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GemsOfINDOLOGY Profile picture
@GemsOfINDOLOGY
Dec 25, 2022 • 14 tweets • 13 min read • Read on X
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#Thread Pagan Origins of #Christmas
In pre-Christian era Pagan celebrated Seasonal festivals around the winter solstice ("Symbol of rebirth of Sun or Son") later converted to #Christianity.
SantaClause, Decorating trees, Jesus birth also find its association with 25th Dec.

1/14
#Saturnalia was one of Pagan ancient Roman festival in honor of the god Saturn, held from 17 December to 23 December. It was most popular holiday in the Roman calendar.

Pic By Themadchopper, Antoine-François Callet #Christmas

2/14
During #Saturnalia celebrations
1.All work and business were suspended
2.Slaves were given temporary freedom to say and do what they liked
3.People would wear a cap of freedom – the pilleum –
usually worn by slave
4.People were permitted to gamble in public
5.Chariot racing

3/14
#Saturnalia was the result of the merging of 3 winter festivals over the centuries.
1. Day of Saturn – the god of seeds and sowing
2. Bruma - Day of a feast day celebrating the shortest day
3. Opalia- feast day dedicated to Saturn’s wife

4/14
217 BC a huge public feast was arranged at the oldest temple in Rome, the Temple of Saturn.
Macrobius confirms this, and says that the "rowdy" participants would spill out onto the street, with the participants shouting, “Io #Saturnalia!”

5/14
Closing days of the #Saturnalia were known as "#Sigillaria" because of the custom of making, toward the end of the festival, presents of candles, wax models of fruit, and waxen statuettes which were fashioned by the Sigillarii

6/14
#Yule is another pagan festival that had customs absorbed into the Christian #Christmas was the festival of #Yule by Germanic people.
The familiar custom of burning the Yule log dates back to earlier solstice celebrations and the tradition of bonfires
Src:Public domain

7/14
Another association of 25th Dec is the birth date of #Jesus
However, It was first identified as date of Birth by Sextus Julius Africanus in 221. For long time 6th January was celebrated as Jesus b'day

8/14
336CE, the church settled 25 December as the date of Christ’s nativity. Christians wanted to keep #Christmas distinguished from Saturnalia traditions such as gambling, drinking, worshipping god.
Christmas become a major #Christian festival in 9th century.
Src @Britannica

9/14
Decorating #christmastrees with candles is another celebration on #Christmaseve. celebration was first known in Strasbourg in 1605.
Trees were decorated with 24 candles as 24th opening to 25th Dec from 1st Dec.
The no. of candles later reduced to 4
Src @Britannica

10/14
Santa Clause 'Saint Nicholas' 'Father Christmas' is said to be 4th Century Greek Bishop of Myra.
Martin Luther propagated gifting to children in #Christmas to focus children interest to Christ rather than Saints.

11/14 Pic 13th cnet. Saint Catherine Monastery, Sinai CC Pubic dom
Irresistible surge of #paganism worldwide as expressed in movies like Avatar, Thor and the Harry Potter series. The success of such movies worldwide suggests a deep desire among people for a more spiritually satisfying life with pantheism.
indiafacts.org/pagan-revival-…

12/14
Src:
britannica.com/topic/Saturnal…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia
penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclo…
Article by @charm_uow historyextra.com/period/roman/h…
antiquitynow.org/2013/12/12/the…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule_log
britannica.com/story/why-is-c…
telegraph.co.uk/women/mother-t…
theguardian.com/world/2008/dec…
britannica.com/topic/Christmas

13/14
You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: typefully.com/GemsOfIndology…

14/14

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More from @GemsOfINDOLOGY

GemsOfINDOLOGY Profile picture
Mar 3
Regardless of the patent under the name Ludo by Britisher Alfred in 1896, Pachisi (25) has been played in India for over 5000 years. #Archaeology uncovers cultural appropriation.

Bhanpur (3000 bce), Banawali Haryana (3000bce), Chandraketugarh (200 bce), Modern Image
in 1938, the American toy and game company Transogram launched a widespread board game edition titled Game of India, which was subsequently advertised as Pa-Chiz-Si: The Game of India Image
Image
In America, there is evidence for home-made boards and boards without a clear origin from the 1850s. A dubious story credits the invention of Parcheesi to Sam Loyd who supposedly sold the rights to the game for $10 at one point but since Sam Loyd was a notorious self-publicist and deceiver, it is probably best to ignore this account. The earliest definite record is that John Hamilton of the Hudson River Valley claimed copyright to the game in 1867. Rights were sold to one Albert Swift who then sold them on to Selchow and Righter in 1870 and this famous company trademarked the game in 1874. Parcheesi went on to become the bestselling game for Selchow & Richter Co. for decades.

The later 'Frustration" based on Ludo and initially published by Irwin Toy was made popular in many countries using the marketing muscle of MB Games (Hasbro) ' in a plastic incarnation featuring the gimmick of a centrally placed "pop-o-matic" dice roller.Image
Read 11 tweets
GemsOfINDOLOGY Profile picture
Feb 27
Critical analysis of a Market Scene in Rua Direita, Goa 1596 ce, roughly after 100 years of exploitation by the Portuguese.

Very important and rare view in the past of Goa after 30 years of Goa inqu!s!tion.

#Archaeohistories

1/ Image
There appears a native woman upper selling goods to seemingly a converted. The contrast between the converted and native is startling. However, both seems to be from poor class.

2/ Image
In another scene, a woman slave is being auctioned by a Portugese. The woman appears to be poor and covers only her waist.

3/ Image
Read 12 tweets
GemsOfINDOLOGY Profile picture
Feb 6
Thread exploring the tradition of 'Nose-Piercing in India. Some believe it's inherently Indian, although it was actually foreign to Indian customs 1000 years back. Let's dive in.

Female Beauty #Archaeohistories

1/14 Image
The first mention of nose-ring (for nose piercing) is in Old Testament when Abhraham's servant gives his daughter-in-law 'Rebekah' a golden nose-ring ("Shanf" in Hebrew). This practice of gifting rings to brides continues even today.

2/14 http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2024%3A22&version=NIV
Nose-Pin or नथ is expressed on sculptures paintings in Moghul period not before
Tavernier (c. 1638 ce) describes of Arabian woman wearing Nose-Pins while other Traveller 'Hanway' speaks irreverently of the 'nutt' is proof of Nose-pin of Arabic origin



3/14jstor.org/stable/41688398Image
Read 13 tweets
GemsOfINDOLOGY Profile picture
Jan 30
Matrimonial connection between ancient Greece and modern India

The similarities between these two civilizations are striking, from fathers arranging marriages for their daughters to wedding rituals spanning several days.

Vases dating back to 500-400 BCE found in Greece and artifacts from 200 BCE-200 CE found in Chandraketugarh, Bengal hint at a connection.

Let's begin

#Thread #bookmark #Retweet

1/17Image
Preparation for marriage | Finding the groom

A woman's guardian, or kyrios, was responsible for arranging her marriage, as she couldn't legally do it herself. She likely had some social contact with her future husband. Marriages within extended family groups, such as first cousins, uncles and nieces, second cousins, or half-siblings, were common.

2/17Image
Preparation for marriage | The Dowry

In ancient Greek weddings, the first step was the dowry, provided by the woman's kyrios (guardian). It was usually given at the betrothal but could be delayed until the wedding ceremony if agreed upon.

The dowry often comprised money but could include items like furniture or, rarely, land. Non-monetary items were given a cash value. Land was seldom included, as men preferred to reserve it for their sons' inheritance.

3/17A terracotta lekythos (oil flask) depicting women preparing wool for weaving cloth, a common task for married Greek women, sixth century BCE, via the MET Museum
Read 18 tweets
GemsOfINDOLOGY Profile picture
Jan 30
Neglect Threatens Bagh Caves Artwork

While @ASIGoI established by Britishers preserving Graveyards, the descendent of Ajanta, the Bagh Caves in Madhya Pradesh, a series of fifth-century rock-cut caves adorned with exquisite Buddhist murals, are facing severe neglect despite their historical and cultural importance. Once vibrant with intricate artwork tied to the Ajanta school, the caves now suffer from water seepage and a lack of proper maintenance, putting the remaining wall art at risk of permanent damage.

Although these caves played a significant role in India's art history—the site today receives minimal tourist attention and no substantial preservation effort. Local authorities have voiced intentions to promote tourism around the caves, but immediate and focused conservation efforts are critical to prevent further deterioration of this invaluable heritage site.https://www.telegraphindia.com/culture/the-caves-that-cry-out-for-company-madhya-pradeshs-poorly-kept-secret-and-its-bengal-connection/cid/1893760
@MinOfCultureGoI @narendramodi @DrMohanYadav51 @JansamparkMP @CMMadhyaPradesh @UNESCO A veena player. The original Bagh Cave paintings were made in tempera using mineral colours from ochre, clay, chalk, kaolin line, lamp-black, gypsum green glauconite, and lapis lazuli. Image
The rock-cut Bagh Cave temples served as monasteries for Buddhist monks who spent the monsoon months in meditation. Whilst the secular paintings depicted the life of their patrons, paintings such as the above portrayed the spiritual side of the monks’ lives. Image
Read 11 tweets
GemsOfINDOLOGY Profile picture
Jan 28
Small #Thread on YG Srimati, who revitalized Indian classical painting, challenging the British replica tradition. She and her peers ignited a new Indian art movement with their innovative approaches.

As a young, educated supporter of India's independence, Srimati was a talented artist and musician. In 1946, she sang devotional songs at independence rallies in Chennai, supporting Mahatma Gandhi's vision of cultural unity.

Y.G. Srimati with Mahatma Gandhi at an independence rally
1946Image
Woman with Lotus
Y. G. Srimati Indian

August 27, 1951

Throughout her career Srimati enjoyed producing paintings that celebrate feminine beauty. While inspired by figure-types in the sixth-century cave murals at Ajanta, the studies are distanced from their source by the absence of narrative. Their success depends instead on the quality and purity of line. Woman with Lotus is one of the artist’s most daring works in this genre. Its large scale demanded an absolute sureness of line and the subtle manipulation of large areas of color washes. The resulting work is both sinuous and sensuous.Image
Carudatta Presenting a Pearl Necklace to Vasantesena
Y. G. Srimati
ca. 1952

Y G Srimati used figure-types from the sixth-century murals at Ajanta’s Buddhist rock-cut cave monasteries as the basis for a series of paintings that explore and, in a sense, celebrate the art of India’s past. In this she was following the teachings of Nandalal Bose and others who advocated looking to Indian history for appropriate subjects. In this work we see the Ajantaesque style deployed in the service of an early Sanskrit secular drama, Mrcchakatika (The Little Clay Cart). The play, likely dating to the third or fourth century A.D., explores the love of a rich courtesan, Vasantesena, and a noble-spirited Brahmin, Carudatta. The complexities of the drama and the celebration of the nobility of selfless giving are skillfully evoked in this small, intense painting.https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/718425
Read 11 tweets

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