While Christmas might be a time associated with Christianity and giving, its origins suggest quite the opposite.

On December 25th every year, Christians worldwide celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ with gift-giving, merry-making, tree-decorating, egg nog, Yule logs, and Santa Claus.

I was familiar with all of these traditions growing up but had no idea what affiliation they had with celebrating the birth of Jesus. Naturally, I did some research.

It turns out that Christmas traditions consist almost entirely of pagan festivals dressed up to be Christian.

Following in suit from pagan religions around the world at the time, the Christians in Rome decided to hold a birthday party for their own god, Jesus. But since the Bible never specified a time period, they got to pick their own date.

So why December 25th?

Saturnalia, a pagan holiday in Rome, celebrated the god Saturn. They did this by giving the children a school holiday in addtion to giving gifts to each other. Sound familiar?

Yule was a Germanic pagan festival held during the winter solstice. It was later absorbed into Christmas. You may have never heard of it (or if you have, you didn’t know it was pagan), but we get Christmas trees and the Yule log from Yule and other pagan Germanic festivals.

Initially, some were upset with the use of pagan traditions in celebrating Christianity. These people include ancient curmudgeon theologians…

…and God. “Thus sayeth the Lord, ‘Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathens 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…. They are altogether brutish and foolish” (Jeremiah 10:2-8).

Other people, such as Bill O’Reilly, invent things to be angry about. He vehemently defends his right to wish people a “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays” each year.

Of course, he’s right. Putting up a tree in the White House and calling it a holiday tree instead of a Christmas tree is blasphemous, since putting up a decorated tree is clearly Christian in origin. And stores whose signs read “Season’s Greetings” instead of something more Christian is simply uncalled for. There are, of course, no other holidays being celebrated around the winter solstice.

Perhaps Mr. O’Reilly and his cohorts should take a hint from the pagans and just enjoy the season. Yule emphasizes merry feasting and binging, while intoxication is practically required to celebrate Saturnalia.

I could care less who came up with the idea of decorating a tree or setting up nativity scenes; to me, Christmas means spending time with family and spreading around a little generosity.

Happy Holidays, Stags!