Hi,

I'm very new to this, I wonder if someone could tell me whether Pagans celebrate things such as Christmas, Easter etc?

Although Christian festivals, I have only ever heard of Jehovahs and Jews not celebrating Christmas for one. I have never heard of Pagans not celebrating, but surely it goes against Pagan belief?

I don't know if I could give up my tree at Christmas

Thanks

Hi MistyCat
I am fairly new at this and last Christmas was my first as a witch/pagan. As I couldn't expect the rest of my family to suddenly not celebrate Christmas, it was business as usual for them but there was a small extra Yule celebration for me. I cooked a meal, decorated a huge chocolate log and got the family together. Then I decorated my altar, lit my own candles and thought about the exraordinary turn of events in my life. The house was decorated with extra greenery and small symbols that meant something only to me were scattered around. My hubby and grown up kids even bought me witchy pressies. It's possible to help the family to enjoy their Christmas ( we havent been religious about it for quite a few years) and celebrate Yule quietly and in your own way. Hope this helps a bit though I'm sure others can help you better than me.

In modern society, Christmas especially, and to a lesser extent Easter, have become fairly secularised festivals, focussing more on the commercial and family aspect than the religious one.

So I guess the question is - is it the secular or religious aspect you want to celebrate?

You should also bear in mind that there are many Pagan festivals which fall at these times (well, Yule, Saturnalia amongst others I guess - can't think of any for Easter apart from the vernal equinox and I'm not counting Ostara).

Many Pagans combine the two (secular and religious).

They treat Christmas as a time to be with family and generally just relax and have fun, but will do something appropriate for their religious beliefs as well. It makes sense to do so when your family don't share your beliefs and I don't see anything wrong in that.

So I put up my tree for Yule, and celebrate Saturnalia privately, Yule with Vert, and Christmas with my parents. Everyone's happy

There's no hard and fast rule as to what Pagans should do - every Pagan is different and beliefs differ, so it's impossible for there to be any general "pagans do this, pagans don't do that etc".

I also wondered about this, but after searching through old threads & posts, I read that people on here still do put a tree up, and also celebrate Yule, so that made me happy that I can still have my tree!!

The tree at midwinter is an authentic pre-Christian symbol

So decorate to your heart's content

I like to decorate mine, as I say, at Yule, and I weave spells in every decoration I put up. It's one of my favourite Yule traditions.

Another one of those 'ask 6 pagans get 12 answers', so I will give you my solution to this issue.

I do not celibrate Christmas, I do not go to a church and celibrate the birth of a son of God called Jesus, I do not sing Christmas carols about this child who came to save me and the various people that came to his birth to praise him. Nor do I celibrate any other Christian festival, any more than I would celibrate a Muslim or Jewish or Hindu etc. festival.

Christmas for me, is a secular time, conveniant because most of my family and friends are off work and in a position to recieve visitors and be social. So the Christmas holidays (and to a certian degree Easter too) is a time to visit my family and help them celibrate. And this does include the exchange of presants and the eating of classic seasonal treats and meals. Fortunetly none of my family are much into the over comecalization of Christmas, so it is not about 'things' more people... For my Mum who is strongly Christian, that means Jesus, for me it is my family.

I think that this is true for a great many people in this country. Certianally for all those of faiths that Christmas has no relivance to... it is just a conveniant holiday, a chance to see family and friends and know that they too will be off work.

I do not follow a 'classic' Pagan / Wiccan celibration of Yule, but I do mark the passage of the seasons. As part of this I do decorate my house with seasonal greenery, plants, colours etc... at 'Christmas' that usually includes a tree. But again it is nothing to do with the Christian festival, more my sence of wanting some green and sparkle in my life at the dark of winter.

Be bright, be bold
Fillionous

Still celebrate Christmas, because lets face it christmas is fun!!

I put up a tree, give pressies, eat so much food that I think I'm going to be sick. Good old fasioned traditional stuff. I just dont think about the religious side of it. Go with whatever makes you comfortable. I eat chocolate eggs at easter because I like chocolate. Simple no other reference needed. Easter = chocolate. Even before I was pagan thats what it meant for me. I guess I had it a bit easier not coming from a strongly christian family.

I also will go to church at christmas. I like singing carols. you dont have to mean the words just enjoy the community that it creates. I go because my mum likes to go. IF my mum wanted to go and celebrate at another festival id probably trundle along with her. Makes her happy which makes me happy. I dont join in with prayers, I usually just think quietly and make my own prayers. Im of the oppinion that nobody is going to mind not even the gods as generally we're all there in the same spirit. To celebrate the turn of the year to enjoy each others company and to wish love and happyness on the people arround us.

I dont take part in lent mainly because i find the whole thing a bit odd. I even go round collecting for christian aid! A lady at work asks me to help, its for charity, they do good work Im not going to worry about what faith is on the collection bag.

Thats my take on things but I know that everyone here will have a different idea about it. I think you just have to forge your own way through and find something that works for you, but I dont think there is a right or a wrong way.

temps

Hi Misty,

One of the great things about stepping out of the Christian world and following your own path is just that, its your own path, there is no right or wrong.

Celebrate Xmas, or dont, keep the tree or not.. its entirely up to you, you dont need others to give you a step by step guide to the year.

When it comes to "that time of year" this is what I do. I celebrate yule. In the sense that I have a few friends over, we toast the year and I do a few wee personal things just for me. I also celebrate Xmas.. note not Christmas.. Xmas for me is a day with my family, decent food, terrible films and getting together with the people I love and care for when we all put our anxt to the side and chill.

Do whatever feels right for you. Thats the best way.

When I first mentioned to my daughter about "officially coming out" as a Pagan, the first thing she asked was, "Oh, does that mean I wont get any presents at Christmas?", and I said that of course she would and we would carry on as normal because to us it has always just been a holiday not a religious festival. We would carry on decorating our tree, bringing in greenery from the garden and lighting our candles.

She then read the post about Easter=Chocolate and laughed and agreed totally that Easter is just about Chocolate and family. I must admit that I went out and bought some pretty eggs to hang on some branches for over Easter but only in order to celebrate the coming of Spring, nothing to do with Jesus and his rebirth.


We have never celebrated these times as religious holidays, just holidays in which to meet up with friends and family and get some good pressies

love
g
x

This pagan celebrates whatever the hell she likes, especially if it involves chocolate and time off work.

Seriously though, as many others have said the main Christian holidays have become increasingly secularised, and are often very important to family both in a religious sense and (usually more importantly) 'stuff yourself with turkey/chocolate and watch old films' .

So I celebrate whatever's kicking off at the time- Easter and Christmas with my family, Eid, Diwali and Chinese New year with the people at work, pagan festivals with my partner and like-minded friends.

Well lets face it any excuse to celebrate is a good one

Specially if it involves chocolate in any way.

I celebrate Yule as a spiritual holiday, with my partner. We take a day off and go out into nature. For Christmas, we exchange small gifts and have a day of nice food and relaxing! Exchanging gifts and cards with friends is always fun, and it's a secular thing anyway as none of my friends are strict Christians, so we just enjoy an exuse to be nice to each other! I make my own cards so they go out with "seasons greetings" written on them.

A well kept secret about us Pagany peoples:

We celebrate ALL year long!

Merry Mead!

Most of the traditions in christmas and easter are from pagan days anyway. I mean, what do eggs and rabbits have to do with the death of jeasus?!?

Hic Tas
Let's raise a glass to the fantastic feast of St Frederick of Fridays!

Yep! I'll drink to that!

St Frederick of Fridays!
Also the Patron Saint of Workers, his correspondences are as follows:

fav colour : bile,
Planet: Uranus
Plants: potatoes (chipped) and garlic (plenty)
herbs: yes please!
Mantra: ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz......
Holy Day: Friday, sometimes Saturday and Sunday, but interchangeable (dependant on ruling Demon)
Rites: Dedication of the Wages to the God Bank.
Sacrificial Offerings: Taxes, rent, mortgages, et al.
He is also the mentor of the Fellowship of Sacred Weekend Sleeps.

Suitable offerings are drams, drams of various varieties, fags, sweeties, chips, and drams.

St Frederick (Or Freddy as we call him in these parts) is also known to be beneficially predisposed to the odd G&T and bar of Green & Black's. He also likes Desperate HOusewives on video and the occasional bit of horizontal jogging on the sofa.

Ooo I'm just itching to see what this thread will turn into on the next full moon!

Why? Is it on a Friday?

You've all been fantastic in your replies and really helpful! I am starting to realise that this is going to be my own special path in which I can celebrate and follow in the way that I choose to. I like it all the better for this reason because I feel that other religions are very conformist and rather dictational.

I guess there is no right and wrong, which must make every Pagan so much more interesting to talk to and share things with, than those from other religions.

I'm getting married in July - in a Christian church, because its just what I wanted to do. I am so glad there are no hard rules!

Thanks again everyone, you have been great :-)

My family and I celebrate xmas 'cos its an excuse to buy pressies - then I do my own spiritual thing (usually a walk in the country or something) - I've come to the point actually where I've realised that my walk in the woods is like a visit to church - except that when I went to church (on the odd occasion that I did go) I didn't feel much spiritual connection (I imagine that xians do get some kind of spiritual connection from going to church - but I dunno).

and its alot more fun.

fizzy

I celebrate Christmas - I love turkey. Seems to be more of an overindulgence folk festival for pagans.

Easter is a major celebration for many Heathens as it is named after the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre. Eggs and bunnies galore!

Skegga

I don't celebrate Christmas and I've worked the last three. I give gifts to those that give them to me because a gift deserves a gift and I do use it for an excuse to drink - however I do that for the weekend too. I'm now living in a non-Christian country so that is a lot better in terms of having to hear colleagues bitching about not getting time off. At most, we'll get a day off in Korea - which doesn't bother me - it means another drinking session in Onyang but we do that for every Korean holiday anyway.

Sheesh, I haven't even finished the harvest yet. Ask me again in a couple of months, that's if there are any survivors!

Hiya.

Me and Mine just make Christmas an extention of Yule. Most people at Christmas have to shack about to family and friends houses doing the glad tidings bit so we do both. Yule is when we start our overindulging and celebrating everything run. I plant my Garlic in the veg plot as an offering for the year to come (I harvest it on the Summer Solstice, my Birthday!) We walk on the beach or in the forest. We decorate the house with greenery usually that we have collected on the walk and then we get right royally trollied. It's great. Christmas is just an extention of that really except we have to go to other peoples houses to do it and can't get quite as Pisshed.

In any case, as someone already said, they nicked our bloddy dates in the first place. Celebration of new life to come anybody? Sound familiar? Turning of the Wheel hmm, hmm?


Angelmouse

We don't celebrate Christmas, but we do celebrate Yule, starting with Mother's Night on (or as close as we can make it) to the Equinox, which is also when we celebrate the new year. Sometimes we celebrate wiht our hearth, but more often it's just us (geographical constraints). Exactly what we do depends on the weather, but myself and my daughter and son will hold our ritual when we remember and honour the mothers in our family. The we get down to the serious Yule feasting....hic!

Frey

I've been saying for years, long before I had any inkling about Paganism, that I didn't want to have "Christmas" any more.
Christmas, in the sense of the "Christ's Mass" is meaningless to anyone not a christian, and has anyway become so commercialised it's hardly worth anything.
That said, I see no reason not to have a damn good midwinter knees-up. That's effectively what the season is about.
I even quite like christmas carols and have been known to go to midnight mass just because of all the pretty lights and a chance to do a damn good sing.
So have the big dinner, drink the unfeasible amounts of alcohol, give the presents, on whatever day your family do it, just recognise in your own heart that you're celebrating the turning of the year, the slow return to sunlight, the growth of the new God/Year. Not a recent bolt-on possibly-Mithraist, certainly Latinised religion.

As an aside: can the big party, the killing of the last of the animals, the using of the last of the meal the breaching of the last barrel etc. at Yule be seen as an act of faith? I.e. "if we kill this old sheep now the sun will come back soon and the new lambs will be born for us to eat"
BM
xx

I only celebrate the winter solstice, I watch the rising of the sun and later light the fire. That's it for all my celebrations for that time of year. There are no fancy meals, nor do I celebrate christmas whatsoever. I used to have a tree but don't bother now. I like the total basics for me. I can't abide fuss and crap so don't bother with it. But then I am a miserable old cow so there you go

Aye. The nights are fair drawing in.

i have always celebrated yule, we stil give out gifts and decorate the house, have a tree for the kids, it basically the same as xmas, but most the things people do for xmas comes from the pagan calander anyway.
Most people dont do xmas for the true meaning, they do it because of the commerical value. And i am sure most religions do it, even if they have no link to it, to me it doesnt mean when it is supposed to mean anymore, its a chance to gather, eat and be merry, which is good i suppose, but i will still do it on the winter solstice as to me it has no meaning on any other day. Its a bit like celebrating may day three days later, or the summer solstice a week later, hardly the point really you have lost the day in question.
I also dont send xmas cards, i wouldnt expect them to send me yuletude cards. so i just dont bother, i send season greeting cards to close friends and pagan mates but no one else.
The one thing i do do, i make it kids friendly, i think its more for the kids than the adults sometimes.
Kids are not allowed to grow up in my house on yule.

xxx

we will be celebrating xmas,but to us it means a chance to see family and spend some time together,i actually have xmas off this year as well,we also have the tree ,pressies, too much to eat and end up getting trollied round the fire

We'll be doing Yule, probably just for ourselves and then we'll do Christmas when we see the family.

Yule is for Lion and I, for kith and Pagan-kin, for me, the calm beginning before the storm of the manic production that is Christmas with the extended family and my girls, and also in the close family-days afterwards! It's my favourite celebration with my local Pagan group, every year it re-inforces the bonds of friendship between us, both the ritual in the crisp winter air and the cosy celebration afterwards. I love Yule!

I celebrate Yule, with tree and lights, etc. every day for 12 days, which conveniently makes 12th night? New Year!

Shtartsh shoonish.
I know thish, cosh the nightsh are fair drawing in. Ish.

Shay - whoshe that old dude inna beard gettup? Fillsh shtockinsh? Dodgy fecker.
Letsh hear ferra GNOMESH!

Hello there, I don't mean to make anyone feel bad by asking this but is it only me who feels there's something wrong in cutting down all those trees at that time of year? I've never had a tree in my house - I decorate the trees in my garden and let them live - or maybe you buy the rooted kind and plant them later? I'd be interested to know other peoples' thoughts on that.

I know where you're coming from, but my own view is that the trees are a crop - that they need to be cut down and others planted in their place. That's not to say I feel like that about all trees (I know, it's very hypocritical of me ) such as apple trees, oaks, chestnuts etc.

I think it's because the xmas/yule trees are planted in plantations, fields, with the express purpose of them being grown and chopped down. And, don't forget, we use wood products all the time: furniture, paper etc, so wood IS an essential and sustainable crop

I see what you're saying and I guess when you look at it that way it does make sense. I guess it's personal preference. Maybe it's just the thought of steping on all those falling pine needles that gets to me

Spiritobliss, I go out and find us a nice, suitably gnarly, STICK.

We have had the tradition of the Xmas (for benefit of the neebours, honest!) "stick" for some years now.

It is decorated with things various: stars and snowflakes and pine cones and nuts and apple/orange slices that I've dried out, plus cinnamon stix etc.

I also bring my Stang into the front room at Yule. It is clad in suitable greenery, and bears a candle.

Like you, the notion of annihilating growing trees for Yule/Xmas seems a bit counter-productive to what we are mooting!

Christmas trees are a crop, and they are replanted. The young trees absorb a lot of carbon dioxide as they are growing. I have no problem using a renewable and sustainable resource such as real Christmas trees.

The plastic ones are a different thing all together. Icky, horrible, petrochemical monstrosities. Euugghh!

There are cardboard ones as well now,and to me theres nothing like the smell of fresh pine trees except for my rather whiffy pink socks that is Love Lucy xxxx

Ok now I feel greedy... I have two Christmas / Yule / mid winter festival of choice trees...

One I have had since my university days and is a bonsi pine about 18 inches tall including pot.

The other is a full sized tree (about 4 / 5 foot) fully rooted and potted up... this will be its second year (lives in its pot in the garden the rest of the time) and replaced a tree that we kept similarly for five years and through a house move before it out grew our house and then I failed to keep it going in the drought of last years summer.
It got shredded and put on the flower beds as mulch... so it did not go to waste in any way.

Be bright, be bold
Fillionous

AAHH Dont feel greedy you were very blessed to have two trees,I love trees so much and you recycled to as a mulch.I think thats totally brill,I dont have a tree at yule cos oneI live between homes and two sheep pink and otherwise tend to munch the bark if a tree is spotted still thats recycling too just goes into me tum then still ends upas mulch for the garden lolLove Lucy xxxx

It makes me a little sad that anyone need look for rules. That's what I so dislike about most orthodox religions, so many do this's and do that's. Whether anyone should or shouldn't have a tree should come from the rules of your own desire, your own will, your own spirit. If you want one have one, have two, have seven!!! It conicides with Yule, that's a convenience, but not necessary. But its a great reason to celebrate the powers of nature, the power that most of us see as our bible, bring in the trees!!! An it harm none, do as ye will!

So you crap in your garden eh? TOTAL recycling!

The holiday of christmas was stolen from the ancient pagans so celebrate the old yule holiday which was the original!! Give pressies decorate ur tree and have a good time and smile at all the preaching christians who tell u that xmas doesnt stand for what it used to. I read in a book that easter was a pagan holiday to begin with and it was named after the celtic godess of spring and rebirth Eoster. Legend has it that she came across a bird that had been frozen in the winter frost so , feeling sorry for the little thing, she brought it back to life and turned it into a rabbit. The creature was so thankful that it stil laid eggs every sping out of thanx to Eoster.

Doubt It!The association of a Goddess with the festival is tentative and probably a 19thC invention based on Bedes own assumptions that the Goddess you mention actually existed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter#Etymology

Nice reflection though.