Merry Christmas, everyone! And Happy Hanukkah. I hope you had a restful Bodhi Day (Rohatsu), and that Shab-e Yaldaa finds you well. "Blessed Be" to all of you this happy Yule.
Do you see where I'm going with this yet? We hear a lot of talk about "the reason for the season" these days, as if there is only one. My Christian friends are all excited about the coming of the Lord, Emmanuel, "Christ Among Us." For them, Advent is a month of preparation, getting your act together before the big J.C. is born in a lowly manger. It's a sweet story, one I grew up with and always assumed to be the instigator of this whole "season."
But I have done a little research, and guess what. The "season" predates "Christ's Mass" by centuries. Holly, mistletoe, deer, decorated evergreen trees, feasts, giving presents...all of it is Pagan in origin.
This may not be news to you. I have always heard that Christians usurped the whole Saturnalia/Winter Solstice thing to propagandize this new religion that needed a foothold in Europe to ever get off the ground. It worked. No one was sure when Jesus was really born anyway (although sufficient scriptural and historical evidence points to sometime in autumn), so why not pick a ready-made holiday? In fact, do you know why Christmas is on December 25th exactly?
Because it was already a holiday celebrating the birthday of another virgin-born savior, Mithra. Dating back to at least 1500 BC, Mithraism was actually the official religion of The Roman Empire, before Constantine legalized Christianity and then Flavius Theodosius made it official in AD 380. With its roots in Hinduism, this religion reveres Mithra, known as "The Way, The Truth, The Light," who would save humanity from evil and sacrifice himself for world peace. And he was born on December 25th. Talk about a ready-made holiday.
Aurelian, the Roman emperor who made this the official religion, was a pretty savvy ruler in his brief reign, for when he wasn't out conquering barbarians in distant lands, he managed to combine the celebrations of a number of important birthdays into one holiday, Dies Natalis Solis Invicti or "Birthday of the Unconquered Sun." In addition to Mithra, everyone from the Greek hero Apollo to the Egyptian sun-god Osiris to the Old Testament's Baal got the glory on what is now "Christmas."
Long story short (if it's not too late for that), there have been many "reasons for the season." Despite my tongue-in-cheek tone, I don't point this out to discredit any of them. On the contrary, I believe in inclusion, not exclusion. Everyone needs to believe in something, be it Christianity, Judaism, New Thought, or simply the laws of science.
You may have heard that the organization American Atheists has paid for a huge billboard that shows the wise men on camels coming to see the holy family in a stable under a star in silhouette. The caption reads, "You KNOW it's a Myth. This season, celebrate REASON!" Now, I can understand their frustration, since atheists have long been a pretty silent minority. They quietly tolerate the religiosity that permeates American life, and we often forget that for some, "freedom of religion" means "freedom from religion." And they have a point. Do a little research on Mithra and it will make you wonder if the whole Christian religion isn't one big case of plagiarism. Born of the virgin Anahita, wrapped in swaddling clothes, laid in a manger, watched by shepherds, followed by twelve disciples, praised for his miracles, ascended into heaven...and he predates Christ by over a thousand years. Hmmm.
But I think this billboard goes too far. It's one thing for atheists to assert that they want a reprieve from Christianity, especially in the month of December. Who can blame them? It's another thing for them to insult or attempt to nullify people's faith entirely. That's disrespectful. They have every right to tout what they believe, so the second line is appropriate. We should celebrate reason. But to say "You KNOW it's a Myth" is tantamount to saying "Your religion is false."
This is why I like agnostics. (Bless them.) They humbly believe that we just don't know anything for sure. And they're right. The billboard-sanctioning atheists are simply the other end of the continuum from the bible-thumping fundamentalists. Each end of the spectrum is certain they know the Truth, when in actuality, neither have any proof at all that they are correct in their assertions.
The bible? We all know how easily documents can be changed, omitted, embellished, and falsified. And with a number of other, older sacred texts out there, calling one gospel and another heresy is simply a choice of faith, not evidence of proof.
As for the atheists who say they simply don't believe in anything until they see proof of its existence for themselves, ask them, do they believe in protons, electrons, and neutrons? Do they believe in black holes? The Big Bang? Love? We all believe in things we can't experience with the senses. If they make sense to us, if they ring true.
The story of an infant king, born in a lowly stable and laid in a manger, visited by wise men from the east, watched over by simple shepherds, a king who would grow up the son of a carpenter, who would perform miracles and teach the world about love, about forgiveness, about turning the other cheek, about not casting the first stone, about loving our neighbors, and our enemies...for many people, this story rings true.
Is it really important which "reason" has the most proof? The most evidence? The longest history? The first claim on December 25th? It would seem to me that the real "reason for the season" is that people throughout history and across cultures have had something in common: the desire to feast on the harvest, to celebrate heroes and miracles, and to give generously to one another.
So whether you're lighting a menorah, a Yule log, a Christmas tree, or nothing at all this month, I hope you will keep in mind that there are many reasons for the season, but perhaps one we can all agree on is Love. We are all searching for what rings true for us, so let's respect each other's choices. After all, our souls aren't "one size fits all." Here are some gift ideas: tolerance for traditions that aren't our own, respect for beliefs that differ from ours, and acceptance of the diversity December brings each year. It's a month of feasting heartily, celebrating festively, giving generously, and loving unconditionally.
Whatever inspires you to eat, celebrate, give, and love this month, I honor that. So Blessed Be, Happy Hanukkah, and Merry Christmas. Be good to one another. Remember, you never know who could be watching. Santa, Jesus, God, the Universe, or at the very least your fellow human beings.
Maybe even Mithra.
