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

14/14

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More from @GemsOfINDOLOGY

Dec 24
Manholes with #Swastika ?
Can someone from Sanepa, Lalitpur, Nepal confirm whether this image is true or not ?
proswastika.org/news.php?exten…

#1
Cover of Quedlinburg. What a shame if this is true!!
stevethings.wordpress.com/2016/09/27/man…

#2
Concord Foundary made this manhole in 19s
robertwilliamsofbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2010/04/nazi-m…

#3
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Dec 24
Bhitargaon Temple, Kanpur, UP, India built in the 5th century during the Gupta period is the oldest remaining brick/terracotta Hindu temple. It has no windows.
#Archaeology

#1
Bhitargaon Temple is known locally as the "Rain Temple" as the ceiling is said to drip water several days before the rain arrive, which is of great interest to local farmers #Archaeology

#2
Renovated/Reconstructed
Bhitargaon Temple, Kanpur, UP, India
#Archaeology

#3
Read 7 tweets
Dec 24
Earliest surviving Archaeological remains of Mauryan empire 325-185 BCE, once pride of 'Golden Sparrow'

This is the only earliest surviving palatial palace in Indian history discovered accidentally.

Magathenese travelogues speaks high of it's grandeurs.

#Archaeology

#1 Image
Pataliputra became the capital of major powers in ancient India, such as the Shishunaga Empire (c. 413–345 BCE), Nanda Empire (c. 460 or 420–325 BCE), the Maurya Empire (c. 320–180 BCE), the Gupta Empire (c. 320–550 CE), and the Pala Empire (c. 750–1200 CE)

#1 Image
Layout of Patliputra (322–185 BCE) found in Kumharar, Patna. Magasthense in 3rd cent. was awed
#1-Plan of the 80-columns pillared hall.
#2-Plan of the Gupta level at Kumhrar (originally on top of the Mauryan 80-pillared hall)
#Archaeology

#2 David Brainard Spooner • Pu...Image
Read 4 tweets
Dec 23
World's Earliest 'Cotton-fiber' dating 7200 ybp from India found in Israel.
frontiersin.org/articles/10.33…
#Archaeology

/1 Image
Other genetic studies on cotton proves that cotton originating from India moved to the rest of the Asia and middle East.
The Israelite Indian cotton traces predates the ones found in Mehrgarh now in Pakistan
This also indicates Indus trade relations with Mesopotamians

/2
Read 4 tweets
Dec 21
With due respect to your content and contentions @devduttmyth sir, India has been progressive and safe for women before the series of invasions happened.
I will try to provide you proofs you may have missed in this #thread

#1
Indian #woman were cultivators, astrologers, mothers, artisans, since beginning of civilization untill 2nd millennium bce (the archaeological records are missing for next 1.5k years for unknown reasons)
@devduttmyth #Archaeology

#2
The earliest God was a female in Indian civilization. Karai Devi or Kali Mata has been revered for 11000 years in India.
@devduttmyth #Archaeology

#3
Read 24 tweets
Dec 20
Earliest evidence of sporting event 'Bull leaping' is from India.
In this #Thread we see where else it was enjoyed as a Sporting event.
In this #Harappan seal #H312 Man can be seen Bull Leaping. The Seal dates c.2600-1900 BCE. This is earliest of known records
#Archaeology

1/7
2nd earliest evidence of Bull Leaping is in this #Harappan seal #B335 where 'daring' Indian #Woman are enjoying the sport
Banawali, (Near Dry bed Saraswati River), Haryana
ca.2300-1700 bce
#Archaeology

2/7
Next earliest Bull-leaping scene is found in Hüseyindede vases These belong to Early Hittites, approximately c.1650 bce
#Archaeology

3/7
Read 7 tweets

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