The child with a mysterious Birthdays
Most of the dwellings of the saints a celestial being whose glory was radiated with a mystical flamboyancy.
An air of authority became the bass as his eyes to perceive the humanity and was sentenced to in excess of the unfathomable sorrow to what he saw.
It was widely praised on the dangerous mission that was about to take. His fate was to be the ill-fated Blue Planet. The purpose of this strange oddesy - the salvation of humanity to the brink of extinction.
In a miraculous manifestation of divine power, which descends to the womb of a virgin damsel. 9 months later, in an auspicious day is still unknown, the Prince of Peace was born in a little-known town called Bethlehem.
While the life and times of this great man have been documented reasonable, their real date of birth remains a subject of intense speculation dating as way back as the first century 3. Clement of Alexandria (150-215), an Athenian theologian argued, however, that Jesus Christ, born around the 3rd century on May 20.
At about the same period of Christmas, a name derived from the Old English word 'maesse Christ, "which means" birth of Christ, "which began long before we celebrate the advent of Christianity in several days.
Perhaps the first recorded mention of Christmas is celebrated on December 25 was in the name Philocalian Calendar of Furius Dionysius Philocalus, the artist who illuminated part of the document which was the calendar. History tells us that the celebration of Christmas this day has been a common practice of Roman 336 AD.
This time however was not recognized and therefore another day varied existing alongside it, is still used to mark the birth of the Messiah.
It was not until 354 AD. When passed a decree declaring the December 25 official birth date of Christ began to establish their dominance over the other dates. Eighty-six years later, the then Pope of Rome declared that the feast of Christ's birth is celebrated on the same day - Christmas was officially inaugurated.
Despite this papal decree, January 6 and March 25 showed the persistence of the days of the Nativity (Feast of Christ). It later 5th century, the Church of Constantinople, for its part, maintains that the January 6 celebration for long.
The reason for the choice of December 25, which comes just days after the winter solstice (December 22), the shortest day in the northern hemisphere, it will replace the existing pagan festival of worship and Natalis Solis Invicti celebrated Saturnalia during the solstice.
The former was an imperial cult of Rome by the Emperor Commodus (180-192) was one of the cultural import Mithraists held in honor of Mithrais, an Indian and Persian sun god.
Mithrais, it is said, after killing and sacrificing a bull from which all sorts of creatures arose, ascended to heaven where he is guaranteed a blessed immortality to all who had been initiated into its mysteries.
This festival commemorates the pagans "Birthday of the Sun of Justice" or "Sunday Unconquered 'and marked the beginning of a new year in nature.
Christmas in the replacement of the festival remains the same symbolism - the birthday of Christ is the birth of a new year.
The Roman Saturnalia was a feast held on December 17 to 23 in honor of the god Saturn. It is characterized by the exchange of gifts between members of the cult. This practice was later to find its way into modern culture exchange gifts very popular during the holiday season.
Closely related to the birth of Christ was the feast of the Epiphany (manifestation of Greek) are held in the East from the 3rd century of the January 6 to commemorate the baptism of the Lord. This festival exists to date. One of its main features was the blessing of baptismal water.
In the West, the feast of the Epiphany was introduced in the 4th century and quickly became associated with the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi - the first Gentile to receive Christ, according to Origen ( 185-254), a biblical critic, theologian and spiritual writer, with the number 3. From this came the popular story of "Los Tres Reyes Magos."
December 25 is therefore not the actual date of birth of the Messiah. This date was chosen to replace touch with old pagan festivals that were in effect then.
A noble act might have been, but it is interesting to note that most of the current practices are rooted in Christmas holiday to replace Christmas.
The Holly, now used as decoration and the Yule log used to honor the god Thor wade combustion evil spirits, were the central themes of the festivals in Norse children of Scandinavian fjords or also known as the Vikings.
In the old order of priests among the Celts of Gaul and the British Isles - the druids, the leaf of the plant that grows Mistletoe in oak trees is very sacred and a symbol of fertility.
The Christmas tree, an import from Germany to England by Prince Albert in the 18th century used to decorate the Roman Saturnalia before its inclusion as a central symbol in the Christmas season in England and elsewhere in the world.
Although pagan in origin, its central role in improving the beauty of a day that we all look forward elated in advance is essential. They, in a very special way, highlight the ethereal spirit of Christmas comes once in a year when we remember the birth of a child is also special. It is true that the master plan were born centuries ago about the worship practices of ancient civilizations has worked. Do not you say? Merry Christmas to all!
