An examination of the sacred botany and the pagan origins and rituals of Christmas • Analyzes the symbolism of the many plants associated with Christmas • Reveals the shamanic rituals that are at the heart of the Christmas celebration The day on which many commemorate the birth of Christ has its origins in pagan rituals that center on tree worship, agriculture, magic, and social exchange. But Christmas is no ordinary folk observance. It is an evolving feast that over the centuries has absorbed elements from cultures all over the world--practices that give plants and plant spirits pride of place. In fact, the symbolic use of plants at Christmas effectively transforms the modern-day living room into a place of shamanic ritual. Christian Rätsch and Claudia Müller-Ebeling show how the ancient meaning of the botanical elements of Christmas provides a unique view of the religion that existed in Europe before the introduction of Christianity. The fir tree was originally revered as the sacred World Tree in northern Europe. When the church was unable to drive the tree cult out of people’s consciousness, it incorporated the fir tree by dedicating it to the Christ child. Father Christmas in his red-and-white suit, who flies through the sky in a sleigh drawn by reindeer, has his mythological roots in the shamanic reindeer-herding tribes of arctic Europe and Siberia. These northern shamans used the hallucinogenic fly agaric mushroom, which is red and white, to make their soul flights to the other world. Apples, which figure heavily in Christmas baking, are symbols of the sun god Apollo, so they find a natural place at winter solstice celebrations of the return of the sun. In fact, the authors contend that the emphasis of Christmas on green plants and the promise of the return of life in the dead of winter is just an adaptation of the pagan winter solstice celebration.

This authoritative work sheds light on the religious world of the Kalasha people of the Birir valley in the Chitral district of Pakistan, focusing on their winter feasts, which culminate every year in a great winter solstice festival. The Kalasha are not only the last example of a pre-Islamic culture in the Hindu Kush and Karakorum mountains but also practice the last observable example anywhere in the world of an archaic Indo-European religion. In this book, Augusto S. Cacopardo takes readers inside the world of the Kalasha people. Cacopardo outlines the history and culture of this ancient but still extant people. Exploring an array of relevant literature, he enriches our understanding of their practices and beliefs through illuminating comparisons with both the Indian religious world and the religious folklore of Europe. Bringing together several disciplinary approaches and drawing on extensive ethnographic fieldwork, this book offers the first extended study of this little-known but fascinating Kalasha community. It will take its place as a standard international reference source on the anthropology, ethnography, and history of religions in Pakistan and Central South Asia.

Christmas in Ritual and Tradition, Christian and Pagan is a study of the history and folklore surrounding Christmas holidays in several countries. It is an amazing collection of Christmas-related traditions from the first introductions of Christianity to the early 20th century. The book covers the history of Christmas as a Christian feast day and how that developed. It also discusses pre-Christian festivals and observances and how a lot of them survived by being given a Christian veneer although the overt paganism disappeared. Clement A. Miles (1881-1918), an author and translator, was a member of the Folk-Lore Society. He had been for many years on T. Fisher Unwin's literary staff and he was the author of an important work: Christmas in Ritual and Tradition. Miles possessed a wide knowledge of European languages, and translated numerous works from French and Italian.

Reflect on the Christmas Season with a Celebration of Virtue 1900 “To be honest, to be kind--to earn a little and spend a little less, to make upon the whole a family happier for his presence....here is a task..” - Robert Louis Stevenson, A Christmas Sermon A Christmas Sermon is not necessarily a book about Christmas. In fact, it is a book that tries to educate the reader preaching the Christian values of morality, humility and kindness. It is also a book about how to approach the end of a year and the eve of a new one full of hope and optimism. ,This book has been professionally formatted for e-readers and contains a bonus book club leadership guide and discussion questions. We hope you’ll share this book with your friends, neighbors and colleagues and can’t wait to hear what you have to say about it.

Christmas: The way it used to be is an easy-to-read, yet in-depth research book that looks into this religious festival's murky past. It spans hundreds of years and many countries to show the real history. Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar in 46BC placing December 25 as the day with the shortest daylight hours. In AD 350, this day was appointed as the Feast of the Nativity. In later years, it was called Mass of Christ. Today people use the contraction, Christmas! In Scandinavian culture, December 25 through January 6 became known as Yuletide. This period lasted 12 days. Many people celebrate December 25: Some for worship, some for business, and others for more devious actions. This book explores the ancient history of sun worship: Prior to Jesus' earthly birth- all the way back to Babylon. It gives insight to God's views on Israel's participation and answers the question, "How does God want to be worshipped." It compares many aspects of Christmas with the Holy Scriptures.

Every year is the same. I receive a huge volume of leaflets 'proving' ALL of 'Christmas' is pagan and those who take part 'must be' pagans or backslidden. I KNOW all the arguments but my research mind does not accept them! This is because much that is called 'fact' is (in real fact) reproducing assumptions and guesses put out by one or two 'authorities' whose methodology is dubious to say the least. Yes, a small PART of Christmas can be called sin IF those who celebrate it do so in Roman Catholic fashion. Everything else surrounding this 'festival' is open to serious discussion. Same goes for Easter and many other so-called 'Christian festivals'. None of them is commanded by God's word... but is it 'unscriptural' or just 'not found in scripture'? My main concern is not about dubious dates, festivals and celebrations... it is about the way some believers became accusers of their brethren once a year, after reading either false information, or badly skewed information written by supposed 'experts'.