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interest in this new religion upon
their return to Rome.
First-century Roman historian
Tacitus describes that at the battle
of Bedriacum in A.D. 69, the sol–
diers of Emperor Vespasian saluted
the r ising sun with loud shouts. In
Tacitus ' words, "A shout arose from
the entire army, and the soldiers of
the Third Legion, according to the
Syrian custom, hailed the rising
sun"
(Histories,
ch. 3, sect. 24). Pro–
copius (mid fifth century) tells us
that it was the custom among the
Persians to prostrate themselves be–
fore the rising sun each day
(Pro–
copius
1, ii i, 20). ln the temples,
worshipers addressed prayers to the
heavenly source of light three times
a day - at dawn, midday, and at
dusk - each time facing the sun.
Native Romans became excited
about the new solar divinity as well.
With the passing of time, even the
emperors became excited over this
new religious import from the Ori–
ent. Commodus (A.D. 180- 192) and
Severus (A.D. 193-2 11 ) were two
emperors who took an early interest
in the religion of the sun.
When E1agabalus became em–
peror (A.D. 2 18), he realized that
the time had come to oust Jupiter
from his celestial throne and replace
him with a statue of the Syrian sun
god. This followed the emperor's
visit to Syria where he had restored
a temple of the solar god in Emesa.
The emperor, who changed his orig–
inal name earlier on to Elagaba/us,
bore the very name of the Eastem
sun god, whose priest he had been.
(Baal was the name of a well-known
dei ty in ancient times as well, a god
whose worship had corrupted an–
cient Israel.)
Solar Religion Established
The young emperor temporarily de–
posed Jupiter from his supremacy
among Roman deities and raised the
solar god to glory. But
it
was short–
lived. Too many inftuential Romans
retained a sufficient degree of loyalty
to the old-fashioned religion, and so
upon Elagabalus' death, the ancient
Roman deity was temporarily re–
stored to his rightful place.
Fifty years la ter, Aurelian as–
cended Caesar's throne. Born
around the Btack Sea region where
his mother was a priestess of the
20
ORIGIN OF MODERN
CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS
·Billions of dollars will be spent this
year around the world on Christ–
mas gifls, decorations, Liquor, and
food . As they shell out their money
for Christmas items, how many
people will stop to ask where and
how allthis began?
Probably the most famil iar of
Christmas customs is that of plac–
ing a tree
in
the living room. The
use of evergreen trees, as a symbol–
of life and fertility, was a custom
of the Egyptians, Babylonians,
Chinese, and other ancient peo–
ples. Tree worship, quite common
in pagan Europe before the arrival
of Christianity, survived in the cus–
tom of decorating houses and
barns with evergreens to scare
away evil spirits during the New
Year season.
Later, the evergreen tree re–
mained popular in Germany as a
main prop in a medieval play
about Adam and Eve;
it
was
known as the " Paradise Tree" and
represented the Garden of Edeo.
Many Germans began placing a
" Paradise Tree" in their bornes on
December 24, the date of an
Adam and Eve festival which was
probably connected with the ob–
servance of the winter solstice. At
the same time, the Germao living
room contained the "Christmas
pyramid," a triangular box used to
hold various Christmas figurines
sun, Aurelian spent much of his
time as emperor in the East in an
attempt to solidify the conquered
a reas of his predecessors. I n Syria
he was attracted to the already fa–
miliar sun-worship re ligion. On a
military campaign there he sought
the help of the sola r deity, and its
ensuing intervention, the emperor
felt, brought the Romans victory. Jo
gratitude, Aureliao offered thanks
in the temple in Emesa, built by
Elagabalus 50 years before.
Returoing to Rome victorious, the
emperor exalted the unconquerable
sun -
Sol invictus
-
above all the
and decorated with evergreens,
candles, and a star. By the six–
teenth cen tury the two had
merg~d,
producing what was es–
sentially our modero Christmas
tree.
The customs of merrymaking
and gift giving at Christmas time
a re derived from the Roman Sa–
turoalia, which honored the god
Saturn and was held in ancient
Rome from December 17 to 24.
After the fourth century, the Sa–
turoalia observances were incorpo–
rated into Christmas observance in
the forro of eating and drinking,
partying, gift giving (especially to
children), and ceremonies in–
volving candles.
Kissing under the mistletoe, a
popular modero custom, is de–
rived, according to sorne authori–
ties, from ancient European
ma rriage and fertility rites. Mis–
tletoe was a widespread symbol of
sexual reproduction. Also, because
it grows as a parasite on European
trees, sorne scholars have con–
cluded tha t decorating the house
with mlstletoe comes from an an–
cient Druidic tree cult.
Thus it
is
obvious that whi le
Christmas in name honors Jesus
Christ, in practice its modero ob–
servance is little more than a per–
petuation of pagan custom.
- Scott Rockhold
gods of Rome, including Jupiter. A
college of pont iffs was created for
the service of the oew divinity, and
in A.D. 273 a splendid temple was
built and dedica ted with pomp and
ceremony on December 25 - the
birthday of the unconquerable sun.
Pagan Rome had been conquered
by a solar divinity.
The First Christian Emperor
It was barely 50 years later when
Constantine embraced Christianity.
But acceptance of this new religion
presented the emperor wi th a prob–
lem. What was he to do with the
The
PLAIN TRUTH December 1976