Christian Holidays Taken from Wiccan/Pagan Sabbats Essay Example For Students

Christian Holidays Taken from Wiccan/Pagan Sabbats Essay Christian Holidays Taken From Wiccan/Pagan Sabbats Melissa Ezzell COM 220 July 4, 2010 Titilayo Evans Christianity and Wicca (Paganism/Neo-Paganism), what do you know about these two religions? When I was growing up I believed in the Christian beliefs; however I now practice Wicca. Look closely at the Christian religion and notice how similar it is to Wicca. Although denied by most Christians the similarities are there because â€Å"Christianity began in the middle of Pagan culture† (Kane, p. 12). Is the origin of Christianity based on ancient Pagan beliefs or is it wholly original? Christianity started around four BC (History of Christianity, 2004; Anonymous, Timeline of Christianity, 2006) yet Wicca was said to have started around 2000 BC (Anonymous, Timeline of Neopaganism, Wicca, and Witchcraft, 2005). However, most of Wiccans practice what is now known as â€Å"modern† Wicca, which was founded approximately in 1949 with the first Wiccan publication, by a man named Gardner (History of Paganism, 2004). In the time of Christ, paganism was known as the mystery religion. Paganism was called as such because of the secretive nature and lack of writings associated with them. â€Å"A variety of mystery religions were practiced throughout the empire, but most of them held in common a heavy element of secrecy, the use of syncretism in their belief and practice, and a focus on the death and resurrection of a savior-god† (Anonymous, Timeline of Neopaganism, Wicca, and Witchcraft, 2005, p. 15). However, witches no longer have to be secretive and practice in the dark, but some witches will still practice in secret because of the fear that has been â€Å"burned† into their hearts. Most of the knowledge of these pagan religions dates from the second century (Anonymous, The Historical Context of Christianity, 2004). Around four BC when Jesus was born is about the time Christianity was believed to begin. Before Jesus went on his ministry, approximately 28 Common Era (CE), John the Baptist began spreading the word of the Christian God and the coming of his kingdom (History of Christianity, 2004). The precise duration of Jesus’s ministry is unknown, but many estimates suggest that his public work lasted between one and three years† (History of Christianity, 2004, p. 4). The life of Jesus was cut short when the Romans executed him (History of Christianity, 2004). After Jesus died he was said to rise again, and the â€Å"rebirth† is celebrated on Easter. O stara is one example of pagan influence on Christianity. Other examples include the sites of where Catholics built their churches, their saints who were, in fact, Goddesses and Gods, their holy days, and cultural celebrations. Most of the Christian holidays have been taken from pagan holidays and beliefs (Anonymous, The Historical Context of Christianity, 2004). For example: * Groundhog Day is Imbolc (Robinson, 2002), * Easter is Ostara aka Spring Equinox (Anonymous, Easter; Its Pagan Origins, 2009) * Christmas, which is Yule (Robinson, 2002) * May Day, which is Beltane (Robinson, 2002) * Halloween, which is Samhain (Robinson, 2002) * the names for days, weeks, and months, common sayings, and numerous other traditions associated with holidays (Robinson, 2002) According to the website  Pagan Origins of the Christ Myth  (POCM), â€Å"Mediterranean cultures in the ancient world ‘shared standard ideas about Gods and their powers and place in the universe Christianity simply adopted those ideas and applied them to Jesus’† (Kane) Here is a look at which Christian holidays were taken from Wiccan Sabbats (Anonymous, A Comparative Look at Catholicism and Wicca, 2000) (The Wiccan Sabbats are on the outside of the ring) The Holiday for Lammas is also known as Lughnasadh, which is celebrated on August first (Anonymous, Wiccan and Neopagan Festivals, 2007). Modern paganism’s history has been debated both within and outside of it. There are claims that its traditions have been preserved and secretly handed down through the generations. Other suggestions are that the â€Å"ancient traditions† are twentieth century constructions for which customs and tales of folk religion have been the inspiration (History of Paganism, 2004). Fine Arts Budget Cuts EssayAlexander Sanders was born in 1926 and died in 1988, he became known as the â€Å"King of Witches. Alexander is also the founder of Alexandrian Wicca which is one of the major Wiccan/Witchcraft traditions. It is said that, at the age of seven, he ran across his grandmother performing some type of ritual. When she noticed that he was there, she was taken aback and initiated him on the spot and swore him to secrecy. He became her student on the path of the â€Å"Old Religion. † After his grandmother passed away, he claimed that she had given him her Book of Shadows. It was said that he tried to gain entrance into some of the Gardnerian covens, which in turn refused him. He managed to obtain a copy of the Gardnerian Book of Shadow, which he copied and added a few of his own writings as well. Claiming the book was his grandmother’s Book of Shadows. After convincing â€Å"the Manchester Evening News† to put an article about Wicca on the front page, a large group of people started following the â€Å"Alexandrian Wicca. † He taught classes and ran the coven from his home in London and was said to have initiated more than 1623 witches into 100 different covens across the country. Here is a picture of Alexander Sanders (Knowles, Alex Sanders (1926-1988), 2001) (Knowles, Alex Sanders (1926-1988), 2001) So in conclusion, there is proof that Christian holidays are taken from Pagan Sabbats. Although there are not many documents prior to the â€Å"birth† of the Gardnerian Wicca, there is evidence of Wicca/Paganism pre-dating Christianity. The lack of documentation can be easily explained by the persecution, suppression, and systematic destruction of the pagan religions by the Christians. In the middle of the 20th Century, Gardner and others revived and published books on paganism. Paganism is now recognized as mainstream religion. Pagan traditions were passed down verbally until Sanders broke the vow of secrecy with his publicized material. Please note that the â€Å"p† in citations is for paragraphs. Works Cited Anonymous. (2000). A Comparative Look at Catholicism and Wicca. Retrieved July 3, 2010, from Northco: http://www. northco. net/chenke/comp_1. html Anonymous. (2009, December 26). Easter; Its Pagan Origins. Retrieved July 1, 2010, from Religious Tolerance: http://www. religioustolerance. org/easter1. htm Anonymous. (2004, December 27). The Historical Context of Christianity. Retrieved May 21, 2010, from ReligionFacts: http://www. religionfacts. com/christianity/history/context. htm Anonymous. (2006, August 27). Timeline of Christianity. Retrieved May 21, 2010, from ReligionFacts: http://www. religionfacts. com/christianity/timeline. htm Anonymous. (2005, April 16). Timeline of Neopaganism, Wicca, and Witchcraft. Retrieved May 21, 2010, from ReligionFacts: http://www. religionfacts. com/neopaganism/timeline. htm Anonymous. (2007, February 9). Wiccan and Neopagan Festivals. Retrieved May 23, 2010, from Religion Facts: http://www. religionfacts. com/neopaganism/festivals. htm History of Christianity. (2004). Religious Holidays Calendars. Retrieved June 23, 2010, from Credo reference: http://www. credoreference. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/entry/ogirholidays/history_of_christianity History of Paganism. (2004). Religious Holidays Calendars. Retrieved June 23, 2010, from Credo Reference: http://www. credoreference. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/entry/ogirholidays/the_history_of_paganism Kane, G. (n. d. ). Victors History. Retrieved June 1, 2010, from Pagan Origins of Christian Myth: http://www. pocm. info/getting_started_victors_history. html Knowles, G. 2003, October 3). Aleister Crowley (1875-1947). Retrieved July 4, 2010, from Controversial: http://www. controverscial. com/Aleister%20Crowley. htm Knowles, G. (2001, May 4). Alex Sanders (1926-1988). Retrieved July 4, 2010, from Controverscial: http://www. controverscial. com/Alex%20Sanders. htm Knowles, G. (2001, May 26). Gerald Brosseau Gardner (1884-1964). Retrieved July 4, 2010, from Controver sial: http://www. controverscial. com/Gerald%20Brosseau%20Gardner. htm Robinson, B. A. (2002, August 6). Christianity, Ancient Celtic Beliefs, and Witchcraft. Retrieved June 23, 2010, from Religious Tolerance: http://www. eligioustolerance. org/wic_chr. htm Wakefield, M. (2004, December 18). We are all pagans now: paganism is one of our fastest-growing religions. Mary Wakefield talks to a druid and finds out why witchcraft appeals to 21st-century Britain. Retrieved July 04, 2010, from General One File: http://find. galegroup. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/gps/retrieve. do? contentSet=IAC-DocumentsresultListType=RESULT_LISTqrySerId=Locale(en,,):FQE%3D(SU,None,10)%22paganism%22$sgHitCountType=NoneinPS=truesort=DateDescendsearchType=BasicSearchFormtabID