Because midwinter is 'the birth of the year', the time when the sun hits the Tropic of Capricorn and turns his head northwards, plants will soon grow, herds of migrating animals turn back, and FOOD IS HEADING OUR WAY! Easter (named after a pagan goddess, Eostre) has always been important though, long before there was the martyrdom of Christ. It was the celebration of lambing time, i.e. the re-generation of life. Both are important. But nothing beats the sun deciding to re-visit us. All good things stem from that.
Piss-taking apart, you are always a mine of great info., and I admit I knew nothing about Eostre. Just shows what a load of bollocks Christianity is, I knew about nicking the winter solstice from the pagans to be the date of Jesus' birth, I didn't know that Easter was already celebrated by the pagans so they nicked that for when he bounced back from the dead.
Yes, mate. The only reason Christmas is on 25th December and not 21st/22nd. is that the temple dedicated to 'The Invincible Sun' in Rome was finished three days late, and was dedicated on 25th. The Emperor deemed it the day of the birth of the invincible sun (Dai Natilis Solis something - can't remember). Christians were finding it difficult to get accepted, so they accepted 25th as well to make it easier on themselves. Eostre is only mentioned by one source, and he was a South Tyneside lad - the Venerable Bede. But very few, if any, scholars would argue with him.
Bloody hell. How can you not know about Eostre? He took the letter H, threw it away, said, So There (without the H,) and made an anagram of himself! (I'd never heard of him either Dave)
I bet you did though! Many a time, over a cup of brazilian coffee. Or was it Columbian? So far back, its hard to recall....
Christmas is before Easter. That argument doesn't hold water. Those pagan buggers would be more likely to relate to Eostre than a festival that hadn't been invented yet. I know I'm drunk. What's your excuse?
Very informed argument - just Googled for your Latin quote - Dies Natalie Solis Invicti - Mithras which is the Solstice celebration according to Mithraisam - very impressive knowledge
It's which one the nation and in some terms the world, has been able to monopolise better for consumer purposes. The economy needs Xmas so it gets laced with acid and steroids and a jolly fat ***** and people fall for it hook, line and sinker. Even people like me, atheist as you like but love a good piss up and an excuse to celebrate nothing but sludgy rain with family and friends. Easter is for kids who don't look after their teeth. Boring but don't ever take it away 'cos we like the days off.
And the man who made Rome become a Christian empire was Constantine who was declared Emperor by his troops on the death of his father fighting barbarians was declared Emperor in Eboracum, or York as we know it. He was Emperor of the western empire but had encountered Christianity in the Eastern empire. Not going to give the full rundown but he always thought that the Romans having about two hundred gods was daft. And NO, I was not in his Army.
