for thousands of Bethlehemites to have to come to their home town all at once to register. That being the case, we must ask why
Joseph would bring his wife Mary all the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem to register when her pregnancy was so far along.
There were three great feasts during the year when the people of Adonai were expected to make every reasonable effort to attend in
Jerusalem: Pesach (the feast of unleavened bread and Passover), Shavuot (Pentecost, the feast of harvest), and Sukkot (the feast of
ingathering, booths, or tabernacles). "You shall observe a feast to me three times a year." Exodus 23:14
During these three feasts, the population of "the metropolitan Jerusalem area" would swell from about a hundred twenty thousand to
something over two million people (according to Josephus). Every home in the entire area was open to guests, and of course all the
hotels and motels would have been booked up for months.
However, during the feast of Sukkot [Tabernacles or Booths, pronounced "sue-coat"], every family was expected to live at least part of
each day in their tabernacle or booth, called a sukkah, which is a temporary dwelling usually made out of palm and/or bamboo
branches, to remind them that for 40 years their ancestors had lived in temporary shelters in the wilderness on their trek to the Promised
Land. At night, these sukkot [the plural form of sukkah] were available for the overnight lodging of out-of-towners, and the homeowners
would stock them with food for the travelers. The food was placed on a food-tray attached to the inside wall of the Sukkah to keep it
up off the ground.
Beit-Lechem (Bethlehem) was a small village in the suburbs just about four miles south of Jerusalem. Miriam and Yoseph had apparently
decided to register with the census-takers when they came up to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. Evidently they had intended to
stop over night in Bethlehem, register in the morning, and then proceed on into Jerusalem for the feast.
When they checked the hotel for available rooms, as there were no vacancies the innkeeper offered them shelter in his Sukkah, his
Tabernacle, which had been erected and well-stocked with food for the express purpose of sheltering feast-keepers. It was not a shelter
for animals at all.
And when their Baby was born, they laid Him on the food shelf to keep Him up off the damp ground. When the (probably agnostic)
Gentiles who translated the "King James" Bible got to this passage in Luke's gospel, they had no knowledge of Jewish tradition or of
how Sukkot was observed. Thinking only in terms of life in Medieval England, they translated the word for "food tray" as "manger" and
the whole Gentile myth of Yeshua's birth in a barn was created out of an ignorant error in translation.
The Date:
As to establishing the date for His birth, one thing is very certain … He was certainly not born during the winter. Luke 2:8 tells us: "There
were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock."
The weather in Israel is very similar to that in central California. By December it is quite cold, and the sheep have all been brought into
the fold for the winter. "As is well known, the shepherds in Palestine do not 'abide in the fields' during the winter season. The shepherds
always bring their flocks in from the mountain slopes and fields not later than the fifteenth of October!" [Ralph Woodrow, Babylon
Mystery Religion. Self-published, 1966, p.160]
The way in which Gavri'el worded his announcement to Zekharyah makes it clear that Yochanan was to be the fulfillment of Mal'akhi's
prophecy: "He will turn many of the children of Yisra'el to the Lord, their God. He will go before his face in the spirit and power of
Eliyah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared
for the Lord."
Luke 1:56 tells us that Miryam stayed with Elisheva for three months, which would have been up until the time Yochanan was born. We
can now calculate the date of Yochanan's birth with a great deal of accuracy.
1.) A Full term pregnancy term is 41 weeks.
2.) There are 27 weeks in the first six months (two trimesters) of pregnancy.
3.) There are 27 weeks from the spring service of of Abiyah to Chanukah.
4.) There are 14 weeks remaining to accomplish the last trimester and bring the pregnancy to full term.
5.) There are exactly 14 weeks from Chanukah to Passover (Jewish calendar Nisan 14-22).
Therefore, Yochanan was born at Passover, most certainly on the first day of Unleavened Bread. He was circumcised on the eighth day,
which would be the last day of Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread. His birth therefore exactly fulfills both Mal'akhi's prophecy and the
Jewish expectation of that fulfillment to occur at Passover.
The "birth" of a Jewish baby boy was not considered complete until he had been circumcised on the eighth day. On the eighth day,
Yeshua's "presentation" in the Temple included His circumcision according to Torah. Thus we see that the birth of Yeshua HaMashiach
spanned the entire eight days of Sukkot, including His birth on the holy Shabbat which was the first day of Sukkot and His circumcision
on the holy Shabbat which was the eighth and final day of Sukkot.
At His birth he was placed on the food tray in the Sukkah, thus demonstrating that He is indeed the true Bread of Life (John 6:33-51).
God's preparation of the Feast of Sukkot centuries before His birth gives extra significance to Yochanan's comment "The Word became
flesh, and lived [literally, "tabernacled"] among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace
and truth" (John 1:14).
So we see that Yeshua was exactly six months younger that Yochanan, it is now easy to establish the time of His birth as mid-Tishrei by
the Jewish calendar. The only reason that Beit-Lechem would possibly crowded in mid-Tishrei would be for Sukkot. The first and last
days of Sukkot were "high Shabbats" and travel on those days was forbidden. Therefore Yoseph would have planned their trip to arrive
not later than a few hours before sunset preceding the first day of Sukkot. According to Luke's account, Yeshua was born that night, on
15 Tishrei.
Therefore, in anticipation of the coming of Mashiach, when Pesach (Passover) is celebrated, a place at the table is set and a cup of wine
is poured for Eliyah (Elijah), and the door of the house is left open so that he may come in to the celebration. It is clear that for centuries
before the birth of Messiah the Jews had been anticipating the return of Eliyah during Pesach (Passover).
There are many interesting traditions that surround the Christmas season. You could write an entire book on them. Below are just a few
of these traditions which will be explained according to their origins. Keep in mind, many of these traditions are rooted in pagan
practices and varied in different nations.
ST. NICHOLAS - ALIAS SANTA CLAUS
(Santa or Satan in Disguise?)
The History:
Nicholas, Saint (304?-345?), Christian prelate, patron saint of Russia, traditionally associated with Christmas celebrations. The accounts
of his life are confused and historically unconfirmed. According to tradition he was a native of Patara, formerly a city in the ancient
district of Lycia, Asia Minor (in what is now Turkey).
He entered the nearby monastery of Sion and subsequently became archbishop of the metropolitan church in Myra, Lycia. He is said to
have been present at the first Council of Nicaea. At the end of the 11th century some Italian merchants transported his remains from
Myra to Bari, Italy, where his tomb is now a shrine.
Nicholas is said to be the patron saint of children, scholars, virgins, sailors, and merchants, and in the Middle Ages he was regarded by
thieves as their patron saint as well. Legend tells of his surreptitious gifts to the three daughters of a poor man, who, unable to give them
dowries, was about to abandon them to a life of sin.
From this tale has grown the custom of secret giving on the Eve of St. Nicholas. Because of the close proximity of dates, Christmas and
St. Nicholas's Day are now celebrated simultaneously in many countries. He was "sainted" supposedly because he brought two children
back to life who had been viciously murdered.
Santa Claus, the designation for the jolly, bearded figure of folklore who is credited with bringing gifts to children on Christmas Eve, is an
American corruption of the Dutch San Nicolaas. His feast day is December 6.
The Legend:
St. Nicholas had a special day, December 6th, which coincided with an ancient Roman Holiday at which time secret gifts were given. I
have been unable to find any information revealing when this Roman tradition of secret gift giving was transferred to Christmas day with
"Saint Nick" regarded as the giver. But it seems that the transition took place in Colonial American times.
We do know the Dutch brought him to the American Colonies as "Sante Niklass" - shortened and run together, forming SanteKlas or
Santa Claus as we say it today. Dutch children expected the friendly fellow to visit them on the eve of December 5th and would place
their wooden shoes in front of the fireplace to be filled with goodies by the next morning.
On a pilgrimage to the Holy Land he is said to have calmed a storm at sea with his prayers, making him the patron saint of sailors. When
he returned from the Holy Land he was elected Bishop of Myra. He gave money anonymously for spinsters' dowries.
During the Diocletian persecutions he was imprisoned but freed under the Emperor Constantine.
He was also said to bring back the dead from a magic cauldron (an ancient Celtic concept), that he miraculously multiplied a shipment of
grain so it could feed his entire diocese for two years, with enough left over for a new crop of grain. It is also proclaimed that when he
died, his bones exuded a huge quantity of holy oil capable of curing any known disease.
The Gift Bringer:
Not all countries that have a "gift-bringer" figure on Christmas call it by the name of "Santa Claus." Norway calls him "Julenisse," England
calls him "Father Christmas," (which is derived from a background figure in the old Mummer's Plays, only comparatively recently adding
the attributes of the American Santa Claus).
In Italy and Russia Santa becomes female and is called "Befana" (who rides a broomstick!) and "Kolyada" respectively.
In Germany, the "Kristkindl" or "Christ Child" brings the presents. The Dutch call him "Sinter Klaus," or "Klaus of the Cinders" (i.e. the
man who comes down the chimney). The Three Kings do the gift-giving, on January 6 in Spain. And Knight Rupprecht (another OÞin
survival) plays a secondary part in northern Germany.
The belief that Santa Claus enters the house through the chimney developed from an old Norse legend. The Norse believed that the
pagan goddess Hertha appeared in the fireplace and brought good luck to the home.
It was not until relatively recent times that our present day Santa Claus developed as we know him. In 1822 an American minister
named Clement C. Moore first described Santa, (complete with fur-trimmed suit and his reindeer powered sleigh), for his children in a
poem called "A Visit From St. Nicholas."
In 1823, at the bidding of friends, Moore published his poem calling it "THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS" in the Troy, New York
Sentinel. This well loved poem is the foundation of our present day Santa Claus.
Christians must keep one thing in mind. All of this folk legend has sufficiently taken Christ out of Christmas. And since Christ-mass has
NOTHING to do with the truth of Christ's birth.
THE CHRISTMAS TREE
Old Testament Proclaims the Tree used in idolatry:
Jeremiah 10:2-4: Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen
are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the
workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
Deut:12:2: Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains,
and upon the hills, and under every green tree:
1Kgs:14:22-23: And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had
committed, above all that their fathers had done.For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and
under every green tree.
2Kgs:17:10-11: And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree: And there they burnt incense in
all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to
anger.
2Chron:28:1-4: Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which
was right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father: For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images
for Baalim. Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the
heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the
hills, and under every green tree.
Isa:57:5: Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?
Jer:2:20: For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill
and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot.
Jer:3:6: The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone
up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
Jer:3:13: Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the
strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.
Jer:17:2: Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills.
Ezek:6:13: Then shall ye know that I am the LORD, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every
high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet
savour to all their idols.
Ancient Tree worship in Egypt:
The Christmas tree, now so common among us, was equally common in Pagan Rome and Pagan Egypt. In Egypt it was the palm tree; in
Rome it was the fir; the palm-tree denoting the Pagan Messiah, as Baal-Tamar, the fir referring to him as Baal-Berith. The mother of
Adonis, the Sun-God and great mediatorial divinity, was mystically said to have been changed into a tree, and when in that state to have
brought forth her divine son. If the mother was a tree, the son must have been recognized as 'Man the Branch.'
And this entirely accounts for putting the Yule Log into the fire on Christmas Eve and the appearance of the Christmas tree the next
morning. As Zero-Ashta, 'The seed of the woman,' ...he has to enter the fire on 'Mother night,' that he may be born the next day out of
it, as the 'Branch of God,' or the Tree that brings divine gifts to men.
In Egypt, the tradition of the Christmas tree symbolically portrayed the death and reincarnation of Osiris in his son, Horus: The divine
child born at the winter solstice was born as a new incarnation of the great god (after that god had been purposely cut into pieces to
revenge his death upon his murderers.)
Now the great god, cut off in the midst of his power and glory, was symbolised as a huge tree, stripped of all his branches, and cut
down almost to the ground. But the great Serpent, the symbol of the life restoring Aesculapius, twists itself around the dead stock. And
lo, at its side sprouts a young tree -- a tree of an entirely different kind, that is never to be cut down by a hostile power. Thus shadowed
forth the perpetuity and everlasting nature of his power, how that after having fallen before his enemies, he has risen triumphant over
them all.
Therefore, the 25th of December, became a day that was observed in Rome as the day when the victorious god reappeared on earth
was held at the Natalis invicti solis, "The birthday of the unconquered Sun." Thus, the pagans of Rome had adopted this tradition among
its civilization long after it was first conceived in Egypt.
Ancient Tree worship in Germany:
The Germanic people had the quaint custom of sacrificing nine kinds of every living thing to One-Eyed Woden (OÞin) by hanging them
on a tree. (One of OÞin's symbols was a noose, and his horse Sleipnir has eight legs symbolizing four pallbearers! He was a Death God
in addition to being a God of Poets and the All-Father).
Interestingly enough, in the much beloved Christmas time story of "The Nutcracker" (Tchaikowski's Nutcracker Suite) the person who
brings in the miniature castle with the toys, the nutcracker and so forth is a man named Drosselmeier who has ... ONE EYE.
Coincidence or Satanic plot?
Ancient Tree worship in Rome:
An early Roman ritual was to exchange green tree branches on January 1st. They believed this would bring them good luck and fertility.
Ancient Tree worship in Scandinavia:
The Scandinavian people also had their brand of ancient worship of evergreen trees. They believed godlike spirits inhabited the
evergreens, so people brought the trees into their homes to please the spirits and seek their blessing. When the Gospel of Christ reached
the Scandinavian people they made the evergreen tree part of their Christian Festivals.
Ancient Tree comes to America
The old pagan use of the tree was revived by Martin Luther, and brought to America by the Hessian mercenaries in the service of
George III of England during the American Revolution. It appeared in Great Britain in the 1840's when Prince Albert, the German-born
consort of Queen Victoria, set one up in the Palace. The tale of Martin Luther and the tree goes is as follows:
One clear, brisk Christmas Eve, Martin Luther was walking home under the star-studded sky. It was so wonderful. As he walked he
tried to think how he could catch the beauty of that eve and bring it home to his children. Suddenly he thought of a large evergreen tree
gleaming with candles. He proceeded to find a tree, cut it down and take it home to decorate it. His children were delighted.
At the time, the medieval form of the holiday was dying out in England, the introduction of the tree by the Crown seems to have sparked
a revival of interest in Christmas. But now the customs changed radically, becoming more Germanic.
Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" was also a major influence, as was Clarke Moore's poem, "The Night Before Christmas" (see
below).
Thus, most of the traditions and customs of the English-speaking world that center around the Christmas tree tend to date from Victorian
times. This is due to the influence of Victorian English customs and mores.
It is interesting to read Isaiah 55:13 --"Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle
tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off"
Then to see it (the pine, or manger) referenced to in Luke 2:12 --"And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in
swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
Hence we have the beginnings of our modern day "Christmas Tree" with all the trimmings.
MISTLETOE
Mistletoe, holly and ivy were especially liked in the vain traditions of the heathen since they bore their berries in the winter thus making
them more powerful symbols of the fertility, giving excuse to exercise immorality in the fashion of fornication and adultery.
Mistletoe also figures in the pagan worship of the sun god. Balder, another name for a sun god, was supposed to be immune to all forms
of destruction because of spells cast by the other gods. The only thing they lacked was the immunity to mistletoe.
And so Loki, the evil god contrived to have Balder (probably Balderdash) killed by an arrow made of mistletoe. After the other gods
brought Balder back to life, the mistletoe promised never to hurt anyone again.
It became the symbol of love. Perhaps because of this legend, perhaps for other reasons, it was worshipped by the Druids. "They also
used it to cast spells, the principal belief being that if they held it over a woman's head she was powerless to resist, and they could then
have their way with her sexually.
From this comes our custom of hanging it over doorways, and the tradition that if a girl is caught under the sprig of mistletoe she may be
kissed and may not resist. As it all had to do with fertility and sex, the berries on the sprig made its power even more potent." Mistletoe
is still considered worth more if it has berries.
And if that isn't enough for you, "The practice is believed to have originated with orgiastic celebrations in connection with the Celtic
Midsummer Eve ceremony when the mistletoe was gathered. During that festival the men would kiss each other as a display of their sin
of homosexuality. The custom was later broadened to include both men and women. Another example of the militant homosexual
agenda finding it's way in to the Christian Church!
"Some historians believe that kissing under the mistletoe is reminiscent of the temple prostitution becoming a sexual license that was most
prolific during the Roman Saturnalia."
Somehow from all of this came our modern custom that a woman passing under it should be kissed and if unmarried it was a sign that
she was soon to marry.
YULE LOGS & THE YULETIDE
The Yule Log tradition comes to us from Scandinavia, where the pagan sex and fertility god Jul, or Jule (pronounced 'yule'), was
honored in a twelve-day celebration in December. A large single log, (generally considered to have been a phallic idol), was kept with a
fire against it for twelve days, a different sacrifice to Jul being offered in the fire on each of the twelve days.
The Yule log was originally an entire tree, carefully chosen, and brought into the house with great ceremony. The butt end would be
placed into the hearth while the rest of the tree stuck out into the room. The tree would be slowly fed into the fire and the entire process
was carefully timed to last the entire Yule season.
This is where the Twelve Days of Christmas originated, which are now counted as the twelve days between" Christmas" and Epiphany
(January 12th).
Yuletide, meaning the turning of the sun or the winter solstice, has traditionally been a time of extreme importance in Scandinavia. It is
considered a time when fortunes for the coming year were determined and when the dead were thought to walk the earth. For a long
time, it was considered dangerous to sleep alone on Christmas Eve. The extended family, master and servant, alike would sleep together
on a freshly spread bed of straw.
In France the Yule log is still held in present use in the form of a log shaped cake called "buche de Noel." This cake has found its way
into other countries, among them the United States of America.
Using logs to decorate or shape cakes after, giving yuletide greetings, and any recognition of the Twelve Days of Christmas or Twelfth
night is giving credit to this vile phallic worship of Scandinavia's past. Yuletide is also observed by witches today as one of their main
high days.
Therefore, consider yourself common in the tradition of witches as you "celebrate" the Yuletide and winter soltice!
The Norse also sacrificed a boar to their god Freyr during yuletide. It is thought that this is probably where the English tradition of
serving boar's head at "Christmas" came from.
It was also the ancient custom of the Norse and Anglo-Saxons to burn a huge oak log once a year in honor of "THOR -- God Of
Thunder. "When these people were reached with the Gospel of Salvation in Christ Jesus, they "Christianized" this custom, making it a
part of their Christmas -- "Yuletide traditions".
THE GIVING OF GIFTS
The excuse for giving gifts to each other at Christmas is generally that the wisemen gave gifts to Jesus. Despite the self-implied hypocrisy
of this, there are other reasons that it is wrong. The custom has many superstitious origins besides that associated with the Egyptian god
Bes.
Among the Romans it was customary to exchange food, trinkets, candles, or statues of gods during the mid-winter Kalends (the first day
of the month in the ancient Roman calendar). This custom was transferred to December 25th by the Roman Church in keeping with the
Saturnalian festival.
In old England there was a custom known as "letting in Christmas." This superstition centered on the first person to enter a house on
Christmas Day. It was believed that no one should leave the house on that morning until "the lucky bird" (the first person entering) was
let in.
He would enter through the front door and proceed through the house, leaving at the rear. Along the way he was given gifts to insure that
he would bestow good luck on the household. To have a dark-haired man "let in Christmas" was believed to bring good luck.
Red-haired persons were shunned as purveyors of evil. To have a woman "let in Christmas" was believed to bring extremely bad luck.
While the custom of "first footing" has been altered and may have been moved to New Year's Eve, or Hogmanay in Scotland, it is of
note that in Anglo-Saxon England, New Year's Day was December 25th!
Giving of gifts accompanied the pagan rituals of Rome and other Babylonian affected cultures. Woden and Odin were thought to give
special gifts in the north, while in Rome branches from the grove of the goddess, Sternia were given. Later the Romans started giving
more expensive gifts on New Years. The sending of Christmas and New Years cards is probably an extension of this ancient custom
that was brought about by the invention of the printing press.
Hanging Stockings
The tradition of hanging the stockings comes from an English legend: "Father Christmas once dropped some gold coins while coming
down the chimney. The coins would have fallen through the ash grate and been lost if they hadn't landed in a stocking that had been hung
by the chimney to dry. Since that time children have continued to hang out stockings in hopes of finding them filled with gifts.
THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS - SONG
When most people hear of "The 12 days of Christmas" they think of the song. This song had its origins in the ancient Yuletide traditions
of the Scandinavians, but later it was modified and engrafted into the Roman church as a teaching tool to instruct young people in the
meaning and content of the [so-called] Christian faith.
From 1558 to 1829 Roman Catholics in England were not able to practice their faith openly so they had to find other ways to pass on
their beliefs to the children and those new to the common faith.
The song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is one example of how they did it. "The 12 Days of Christmas" is in a sense -- an allegory.
Each of the items in the song represents something of religious significance. The hidden meaning of each gift was designed to help young
Christians learn their faith.
The song goes, "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me..." The "true love" represents God and the "me" who receives
these presents is the Christian.
The "partridge in a pear tree" was Jesus Christ who died on a tree as a gift from God.
The "two turtle doves" were the Old and New Testaments - another gift from God.
The "three French hens" were faith hope and love - the three gifts of the Spirit that abide(I Corinthians 13).
The "four calling birds" were the four Gospels which sing the song of salvation through Jesus Christ.
The "five golden rings" were the first five books of the Bible also called the "Books of Moses."
The "six geese a-laying" were the six days of creation.
The "seven swans a swimming" were "seven gifts of the Holy Spirit."(I Corinthians 12:8-11, Romans 12, Ephesians 4, 1 Peter 4:10-11)
The "eight maids a milking" were the eight beatitudes.
The "nine ladies dancing" were nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.(Galatians 5:22-23)
The "ten lords a-leaping" were the Ten Commandments.
The "eleven pipers piping" were the eleven faithful disciples.
The "twelve drummers drumming" were the twelve points of the Apostles' Creed.
So the next time you hear "The 12 Days of Christmas" consider how this otherwise non-religious sounding song had its roots first in the
Yuletide, then became modified and engrafted into the Catholic church tradition, on down to modern day Christmas Custom.
If the roots of a lemon tree are engrafted into the roots of an orange tree, that tree will produced a bitter tasting fruit. And so it is with
this Roman song when considering its root in the Yuletide traditions of Ancient Scandinavia.
THE CHRISTMAS CARD
Christmas cards are fairly recent. The practice of sending Christmas greeting cards to friends was initiated by Sir Henry Cole of England
in 1843, with the first card being designed by J.C.Horsley.
It was commercially oriented from the first - 1000 copies were sold in London. Yet it was not until 1865 that Louis Prang of Boston
printed and sold Christmas Cards in the United States. This tradition is most likely an extent of the Ancient Roman custom of gift giving.
This year Americans will spend close to $1 billion on the cards and another $500 million for mailing them!
THE CONCLUSION
In closing this author suggests that there can be ONE and ONLY ONE conclusion that can be formed in Godly minds after
understanding all the biblical admonishments and the ancient historical connections with this issue of Christmas celebration. And that
conclusion can only be:
CHRISMAS IS PAGAN AND SHOULD NOT BE WORSHIPPED BY THE BRIDE OF CHRIST.
Therefore Good Christians, do not celebrate Christ Mass because (1) it is a pagan practice, (2) it is considered a re-sacrifice of the true
High Priest, and (3) it is therefore a sacrifice to demons.
"To one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin." James 4:17
It's plain to see, that Christmas is a pagan holiday that came out of pagan Babylon. As born-again believers, have nothing to do with it!
What further proof do you need that the Christmas celebration is not of God?
Truly the Lord's people should not celebrate Christmas. It is anti-God, anti-Christ, satanic, and unscriptural. The call of God is, ". . .
come out from among them, and be ye separate,. . and touch not the unclean thing;. . . " (II Cor. 6:17).
REFERENCES
Thompsons Chain Reference Bible (5th Edition) - KJV 1611
Ungers Bible Dictionary
Microsoft Encarta 95
Catholic Encyclopedia, 1911
The New Catholic Encyclopedia - 1967World Book Encyclopedia, vol.3, p. 408, 1986 ed., World Book Inc., Chicago, IL
The Catholic Encyclopedia, R.C. Broderick, 1975 ed., Nihil Obstat, Richard J. Sklba, Censor Librorum. Imprimatur, Archbishop
William E. Cousins, Milwaukee, WI.
The Mass In Slow Motion, Ronald Knox, 1948, Sheed & Ward, Inc., New York, NY. Nihil Obstat, E.C. Messenger, Censor
Deputatus. Imprimatur, E. Morrogh Bernard, Vic. Gen.
Last Trumpet Ministries International PO Box 806 Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Online resource material:
Religion and the Founding of the American Republic - http://lcweb.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/religion.html
Washington Lib. of Ancient History - http://www.lib.washington.edu/subject/History/tm/ancient.html
Annual Egyptological Bibliography - http://www.leidenuniv.nl/nino/aeb.html
Egyptology Resources - http://www.newton.cam.ac.uk/egypt/
Ancient Egyptian Gods and Godesses - http://www.tir.com/~lanata/kristi2.html
The Ancient Greek World - http://www.museum.upenn.edu/Greek_World/Index.html
Ancient Rome: Resource Links - http://www.freeyellow.com/members4/fixdonhim/romhist.html
The Two Babylons - http://www.thunderministries.com/history/babindex.htm
Catholic Encyclopedia Online - http://www.knight.org/advent/cathen/
Catholic Encyclopedia - The Nativity of Christ - http://www.knight.org/advent/cathen/03158a.htm#nativity
Christmas Archives - http://www.christmasarchives.com
Historical Origins of Christmas Tradition - http://www.balaams-ass.com/journal/warnings/xmastrad.htm
The History of Christmas - http://www.christmas-time.com/cp-hist.html
Chronology of Santa Claus Chronology of Santa Claus
Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Nicholas of Myra - http://www.knight.org/advent/cathen/11063b.htm
Chronology of the Christmas Tree - http://www.nps.gov/ncro/PublicAffairs/ChronoChristmasTreeLightings.htm
Mistletoe - http://www.ag.usask.ca/cofa/departments/hort/hortinfo/misc/mistleto.html
12 Days of Christmas - http://www.kennyking.com/12days.htm
Family Bible Ministries www.familybible.org