THE SPEW ZONE

SANTA WAS GREEK; CHRISTMAS ISN'T PAGAN

🌟 Etymology:

I am adding this part as some have made comments about the meaning of the word, which is not the point of this article. However, to address it, one commentator stated: Christmas isn’t even Christmas. It’s Christ Mass, and I’m not Catholic.

This is the problem today with so many things and what I combat because though the intention may have been honorable, the comment is incorrect. Christ- is obviously still part of the word. But lets get a bit more precise.

The English term Christmas (“Christ’s mass” or “mass on Christ’s day”) is of fairly recent origin. The term originated from the Middle English Christemasse, which came from the Old English Cristes mæsse.

Old English Crīst, comes from Latin Christus, from Greek Khristos, noun use of an adjective meaning ‘anointed’, from khriein ‘anoint’, which is why we pronounce it as Kri-st-mas now.

🌟 Holiday:

Christmas, the beloved holiday celebrated around the world on December 25th, is often shrouded in myths and misconceptions. One of the most persistent claims is that it's merely a repackaged pagan festival, co-opted by early Christians to replace ancient Roman or Germanic rituals like Saturnalia or Yule. In fact, every year some no nothing whoever has to recycle this fiction. While exchanges did occur, the "inherently pagan" origin bit is bullshit.

A closer look at the historical record tells a different story. Far from being a "pagan" invention, Christmas is rooted firmly in Christian tradition. In this article, we’ll explore the true beginnings of Christmas, debunk the “pagan myth,” and examine how modern cultural additions — from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to Santa Claus, Krampus, and Black Peter — fit into the broader picture. These later inventions add color and folklore but do not undermine the Christian core of the holiday.

These are not ancient pagan holdovers but later inventions that add color to the holiday without undermining its Christian core. Additionally, pagan isn't even a correct term regardless who in academia have come to use it as "anything not Christian" making it another layer of false meaning.

✝️ The Christian Origins of Christmas: No Pagan Roots Required

• Early Commemoration: Christians were celebrating the nativity of Jesus as early as the second century. The date of December 25th was first proposed by Sextus Julius Africanus in 221 AD — decades before the Roman festival of Sol Invictus was established in 274 AD. This chronology undermines the claim that Christians borrowed the date from pagans. If anything, the influence may have flowed in the opposite direction.

• Why December 25th? Early church fathers calculated the date based on theological reasoning. The Annunciation (March 25th) was believed to mark Jesus’ conception. Adding nine months of gestation leads directly to December 25th. This was not about aligning with the winter solstice but about symbolic perfection: Jesus’ conception and crucifixion were thought to fall on the same calendar date, emphasizing divine symmetry.

• Saturnalia vs. Christmas: Saturnalia (December 17–23) involved feasting, gift-giving, and role reversals, but it bore no direct connection to Christmas customs. Similarly, Germanic Yule traditions were distinct and only later influenced medieval Christian practices.

• Evergreens and Feasting: While critics point to “pagan” elements like trees or feasts, historians note that these customs evolved within Christian Europe. Medieval Christians adopted evergreens as symbols of eternal life, not as pagan relics.

By the fourth century, under Emperor Constantine, Christmas was formalized as a Christian holy day. It spread across the Roman Empire not by copying pagan rituals but by offering a spiritual alternative centered on Christ’s birth. Christians were commemorating Jesus' nativity as early as the second century, with the date of December 25th first proposed by Sextus Julius Africanus in 221 AD—well before the Roman festival of Sol Invictus was established on that day in 274 AD.

This timing debunks the idea that Christians borrowed the date from pagans; if anything, the influence may have gone the other way.

Why December 25th specifically? Early church fathers calculated it based on theological reasoning tied to the Annunciation (the announcement of Jesus' conception to Mary), which was believed to fall on March 25th.

Adding nine months for gestation lands precisely on December 25th. This wasn't about syncing with pagan winter solstice festivals but about symbolic perfection—Jesus' conception and death were thought to align on the same calendar date, emphasizing divine symmetry.

As historian Tim O'Neill notes, many so-called "pagan" elements of Christmas, like evergreens or feasting, actually stem from Christian practices that evolved independently or were later adopted without pagan intent.

Critics often point to Saturnalia (December 17-23) or the Germanic Yule as "proof" of pagan origins, but these festivals were distinct. Saturnalia involved gift-giving and role reversals, but there's no direct link to Christmas customs. Yule logs and trees? Those emerged in medieval Christian Europe, not from ancient pagan rites.

In fact, the Bible itself condemns certain tree-decorating practices (Jeremiah 10:2-4), yet Christians developed their own traditions separately. The notion of a "pagan Christmas" is a modern myth, popularized in the 19th century by Protestant reformers and later by atheists, but it doesn't hold up to scrutiny.

Christmas spread through the Roman Empire as Christianity grew, replacing pagan festivals not by copying them, but by offering a superior spiritual alternative. By the fourth century, under Emperor Constantine, it was formalized as a Christian holy day.

Far from being "pagan," Christmas represents the triumph of Christian faith over earlier beliefs.

🎅 Santa Claus from Saint Nicholas

The transformation of Saint Nicholas into the modern Santa Claus is a fascinating journey through centuries of cultural adaptation.

• Saint Nicholas of Myra (c. 280–343 CE): Born in Patara, Asia Minor, Nicholas became Bishop of Myra and was celebrated for his generosity and compassion. Stories of him secretly providing dowries for impoverished girls, rescuing sailors from storms, and protecting children cemented his reputation as a patron of the vulnerable.

• Spread of Veneration: After his death, Nicholas’s cult spread rapidly across Europe. By the Middle Ages, he was one of the most popular saints, especially in Greece, Italy, and northern Europe. His feast day, December 6th, became associated with gift-giving traditions.

• Dutch Sinterklaas: In the Netherlands, Nicholas evolved into Sinterklaas, a bishop-like figure who arrived by boat from Spain to deliver gifts. Dutch settlers carried this tradition to America, where “Sinterklaas” gradually morphed into “Santa Claus.”

• American Reinvention: In the 19th century, writers and illustrators reshaped Santa into a jolly, rotund figure. Washington Irving’s Knickerbocker’s History of New York (1809) and Clement Clarke Moore’s poem A Visit from St. Nicholas (1823, better known as ’Twas the Night Before Christmas) gave Santa his sleigh, reindeer, and chimney visits.

• Commercial Icon: By the 20th century, artists like Thomas Nast and advertisers such as Coca-Cola popularized the red suit, white beard, and cheerful demeanor we know today. Santa became both a religiously inspired figure and a cultural symbol of generosity, joy, and family celebration.

Santa Claus, therefore, is not a pagan invention but a Christian saint transformed through folklore, literature, and art into a universal holiday icon.

👹 Krampus: The Dark Companion

While Santa embodies generosity, European folklore introduced darker figures to balance the holiday’s moral lessons.

• Origins: Krampus emerged in Alpine regions during the Middle Ages. Depicted as a horned, devilish creature, he accompanied Saint Nicholas during December festivities.

• Role: Unlike Nicholas, who rewarded good children, Krampus punished the naughty — swatting them with birch rods or threatening to carry them away in a sack.

• Christian Context: Though some speculate pagan roots, Krampus was firmly integrated into Christian traditions. He symbolized the devil subdued by Saint Nicholas, reinforcing the triumph of good over evil.

• Modern Revival: Today, Krampus parades (Krampuslauf) in Austria and Germany keep the tradition alive, blending fear and festivity in a uniquely European way.

🧑🏿 Black Peter (Zwarte Piet)

Another figure often misunderstood is Black Peter, or Zwarte Piet, from Dutch tradition. (This can be taken to have racist tones but he is not the same character as Krampus).

• First Appearance: He entered folklore in 1850 through Jan Schenkman’s children’s book Saint Nicholas and His Servant.

• Role: Black Peter served as Sinterklaas’s helper, assisting with gift delivery and sometimes punishing misbehaving children.

• Interpretation: While modern debates focus on racial imagery, historically “black” often symbolized soot from chimneys or shadowy figures rather than ethnicity. Earlier European traditions also featured similar companions to Nicholas.

• Folkloric Function: Like Krampus, Black Peter emphasized moral lessons — rewarding good behavior and discouraging bad — within a Christian cultural framework.

🦌 Modern Additions: Rudolph and Holiday Icons

• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: Created in 1939 by Robert L. May for Montgomery Ward, Rudolph was a marketing invention turned cultural phenomenon. Inspired by themes of resilience and acceptance, Rudolph became a symbol of modern American Christmas through songs and television specials. He is a 20th-century creation, not a pagan holdover.

🎁 The Evolution of Traditions

• Gift-Giving: Rooted in the generosity of Saint Nicholas, gift-giving became central to Christmas. By the Victorian era, it was firmly established as a family tradition, reinforced by literature like Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (1843), which emphasized charity and goodwill.

• Christmas Trees: While evergreens were used symbolically in medieval Europe, the modern Christmas tree tradition began in 16th-century Germany. It spread to England through Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in the 19th century, and from there to America.

• Carols and Music: Hymns like Silent Night (1818) and O Come, All Ye Faithful became staples of worship and community gatherings, reinforcing the spiritual message of the holiday.

🌀 Neopagan “reclamation” claims and historical context

Some modern Neopagans say they’re “reclaiming” Christmas’s pagan roots. That framing misrepresents both history and culture, claiming pagan is both an umbrella term and a collective religion when in reality its a modern fiction driven historical revisionist fantasy at best and a complete lie for the most part.

• Not a self‑designation: Ancient Roman and Germanic communities did not call themselves “pagans.” The label is a later, externally applied category; using it retroactively collapses very different traditions under a modern umbrella.

• Distinct festivals, distinct meanings: Saturnalia, Yule, and solstice customs served specific civic and seasonal roles in their own societies. Christmas arose as a Christian holy day with theological reasoning about the Incarnation; it wasn’t built by repackaging those rites.

• Cultural Discontinuity: Modern Neo-pagan practices are reconstructed from errors in information, pure invention, literary fragments, false claims about archeological objects, romantic revivals, and folklore studies, separated by centuries from the original social, legal, and liturgical contexts, as well as pure fantasy. That’s creative "reinterpretation," not uninterrupted inheritance.

• Selective projection: Evergreens, feasting, and gift‑giving are often claimed as “pagan survivals,” yet many crystallized within medieval Christian Europe or were later shaped by printing, mass media, and commerce.

• Bottom line: Calling Christmas a “pagan festival reclaimed” imposes a modern narrative onto heterogeneous ancient customs and overlooks the holiday’s explicitly Christian origins and continuity.

🌟 Conclusion: Faith at the Core

From Rudolph’s 20th-century invention to Santa’s evolution from a Greek bishop, and from Krampus’s Alpine discipline to Black Peter’s Dutch folklore, these figures enrich the tapestry of Christmas. Yet none of them undermine its foundation: the celebration of Christ’s birth.

Christmas is not a pagan holiday but a Christian feast, later adorned with cultural creativity. The holiday’s enduring power lies in its ability to blend faith, folklore, and festivity into a season of joy, generosity, and hope. Also, "pagan" comes from Latin pagus (“bound one”); not “country dweller”; related to pagus/pagos/page for "bound one = slave and through French became peasant. Other etymology is in fact bullshit.

🌟 Conversion Arguments:

The general statement is that the Roman Catholic Church hijacked observances like Yule. The earlier term Yule, derived from the Germanic jōl or the Anglo-Saxon geōl, which referred to the feast of the winter solstice. Well, like it or not, this is also of Greek origin.

🌟 More Etymology:

Meaning yell, in the sense of cheer, laugh, cry out with a sharp, loud noise," occurs in Middle English yellen, from Old English giellan (West Saxon), derived from Anglo-Saxon geōl, Mercian gellan), class III strong verb (past tense geal, past participle gollen), from Greek (not proto-Germanic) *gel-, as was loaned into such as Old French jalos/gelos, and eventually split in the 1200 CE. gelus, later jelus, where the word jealous comes into existence, akin to the word zeal and so forth, and get loaned back into the same languages in expanded vocabularies.

For further simple proof of Greek origins, in Greek mythology, Gelos (/ˈɡɛloʊs, -ɒs/; Ancient Greek: Γέλως) was the divine personification of laughter/humor/joy, and is part of the formative word angelos (an + gelos) where we get the word angel where the prefix an- means no or without + gelos and really means "without humor or laughter" to evoke the sense of seriousness and stern severity (hence the reputation that their unexpected appearances and presences evoke fear). It does not mean messenger as that's a false definition by association. Risus was the Latin rendition of the name Gelos.

🌀 The Untold Connections (Wolves and Elves):

There are several connections to the original European holiday being associated with a two to 3 month observance known as Álfablót in Sweden spanning the period of mid October to late December. Alf means Elf and one can look into the feminine form of the word, however, if one does their homework they will find the words for Elf include Ulf and Olf which lends to Vulv, Wulf and Wolf. The connection here with wolves should also be noted as a direct tie to Hunt as a word meaning wolf as preserved in Estonian.

Everything with the association of elves and wolves is often lost in modern fantasy based tales, however, when one does the research properly and set personal biases aside they find the tie in between the wolf, hunter and elf is echoed in the concepts of Werwolves, and that werewolves are in fact an echo of what is sometimes referred to as wolf warriors that seem to have their links to Etruscans. Examples of such echoes are provided in this example below.

1 and 1.A) One of the Vendel era Torslunda plates (bronze cast dies) found on Öland, Sweden, 6th and 7th centuries CE. 2) Wolf Warrior. Scabbard from Gutenstein, Bad.-Württ. Late 7th Century CE. and 3) Etruscan Wolf Helm, 6th-5th century BCE. often mislabeled as Boar Helmet.

The first known mention of Álfablót comes from the early 11th-century skaldic poem Austrfararvísur, written by the Christian poet Sigvatr Þórðarson, (words and names a wont even try and pronounce and leave it to native speakers) describing his experience being denied hospitality at farms in Sweden during this sacred, private family ritual to honor ancestors. However, because it tended to be a private matter, chances are the writer was ignorant of or misrepresenting something else, perhaps the original concept of the Wild Hunt.

The first written mention of the Wild Hunt appears in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (Peterborough Chronicle) in 1127 AD, describing ghostly hunters, and black ghostly hounds (hound is another word for hunter and term for wolf). We can see all the hallmarks of these things, Alfblot and the Wild Hunt become associated with the Winter Season though the Wild Hunt was said to have, in this source, occurred around February, which also included a blowing of trumpets. It oddly reads very closely to funeral rites as referenced in tales preserved in the Epic of Beowulf.

Beowulf's funeral rite was a grand Anglo-Saxon ceremony of cremation and burial, involving a massive funeral pyre built on a sea cliff, adorned with his armor and treasure, where his body was burned, surrounded with treasures and various offerings (also called a dragon's hoard...let that sink in) as warriors sang and lamented, and also often involved trumpets blown, etc. Afterward, his ashes and vast treasure were placed in a huge burial mound (barrow) to serve as a landmark for sailors, honoring his heroic legacy, generosity, and ensuring his fame endured.

Of course it takes on a fantasy tone since his death was said to be caused by a dragon, not given a specific name but is referred to by descriptive epithets like "wyrm," "draca" (dragon), "gúðsceaða" (war-scather), and "ðéodsceaða" (enemy of the people). It was after one of his servants steals a jeweled cup from a dragon's hoard, which enrages the dragon and causes it to attack Beowulf's kingdom, leading to Beowulf's final, fatal battle. What's hidden in this lore is this "dragan" is likely a reference to a Drog (also called Draugr (Old Norse): An undead revenant, similar to a zombie but more self aware, a reanimated corpse, or ghost (or something of all these rolled into one), Gitrog (Old High German): A direct cognate for "ghost" (ghost itself being rooted in gast = gust as in sudden, moving disturbance of cold air, and also rooted in guest).

In this sense its likely a reference to a vengeful ghost of a dead king whose name has been forgotten whose burial mound was robbed. There are many reference to such becoming "dragons" and dragon like creatures with snake like bodies and Wolf like Heads being symbols of rulers well into the ancient and forgotten past.

🌀 Why this matters (synchronized, not stolen):

This little fact directly refutes much of the "stolen culture" nonsense from both sides of the debate. The reality is, yes, Catholic customs do and did get synchronized with native customs in Europe, as well as elsewhere. However, the reality is the Roman Catholic Church authorities, especially in Europe sought to have native practices discontinued and forbade them.

Instead, the common native population refused to abide by this and themselves converted their Old Customs and blended them to the New Customs of the Roman Catholic Church while also absorbing the New Customs into their Old Ones.

An artifact mold for both the so called Thor's Hammer (Mjölnir) and Christian crosses, notably a 10th-century soapstone mold from Trendgården, Denmark, proves the syncretism of Scandinavian and Germanic customs and emerging Christian beliefs and practices as an exchange among the common people. The syncretism (not theft) won. The same is true for these observances/holidays ans the languages themselves.

Furthermore, there has long been a known association of the symbolism of the fictional version known as Santa/St. Nick with the Norse Germanic All Father, also called the Yule Father among other things. The old spelling of All Father was Álfǫðr ("father of all"). All Father was one of the many titles of Godan (also called Wodan and Odinn but not thought of in the context of the later 13th century versions of Snorri Strulusion's works later known as the Eddas).

Alfǫðr is likewise linked to Alf- and -ǫðr alone also means wealth/abundance/plenty, depending on the context, and another name also happens to be Gift Bringer, Gift Bearer and Gifter, and likewise he is aided by elves in the form of Santa just as the Alfǫðr is also called the leader of the Wild Hunt, also known as the Horned Huntman, and his devoted warriors were also called Úlfhéðnar (meaning both "wolf-hides" or "wolf-heads").  

Godan was the name for the Germanic Allfather, shared with the Lombards and the Saxons amoung others from which the noun God from the word god where we get the word good from and is thus derived, preserved also in the shifts seen in earlier texts such as but not only the Heliand. In turn he was sometimes represented in simple terms as Thor in the Winter, Fre/Fri in the Spring, and Grim in the Summer having seasonal associations. The simple tie in here was since there is a feast day of Saint Nicholas (December 6th) and the as one of the more popular saints said to be representaivies of 'God,' that is where the blending realy starts taking hold.

As far a the 8 Legged Horse associations, it has a few simple and direct connections. The first is the 8 legs which represent the 8 directions of the world. It also represents the bier/bæri where we get the word association with bury as a type of ornate stretcher with horse heads carved into it often carried by four men and upon which the honored dead is placed, to a pyre/fire. After cremation, the ashes were collected in a special urn which would often be placed inside a burial mound used by families as a place to honor their dead serving essentially as tomb and temple. This evolves later into the sleigh and 8 reindeer (caribou).

🎅Caribou and Sami connections;

With the inclusion of the symbolism of the caribou or reindeer is when we also see elves and Santa given costumes similar in form, or directly influenced by those associated with the traditional outfits and observances of the Sami whose regions of their nomadic customs spanned northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia's Kola Peninsula to name a few right down to the footwear of so called elves as curved toed shoes and boots, which are known as Nutukas and finnesko. This was later used as an image of mockery.

This gives the additional connection of elves with burial mounds and with treasures, and gift bearing/giving, and leaving out offerings for the wandering dead (during the Wild Hunt) to avoid being numbered among them, which also would explain why Sigvatr Þórðarson was denied customs of hospitality because of the belief the dead were or might be knocking at the door wanting to be let in. There is much lore about the dangers of foolishly opening the door to such a presence which gets carried into later vampire folklore which also has its tie in with wolves in earlier accounts, rather than bats in later horror fiction.

🌀Another Etruscan Connection:

We find many of these connections also recorded by Roman sources pertaining to the customs and concepts of the Etruscans including their name for their deified dead and burial mounds/catacombs, offering traditions and even the name for such as Aesir as so called "mortal gods" is actually a term for ancestors.

Yes. eisir and aesir are also the same as aiser, because the Etruscan sources also spelled such as Aisar, and occur as plurals of the singular ais, aes, etc. and shared source of aise where we get the word ‘ease." its silly to say on one hand that such as "runes" and other influences from Etruscan such as "so called runes" and various artifacts were shared, but not the words? its nonsensical.

The reason is also much easier to deduce than is often noted. The authors of all that information were Greek and Latin educated and trained. That is why you also find the clear connections with the Aos Si and Aos Se .

1. When they were associated with the light and the Sun, they were called Aiser Si, and when associated with the dark and the Moon, they were called Aiser Seu. This became the basis of later blurring of the words as Aos Si and Aos Se, the very same claimed to be associated with Scottish and Irish fairy lore because again the authors of all that were Romans and later Roman Catholics.

2. Another set of things note noted by anyone here in this old post is clearly that when one o these entities was associated with an ancestor, the term was the singular ‘man’ and the plural was ‘mani.’ The term for a burial mound and tomb was mun, and the plural was muni.

3. An object was called a luth (as lutus ‘clay’), referring to a representation of the dead, or a clay covered remains of the dead. A piece of clothe hung from a stick to indicate their presence when it moved was called a fanu, as in fane, where we get the word vane, and is also called variously a flag or banner.

4. A tomb for the dead, usually being for more than one, was called a favi, later favus, which meant a catacomb, but also a word applied to a honeycomb because of such having a huge number of cells, some holding bodies that would number well over a 150,000, and served as temples to interact with the dead, as the actual underworld. At such a location, one would be expected to make an offering of tears called a fler (as flere ‘weep/mourn’).

🌀 A final word:

So now you know more details of how such things are connected, why things are not "stolen" from anyone, and why information such as this is suppressed by those on both sides of their silly and petty arguments and demands for isolationist/separatist idiocy, failing to realize that everything they read now was derived from things written and created originally by Roman Catholic, Latin trained authors (and not just monks).

The rest is reinvented nonsense and speculative assumptions pawned off as facts primarily after the start of the 1800s and the various mutations of such claims well into present, including the inclusion of Sanskrit falsely being claimed to be a European Language rather than a native one to India and its regions that instead gave loan words to Latin and others rather than the other way around.

In conclusion it is a fact that all out holidays are a mix of several ancient and modern things developed from different roots and none of them "fundamentally right or wrong, good or bad" other than in the minds of the paranoid fools and extremist fools. That said, celebrate or don't whatever you will or wont. It is a personal choice and not your right or mine to condemn or impose anything upon anyone or anything else. In short, get over it and get over yourself and just enjoy your damn life while you have it instead of being garbage your whole life riddled with excuses as to why.