Orin Oríg wrote:
> "Mungo Bulge" <NO.SPAM@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:exB2XO2BGHA.1180@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>
>>Theologians, whether Protestant or Roman Catholic, and secular
>>historians, do not dispute how, and why, the December 25 date was
>>arbitrarily chosen by the Roman church in the fourth century (i.e.
>>"Christmas" did not begin to be observed until hundreds of years after
>>Christ's birth) for no other reason than to attempt to supercede (even
>>though a number of the same activities from the pagan festival were
>>adopted into the traditional Christmas observance that is seen today,
>>including yule logs, mistletoe, and the Christmas tree itself) a
>>centuries-old Roman pagan holiday, Sol Invictus ("the invincible sun")
>>that was held on that date to celebrate "the return of the sun" (i.e.
>>longer daylight) after the passing of the Winter Solstice on December
>>21.
>>
>
>
> The way I understood it, it was a emperor edict to choose one particular day
> to celebrate the birthday of various religious gods in the Roman Empire.
> Apparently, this Roman emperor was tired of too many religious holidays and
> chose December 25. And this included the birthday of the christian's son of
> god, Jesus Christ.
>
> Have you noticed that Sol Invictus day occured after the third day of the
> winter soltice? Could this be the basis of the resurrection of Jesus Christ
> from the dead, that is, was Easter based from the Sol Invictus day?
>
> As an altar boy during Vatican I, the name of Jesus Christ was always
> pronounced in the Latin mass as "jeh-soo" and not "yeh-soo." I think the
> correct spelling in Latin was "Gesu" and not "Jesu."
>
> So, Happy Sol Invictus Day to everybody!
>
>
> Orinello
>
>

Let's not forget Diwali, the Festival of Lights in India:

http://www.gsia.cmu.edu/afs/andrew/g...29/diwali.html

Steve N.