Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Please enjoy this encore presentation of the Common Mystics holiday special from 2022. Happy holidays to all, and may all your wishes come true.
On this special holiday episode of Common Mystics, we we do a deep dive into the roots of Christmas and other similar solstice traditions around the world. I'm Jennifer James.
[00:00:35] Speaker B: I'm Jill Stanley.
[00:00:37] Speaker A: We're psychics, we're sisters. We are common mystics. We find extraordinary stories in ordinary places. But today, we're talking to you about Christmas.
Honestly, that is so annoying.
I'm editing all this out. That's ridiculous.
Really?
So, Jill, Christmas, it's the most special.
[00:01:04] Speaker B: Time of the year. And up until like five minutes ago, I didn't know why.
[00:01:10] Speaker A: Yeah. I learned so much from researching this. I'm excited to start, but I think we need to qualify a few things. Like, our lens is very specific to how we grew up in. In the tradition of Christmas.
[00:01:21] Speaker B: It's a true story. Very true. Yeah.
[00:01:24] Speaker A: We were raised as Catholic, which is, of course, a Christian religion. So that's our lens. But as you take a look at the traditions of Christmas, we start to recognize that actually the traditions that we think of as Christmas traditions predate the holiday by thousands of years.
[00:01:44] Speaker B: We didn't do it first.
[00:01:46] Speaker A: We did it.
[00:01:46] Speaker B: We didn't do it first.
[00:01:47] Speaker A: We didn't exist among different cultures around the world.
[00:01:51] Speaker B: True.
[00:01:52] Speaker A: So crazy.
[00:01:53] Speaker B: Let's talk about it. All right. Let's do it. I'm so excited.
[00:01:55] Speaker A: Do you want to introduce Christmas just for those maybe non Christian people who might be listening?
[00:02:00] Speaker B: Yes. So Christmas. Okay.
Christmas is a celebration of Christ's birth. It's really like they're talking about Christ's mass, meaning like a mass of Christ. Like, we have to, like, worship him and give thanks that he was born.
[00:02:15] Speaker A: Yeah, right.
[00:02:16] Speaker B: Do you want to talk about the nativity story? Because that's fun. I know it's not in here, but just real, real short. Tell us about Mary and Joseph.
[00:02:25] Speaker A: I think you should do that.
[00:02:26] Speaker B: And they were traveling.
[00:02:28] Speaker A: Go ahead.
[00:02:29] Speaker B: Okay. So long story short, they had to do, like a census and they had to go back to Bethlehem so that they can be like, hi, I'm Joseph. This is my wife Mary, and here we are. And be a part of the census. And so they were traveling, but they didn't have a lot of money, so they didn't, like, have a horse and buggy. They had just a little baby Don. And this little baby donkey had Mary on her. And Mary was very, very pregnant at the time. She was with child. And they went Back to Bethlehem, but, like, the whole place. Because everyone had to come to the census and everyone had to be taxed, and everything was so booked up, okay? So, like, there was no place for them to stay. And so they went to place to place, and they're like, hi, do you have, like, a room in your bed and breakfast? And everyone's like, sorry, Joseph, you all late. And so this one guy was like, look, we don't have a room. We don't. We don't have a room here. But there is a stable, which is like a barn, and you and your wife can just hang out in the barn, and I'll, like, charge you half price. And so Joseph was like, okay, okay, cool. It's not ideal, but we'll do what we can. And then so they went into the barn and they're chilling. Then all of a sudden, Mary's like, oh, Joseph. Oh, Joseph, it's time. It's time, Joseph. And then throughout the night, she gave birth to a little bouncing baby boy. And they were. And it was still in the stable. And that's what happened. And then, like, a star in the sky. There was a big star in the sky. And the star in the sky was like, everyone. A baby was born. He's a big deal. And like, these, like, three wise men, three kings, astrologer guys see the star, and they were like, oh, my God, we're gonna follow that. We've never seen a star like this before. So they followed the star, and when they got to, like, the star where they thought the source of the star was, it was where the baby was born. And that was 12 days later. Wow. And that, in a nutshell, is Christmas.
[00:04:18] Speaker A: I have got to say I have never heard a synopsis of Christmas or the Nativity quite like that one.
I want to say, well done, but I'm not sure if those are the right words.
But, no, what I love about what you just pointed out that I didn't even realize until you said it, was that tradition of the Nativity links astronomy with the birth of Jesus, which is kind of what this whole thing is all about.
[00:04:48] Speaker B: It's so true.
[00:04:50] Speaker A: So, yeah, good job.
[00:04:52] Speaker B: Thanks.
[00:04:53] Speaker A: So obviously, Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. And while there are many winter celebrations that have developed around the world, Christmas is the most widespread holiday that celebrated at the be. At the beginning of winter.
[00:05:10] Speaker B: True statement.
[00:05:11] Speaker A: And I also want to qualify by saying, you know, Jill, we have listeners in Australia and in some of the southern hemisphere regions of the world, and for them, this solstice that we're talking about in December is the summer solstice.
[00:05:28] Speaker B: That's very, very cool.
[00:05:30] Speaker A: So throughout this, we're going to be talking about the winter solstice because we have that very northern hemisphere view, being in the United States. But we do want to recognize that for you all in the southern hemisphere, it's the reverse, and we're talking about the summer solstice.
[00:05:44] Speaker B: I like that.
[00:05:45] Speaker A: Yeah. Christmas traditions obviously include Jesus being born and Jesus being important because he is the Savior of people. So that. That's why his birth is important, because he is a savior. Right.
[00:06:02] Speaker B: He saves us from our sins, our original sin. It's a whole thing.
[00:06:05] Speaker A: Eventually. Like.
[00:06:06] Speaker B: Yeah, eventually.
[00:06:07] Speaker A: Eventually.
[00:06:08] Speaker B: Sad story, but, like, not. It's a whole thing.
[00:06:12] Speaker A: It's complicated.
[00:06:14] Speaker B: It is complicated.
[00:06:15] Speaker A: Complicated.
[00:06:16] Speaker B: Talk about complications. Mary was a virgin.
[00:06:19] Speaker A: That's another theme.
[00:06:21] Speaker B: Very complicated.
[00:06:22] Speaker A: That is a Christmas tradition that Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus.
[00:06:28] Speaker B: Well, I just want to give a shout out to Joseph, who really stepped up. He really stepped up. Just saying.
[00:06:34] Speaker A: Right.
[00:06:34] Speaker B: And you're talking about how that happened.
[00:06:37] Speaker A: No. Unless you want to. Are you ready to. To do your Jill version?
[00:06:41] Speaker B: Oh, my God, Sure. What do you mean, Jill? This is just factual.
[00:06:44] Speaker A: This is. This is.
[00:06:45] Speaker B: Bible says.
[00:06:46] Speaker A: Oh, is this what the Bible says? Please.
[00:06:48] Speaker B: This is the Gospel of Jill. And if you turn to Jill, one.
[00:06:53] Speaker A: Just. Okay, go ahead.
[00:06:54] Speaker B: Okay. Long story short. Long story short. Okay. Blessed Virgin was engaged to Joseph, and Joseph was at work one day, and Mary was at her house, and she was all preparing for the wedding, and all of a sudden, there's like this big angel who we believe is Angel Gabriel. I'm pretty sure it was Gabriel. And he comes and he's like, hey, Mary. And she's like, oh, my God. Gabriel. I didn't know you were coming. What are you doing? Oh, my God. What a nice surprise. And he's like, okay, sit down. We need to talk about something. And she's like, what? And he's like, God brought me here to tell you that you're going to be a mother to God's child. And she was like, whoa. She was like, I don't. She's like, gabriel, I'm gonna marry Joseph. That's really gonna complicate things. Who's gonna explain that to Joseph?
[00:07:35] Speaker A: Right?
[00:07:35] Speaker B: Plus, she's never.
[00:07:36] Speaker A: She does say, well, been with a man, so how can I be pregnant?
[00:07:41] Speaker B: See, you know the story. No, go ahead.
[00:07:43] Speaker A: No, that.
[00:07:43] Speaker B: I think it's an important point.
[00:07:45] Speaker A: She's like, hey, I've never been with a Man. So you. You got the wrong person.
[00:07:49] Speaker B: Well, did you. Do you think she knew how it works, or do you think it was like season one of Bridgerton?
You know what I'm saying?
[00:07:57] Speaker A: Anyway, continue. I don't even want to comment. I don't want to compare the Virgin Mary to a character in Bridgerton, so please continue.
[00:08:06] Speaker B: Anyway, so that happened. And so she was like, yeah, you know, I don't know of men. And Gabriel was like, don't worry about it. We got you covered. So being you're pregnant. And she was like, okay, let it be done the way it's supposed to happen. Tell me. So then Joseph comes home from work, and he was like, hey, Mary, I had a great day at the office. I was like, I made, like, a stool. And she's like, okay, you're gonna need that stool. You're gonna have to sit down.
You're gonna have to sit down, Joseph. We're having it. Well, we're having a baby, but it's not. It's technically God's baby. And God was like, God. God sent Gabriel here, and he was like. And he made me pregnant. And it took a minute. I'm not gonna lie. It was a hard. It was a hard thing for Joseph to. To. To, you know, get on board with.
[00:08:50] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:08:50] Speaker B: But I think the angel came back and told. And he was like, no, she's legit, Joseph. I actually think that happened.
[00:08:56] Speaker A: I do think that that happened, too, in some versions. Yeah.
[00:08:59] Speaker B: Because he, like. He, like, walked away, and he was like, yeah, this is a little much like, you know, I thought I was getting a virgin. Now the virgin is pregnant, and I have to, like, raise someone else's child who happens to be God. Like, I don't know if I.
[00:09:10] Speaker A: That's a lot of pressure, too. Even if it. Even if he believed it, That's a lot of pressure.
[00:09:14] Speaker B: It is a lot. It is a lot. And God, like, what if you beat God's son? Like, what if God's son's getting out of line and you have to spank them? What. What is that going to be?
[00:09:22] Speaker A: It raises questions, doesn't it?
[00:09:23] Speaker B: It really does. It really does. So angel Gabriel came back. He's like, joseph, she's legit. She still doesn't know, man. You're still gonna have to explain that to her. But right now, she's pregnant, so that whole thing happens.
[00:09:35] Speaker A: Very good. Well done, Jill.
[00:09:36] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:09:37] Speaker A: And along with. With those traditions of Jesus being born a savior at Christmas and Mary being a virgin when she gives birth to Jesus, there's also the tradition of merry making and celebrating specifically with food and drink. Right.
[00:09:54] Speaker B: That's something that we practice year round, like.
[00:09:57] Speaker A: Yeah, like every day. But, you know, specifically at Christmas, that. That is a theme, that celebration. So are you ready to look at the roots of Christmas?
[00:10:06] Speaker B: I am so excited because truly, this is such a spectacular, fun time of year, and I never knew why.
[00:10:13] Speaker A: Please tell us.
[00:10:14] Speaker B: Let's get into it.
[00:10:15] Speaker A: So cool. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia Online, Christmas, or Christ's Mass, was not one of the earliest celebrations of the Catholic Church. However, various places around the Holy Land started celebrating it in about 200 AD and by 4th century, most churches would settle on December 25 as the date of the annual celebration.
[00:10:43] Speaker B: And that's how we know it.
[00:10:44] Speaker A: Now, you want to ask me about December 25th, like, what's so special about December 25th, Jennifer?
[00:10:49] Speaker B: Yeah, December 25th, when we celebrate Christmas or the birth of Christ. What's so special about that? How did they decide?
[00:10:57] Speaker A: I am so glad you asked.
According to the Julian calendar, which was developed at the time of Julius Caesar, December 25th on the winter solstice. Ah, yes. Now, these days, we don't use that calendar. We use the Gregorian calendar. And so modern times. In modern times, the winter solstice now falls on December 20th or 21st or the 22nd, depending on the calendar for that year. But back then, December 25th was the solstice, and that's why they chose it for Christmas to celebrate the birthday of Christ.
[00:11:34] Speaker B: And we should note that no one really knows when Jesus's birthday. Like, they don't really say it in the Bible.
[00:11:41] Speaker A: Yeah, that's not written down in there.
[00:11:43] Speaker B: Right. So that's like, not a thing. They're just like, everyone else is having fun during the winter season. Let's just bring Jesus's birthday then. But why was everyone having fun? What's so big about the winter solstice?
[00:11:55] Speaker A: So the solstice, the winter solstice, is in the northern hemisphere, of course. That is the day with the shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year. It's when the sun is at its lowest daily maximum elevation in the sky. Therefore, the day after the winter solstice marks the beginning of the lengthening of days. That's when the days start to get longer. That's when the sun starts coming back.
[00:12:20] Speaker B: That is a reason to celebrate.
[00:12:22] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. So you kind of have that winter solstice being like, it's. It's a darkness. Right. It's the darkest day of the year. But It's a celebration because here comes the light.
[00:12:34] Speaker B: I love it.
[00:12:35] Speaker A: Right? And of course, the days get longer and longer until you get to the summer solstice, which is then the longest day of the year. And then the reverse happens, Right? And then it starts getting. Days started getting shorter and shorter and shorter.
[00:12:45] Speaker B: Okay, so I have a question. Yeah. So why are we celebrating? How did we come to celebrate the winter solstice and how was it celebrated?
[00:12:55] Speaker A: I love this so much.
[00:12:58] Speaker B: Tell me everything.
[00:13:00] Speaker A: The roots of the celebrations of solstice go back 12,000 years.
[00:13:07] Speaker B: That's insane.
[00:13:08] Speaker A: Could be longer, could be longer. But we only have evidence back to 12,000 years ago, and here's why. In Neolithic times, the solstice would have been a special moment in the year. Because back then, astronomy or astronomical events like where the sun was in the sky and where the moon was, or. And what. What, you know, what was happening in the heavens would guide everyday activities. Right?
[00:13:35] Speaker B: Like what?
[00:13:36] Speaker A: Like the mating of animals or. Or the sowing of crops or like monitoring your winter storage of food. Right. They didn't have.
[00:13:45] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:13:45] Speaker A: They didn't have written calendar, so they turned to astronomy and what was happening in the sky to guide them.
[00:13:51] Speaker B: It's really smart.
[00:13:52] Speaker A: And one piece of evidence of this is Stonehenge in England.
[00:13:58] Speaker B: Stop it.
[00:13:59] Speaker A: Yes, that. Obviously, I never knew that, fam.
Rock structure. The primary axis of the monument has been carefully aligned on a sight line pointing to the winter solstice sunset.
[00:14:14] Speaker B: That's crazy.
[00:14:15] Speaker A: So Stonehenge is like a big calendar.
[00:14:17] Speaker B: So can you imagine being like, what day is it? And having to ride out to the field to look at Stonehenge, right.
[00:14:22] Speaker A: And be like, it's the 12th, I imagine. Don't you imagine they all just stood around watching and waiting for the sun to be in that particular spot?
[00:14:31] Speaker B: That's amazing.
[00:14:32] Speaker A: It's so cool and, like, vibey to, like, think about that. Do you know what I mean?
[00:14:37] Speaker B: Honestly, it feels like we're aligned with nature the same way, like bird. Birds are aligned with the changing of the seasons, and they start heading south, right towards the equator. If you're in the northern hemisphere, it just makes you feel like you're like one with what's happening on the Earth.
[00:14:53] Speaker A: And one with the ancestors.
[00:14:55] Speaker B: I love it. Okay, continue.
[00:14:57] Speaker A: Okay. But the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere in particular at this time of year was immensely important because the people were economically dependent on monitoring the progress of the seasons. And the next few months, those months of winter, which we call, you know, January, February, March, those were Known as the famine months.
[00:15:21] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:15:22] Speaker A: They were in temperate climates. The mid winter festival would have been the last feast celebration. So the solstice would have been when deep winter began, when most of the cattle was slaughtered so that they didn't have to be fed. So that's why they would have a feast to kill the animals that probably wouldn't make it through the winter. And also the majority of wine and beer would have been finally fermented and ready to drink by now.
[00:15:51] Speaker B: Yes, yes, and yes. So we're talking yummy yum yum, right? We're talking wine and beer, right? Yes. So it's like a modern Christmas.
[00:16:00] Speaker A: Oh my gosh. From Neolithic times when people were like into agriculture and farming. You see celebrations, you see food, you see drink, you see celebrating the return of the sun.
[00:16:14] Speaker B: That's amazing.
[00:16:15] Speaker A: And preparing for the, for the winter to come. Yeah.
[00:16:18] Speaker B: You know, it kind of makes. I know this is off topic, but it makes January through April a little more depressing.
[00:16:24] Speaker A: I know, right?
[00:16:25] Speaker B: It's already depressing a little bit more. I know.
[00:16:27] Speaker A: This just kind of climate.
[00:16:29] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:16:30] Speaker A: So then.
[00:16:30] Speaker B: Okay, continue.
[00:16:31] Speaker A: So these are like the very oldest roots of the solstice celebrations, and they continued throughout Egypt, Syria, and other ancient civilizations.
[00:16:40] Speaker B: So tell me what was happening in other places like ancient Egypt? Like, let's go down, tell me what's up.
[00:16:45] Speaker A: So in ancient Egypt, the Egyptians would, during the solstice, retire into their shrines, and then at midnight they would cry, the virgin has been brought forth. The light is waxing. Meaning that it was starting to get light again.
[00:17:04] Speaker B: Right. This is ancient Egypt.
[00:17:06] Speaker A: Yeah, ancient Egypt.
[00:17:08] Speaker B: Right, okay.
[00:17:08] Speaker A: And they're making reference to a virgin. Yes, you got it right.
[00:17:11] Speaker B: That's why I'm confused.
[00:17:12] Speaker A: Right.
[00:17:13] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:17:13] Speaker A: And the sun was represented as an image of a newborn baby at the winter solstice. You guys, like this is pre, pre Jesus. And you're already having that tradition of the virgin bringing forth a son and the sun representing light. Yeah.
[00:17:30] Speaker B: That's very interesting.
[00:17:31] Speaker A: Similarly, in ancient Syria, the winter solstice was celebrated again by people going into the shrines and singing praises again upon a virgin who would bring forth the sun.
[00:17:45] Speaker B: Very interesting. I know this is different areas of the world all uniting in the same activity at the same time of year.
[00:17:54] Speaker A: Right.
[00:17:54] Speaker B: With almost the same myth. That's very interesting. Continue.
[00:17:58] Speaker A: So the virgin that they were praising obviously was not the Virgin Mary. This was thousands of years before, but a goddess, a Near Eastern goddess named Ashtar. And according to one source, she is known as the enduring star.
And some called her goosebumps. One of the most ancient goddesses of the Middle East. Yes.
[00:18:24] Speaker B: I like her.
[00:18:25] Speaker A: The enduring star. I love that. Beautiful. I know. I had no idea this tradition of a virgin giving birth went back so far. Did you?
[00:18:35] Speaker B: No. And it's actually a little confusing because I had in my head, I was like, wait a second.
[00:18:40] Speaker A: But there were other Middle Eastern traditions as well. Of course.
[00:18:44] Speaker B: Tell me everything.
[00:18:46] Speaker A: So there's a great deal of evidence that in much of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle east, the winter solstice was a time for imploring the sunlight to return and celebrating its readiness to do so.
[00:18:57] Speaker B: Love.
[00:18:58] Speaker A: In ancient Rome, there was a festival called Saturnalia. It was a holiday festival in honor of the God of Saturn. And it was held in December, around December 17th to the 23rd. And the holiday of Saturnalia was celebrated with a sacrifice at the temple of Saturn and a public banquet followed by gift giving, partying, and a carnival atmosphere. The Romans, by the way, also called December 25, which would have been for them the day of the solstice, the birthday of the unconquerable sun.
[00:19:33] Speaker B: I love it. They did it right. They did it right.
[00:19:37] Speaker A: In Persia, at the winter solstice, the common people would set bonfires and their rulers would send birds aloft bearing torches of dried grass. Wow. In my head, I'm seeing the doves holding the branches.
[00:19:54] Speaker B: Yes, yes, yes.
[00:19:57] Speaker A: That's a common Christmas image.
[00:19:59] Speaker B: It is a common Christmas image. It's the devil piece.
[00:20:02] Speaker A: And here they're looking at ancient Persia.
[00:20:04] Speaker B: That's crazy, even saying ancient Persia to think that this was happening in Asia. It's like. It blows my mind. I know.
[00:20:11] Speaker A: And then, of course, there's the Jewish. The Jewish traditions. The Maccabees were Jewish warriors in Judea in the second century. Okay. So, like the one hundreds. And it was a time.
[00:20:25] Speaker B: So cool.
[00:20:25] Speaker A: And it was a time when the Greeks were in the area and they had control again. This is after Alexander. The Greeks are still around, right?
And the Greeks rule it, but the Maccabees are Jews, and they kind of want to take it back, especially because the Greeks are, like, defiling their temples, right? They're not respecting the Jewish ways.
And so the Maccabees took the anniversary of the solstice and deemed it a day of rededication of the temple and of Jewish holiness.
And by doing so, and by doing so, by the Maccabees using the winter solstice as a time to take back the temple, take back Jewish holiness, they were capturing a pagan solstice. Festival activities that had won wide support among the Jews who were starting to adopt the pagan ways. Right.
[00:21:19] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:21:20] Speaker A: You see what I'm saying? So you have this mix of people and the Maccabees are like, okay, we're owning this as our own special thing during this time to renew Judaism kind.
[00:21:28] Speaker B: Of thing, like, do what you're doing, but we're doing it for God. As opposed to like asked, what, what's her name? The everlasting star.
[00:21:36] Speaker A: Yes. The Goddess.
[00:21:37] Speaker B: Yes. Now you're doing this for God, but do what you're doing, but it just know it's for God. Now is that Hanukkah tell, like, what do you mean? Yes.
[00:21:45] Speaker A: And that is, that goes along with that tradition of Hanukkah, which is a Jewish festival lasting eight days from the 25th of the Hebrew month of Kislev in December and commemorating the rededication of the temple in 165 BCE by the Maccabees. And it's, that's. And it's marked by the kindling of eight lights. So you have that idea of lights. And I do have to say that we did get this information online from one source, but I do want to acknowledge that there is some disagreement amongst experts on why Hanukkah falls this time of the year. But this is just one expert's, one rabbi's interpretation about, you know, that correlation between Hanukkah and the solstice.
[00:22:27] Speaker B: Love it. So Hanukkah is the festival of light. What, what is the significance of the candles?
[00:22:34] Speaker A: Hanukkah was placed at the moment of the darkest sun and the darkest moon. And then one aspect of the candle seems to be assertion of our hope for renewed light.
[00:22:44] Speaker B: Love it.
[00:22:44] Speaker A: And for the ancient Hebrews to light the candles is to remind God to renew the sun and the moon. And the miracle of the eight days of light from one day of oil is part of that whole Hanukkah tradition.
[00:22:58] Speaker B: And that totally makes sense. I can see that because the story of Hanukkah, and I don't know it in depthly, but I know that they had, they only had one day of oil and God let it last throughout the eight days.
[00:23:10] Speaker A: Yes, that's my understanding too.
[00:23:12] Speaker B: Very rough understanding of Judaism. I got to tell you, that's not.
[00:23:15] Speaker A: Our, our personal tradition, so I'm less versed in that. But it's beautiful, isn't it? It's beautiful.
[00:23:21] Speaker B: I want to know more. I, I actually want to know more about all these cultures that we just talked about.
[00:23:26] Speaker A: I know these are Also cool.
[00:23:27] Speaker B: It's familiar.
[00:23:29] Speaker A: Cool.
[00:23:30] Speaker B: And it's like a different twist on what I know. I just want to dive right in.
[00:23:33] Speaker A: We're skimming the surface because we have to, but you could do an entire, like, series just on this. And it's. It's fascinating.
[00:23:40] Speaker B: It is. Continue, please.
[00:23:42] Speaker A: So in a different part of the world, in Finland, Sweden and Norway, there were or are the Sami people. S A M I. And they are indigenous peoples from that area.
And they arrived in Finland, Sweden and Norway in that general area around year one. So right around. Crazy. Right around then, right around the time of Christ, they. They arrived in their area. Now, According to odysseys unlimited.com the Sammy celebrated a festival for the sun goddess of fertility and sanity by sacrificing white reindeer on the day before the winter solstice to ensure that the sun returns to their region the following year. And then the meat would be sewn through with ribbons and pine branches in the shape of a large ring or wreath. And they believed that the sun goddess travels through the sky with her daughter in a vehicle constructed of reindeer bones pulled by a team of reindeer. Wow, you guys, that is insane. All of those, like, I'm thinking, like, correlations with Christmas traditions. You.
[00:24:55] Speaker B: Yes. I think it's funny that they're celebrating sanity by a slaughter and using the bones of the slaughter to decorate. I'm kind of feeling a little Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibe.
[00:25:04] Speaker A: But the slaughter goes back to Neolithic times, right? You have to kill your animal.
[00:25:09] Speaker B: I know, I know.
[00:25:09] Speaker A: So that tradition is very, very old. But the wreath, the reindeer, reindeer. The driving through the sky on a. On a reindeer pulled sled. That's crazy.
[00:25:21] Speaker B: Well, reindeer bones again, a little creepier.
[00:25:24] Speaker A: That's true. A little creepier.
[00:25:26] Speaker B: Little creeper. And I like creepy.
[00:25:28] Speaker A: I mean, they're hardcore vibe. They're hardcore up there.
[00:25:31] Speaker B: Yeah. The Finns, the Swedes, don't mess with them. Norwegians. Nuh.
[00:25:35] Speaker A: You've heard of the Celts?
[00:25:37] Speaker B: Who hasn't?
[00:25:38] Speaker A: As early as the 6th century BCE.
So 6th century.
Christ, before the common area.
[00:25:47] Speaker B: 6,000 years.
[00:25:49] Speaker A: 600. 600 years before. Okay. Christ. The Celts lived in Western Europe and also the area around the Danube River. And their home territories have often been traced to central and eastern France through southern Germany.
[00:26:06] Speaker B: I did not know that.
[00:26:07] Speaker A: And the Czech Republic.
[00:26:09] Speaker B: Did you know the Celts came from different parts of Europe? I only associate the Celts with like Scotland and Ireland.
[00:26:14] Speaker A: I didn't. But it makes sense because those old tribal peoples moved all over the place.
[00:26:20] Speaker B: Continue.
[00:26:20] Speaker A: Celts practiced a 12 day period of celebration running from December 25th and ending on January 6th.
[00:26:30] Speaker B: That's the feast of the Wise Men.
[00:26:32] Speaker A: A key ingredient of Celtic celebrations was mistletoe. It was revered in healing and fertility. Did you know that mistletoe had mystical properties?
[00:26:46] Speaker B: I did not.
[00:26:48] Speaker A: That makes me happy.
[00:26:49] Speaker B: But it's so cool.
[00:26:51] Speaker A: I know. They would place a mistletoe inside the front entrance of a dwelling there to grab the inhabitants with its protective magic as people came in.
[00:27:00] Speaker B: I love it.
[00:27:01] Speaker A: I know. I love it too.
[00:27:02] Speaker B: Now I'm gonna do that.
[00:27:04] Speaker A: At the midwinter solstice, Celts would light bonfires, they would tell stories, and they would drink ale in addition to making sacrifices to the gods for blessings for forthcoming crops.
[00:27:17] Speaker B: So all of those things, everything you.
[00:27:19] Speaker A: Just said, all of those traditions that we've seen from Neolithic times, here we have again. Here's the idea of the Yule log, Jill.
[00:27:27] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:27:28] Speaker A: The Celts celebrated the season by feeding a large oak tree into a fireplace. The tree would be cut down on the winter solstice and that Yule log would be slowly pushed into the flames over the 12 days of Christmas.
[00:27:44] Speaker B: I love that.
[00:27:45] Speaker A: It sounds like a lot of work to me.
[00:27:48] Speaker B: I love it. You know what I love about it is that, like, everyone in the community is celebrating together. Do you know what I'm saying? Like, people are coming together for these bonfires, are coming together with the yolog. I love that.
[00:27:58] Speaker A: It seems like almost setting the clock, doesn't it? Because if you take one big log and you put it down, you're kind of making a commitment. We're all going to be together. We're all. This is the. The period of celebration and it's going to take 12 days to like. Do you know what I mean? It's like setting the clock.
[00:28:14] Speaker B: Yeah, I really love it.
[00:28:15] Speaker A: It's cool.
[00:28:15] Speaker B: It's like a timer.
[00:28:16] Speaker A: Exactly.
[00:28:17] Speaker B: Like, you are going to chill, we're going to drink, we're going to hang out for 12 days until this tree is gone, folks.
[00:28:22] Speaker A: Exactly.
[00:28:23] Speaker B: I love it.
[00:28:23] Speaker A: I know. Isn't that so cool? And then much of our current festive tradition actually originates with the pagan solstice customs that the Celts kind of did, such as that Yule log idea and. And the Yule tree.
[00:28:40] Speaker B: Tell me about the Yule tree.
[00:28:42] Speaker A: Brightly colored decorations would be hung on a pine tree to symbolize various stellar objects which had tremendous significance to the Celtic people, like the sun and the moon and the stars.
[00:28:55] Speaker B: I love that.
[00:28:56] Speaker A: That so much. And also to represent the souls of those who had Died in the previous year.
[00:29:02] Speaker B: Oh, my God. The Celts are my soul animals. Like, oh, really? Right now? That is amazing. Can you imagine like a Christmas tree with the sun, the moon, the stars, and like pictures of like our family?
[00:29:13] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:29:14] Speaker B: I love that we need to do that. We're doing things wrong.
[00:29:17] Speaker A: So isn't it interesting that so much of what was happening with the pagans, specifically the Celts in Europe, like, would translate into Christmas?
[00:29:27] Speaker B: Why, Jennifer, Why did the Celt tradition transcend time and why is it so close to what we do today?
[00:29:34] Speaker A: It has to do with the Romans.
[00:29:36] Speaker B: If I recall correctly, the Romans were doing it right with the paganism.
[00:29:41] Speaker A: They were having some big celebrations. And you might also a lot of shindigs. You might also remember that the Romans were not kind to Christians early on. Remember, like you've seen the movies.
The Romans were at first intolerant to Christianity and were famous for persecuting them.
[00:30:06] Speaker B: The crucifixion.
[00:30:08] Speaker A: Right, Exactly. But Christianity spread anyway and early Roman attempts to squelch the faith backfired. In fact, the more they fought it, the more they persecuted Christians, just the stronger, more militant and more faithful the Christians became. Right?
[00:30:27] Speaker B: Yeah. It gave them street cred.
[00:30:29] Speaker A: By the three hundreds, the Romans did a complete 180 and Christianity then became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Right. So if you can't beat them, join them.
[00:30:41] Speaker B: Well, they really have egg on their face now. Like, you know, the whole savior. We killed him. We killed him for you. You know what I mean?
[00:30:48] Speaker A: It's part of God's plan.
[00:30:50] Speaker B: Good save, guys. Good save.
[00:30:52] Speaker A: And at that time there was the Roman Empire. And the Romans would aid then the spread of Christianity throughout the empire by adopting the traditions of the pagan people who lived in their conquered territories.
[00:31:06] Speaker B: And that's, you know, what's interesting about that is again, the same thing. It's like, like you're doing what you're doing. Keep doing it. It's wonderful. We love it. Keep doing it. But just know you're doing it now for Christ.
[00:31:15] Speaker A: Right, exactly. And of course, the center, the center of the Roman Empire is Rome or the, the Roman Catholic Church. And so there you have that tradition of Christmas.
[00:31:26] Speaker B: Wow. And again, modern day Christians are running around doing spells and they don't know it. Love every second of that.
[00:31:34] Speaker A: So interesting.
[00:31:35] Speaker B: I really do want to put mistletoe on like the front door and do a little protection spell. Not just for Christmas, like just like year round. Wouldn't that be cute?
[00:31:43] Speaker A: Should we keep going?
[00:31:44] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:31:45] Speaker A: So we talked a lot about the history of Christmas traditions. But solstice celebrations have developed around the globe in different temperate climates where the change of the seasons would have dictated cultural traditions. Like we talked about.
[00:32:01] Speaker B: Okay, this is. This is what you. The contemporary. This is like. So not only did we talk about then that those were the traditions of Christmas and solstice.
[00:32:10] Speaker A: Pass.
[00:32:10] Speaker B: Tell me about the traditions of Christmas and solstice presents. We already talked about Hanukkah. Hit me up with another one.
[00:32:17] Speaker A: So there is a celebration called Yalda.
[00:32:21] Speaker B: Never heard of it.
[00:32:22] Speaker A: It occurs in December around the time of the solstice.
[00:32:25] Speaker B: Sure.
[00:32:25] Speaker A: It is an Iranian festival. In Iran, celebrated on the winter solstice. Friends and family during yalda gather to eat, drink, and read poetry until after midnight.
And I love it. Nuts and fruits are eaten, specifically pomegranates and watermelons. They are particularly significant because of the red color in the fruit that represents the crimson hues of dawn and the glow of life.
[00:32:59] Speaker B: I love it. That happens today in Iran. That's amazing.
[00:33:02] Speaker A: Yalda. And you see some of the same sort of celebration of light that occurs during this time of year.
[00:33:08] Speaker B: That's amazing. Tell me. I love it too.
[00:33:11] Speaker A: There's also.
[00:33:12] Speaker B: Give me another.
[00:33:13] Speaker A: A celebration by the Zuni and Hopi Native American tribes in the United States.
[00:33:19] Speaker B: Not a clue. I am ashamed of myself.
[00:33:21] Speaker A: On December 22, they honor the winter solstice with a ceremony to lure back the sun God who is believed to have traveled away from the tribes. And it also marks a new cycle of the wheel of the year.
Traditionally, it's a time of purification for the Hopi people. And it's a festival that lasts 16 days and includes prayers, stories passed down by elders of the tribe, and concludes with a feast.
[00:33:55] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:33:55] Speaker A: And during the feast that occurs on December 22, tribe members dress up in masks and costumes to represent spirits believed to support the community. And they perform dances and children are given dolls that represent these spirits as gifts.
[00:34:13] Speaker B: I friggin love it. I love it so much. And you know when you were talking about it's a day of purification, it the song God and sinners reconcile in my head.
[00:34:24] Speaker A: Isn't that cool?
[00:34:26] Speaker B: Very interesting. Yeah. No, for sure.
[00:34:28] Speaker A: Again, that idea of celebrating light in a Has nothing to do with Christianity at all. It's just that whole celebration of light that goes back thousands and thousands of years. Oh, here's another one.
[00:34:40] Speaker B: Give me another.
[00:34:40] Speaker A: There's another one. I've never heard of this, but I love it.
[00:34:44] Speaker B: Tell me everything.
[00:34:45] Speaker A: The Dongxi festival, or winter solstice festival, festival happens between December 21 to December 23. And it is one of the most important Chinese festivals celebrated by.
Celebrated by Chinese people in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Japan, Vietnam, Korean, Korea and other East Asian related people.
[00:35:11] Speaker B: And this is happening today? How did I not know this?
[00:35:14] Speaker A: Origins. Like, honestly, the origins of this festival, Jill, get this. Can be traced back to the Yin and the Yang philosophy of balance, harmony, darkness and light shut after the celebration. It's believed that the days will have longer daylight hours and therefore create an increase in positive energy flowing in.
[00:35:35] Speaker B: I love everything you just said. How did we not know that? I don't.
[00:35:39] Speaker A: We're ignorant, clearly.
Do you love that?
[00:35:44] Speaker B: Like, ignorant. And I love it.
[00:35:46] Speaker A: I love this because it's so similar, but has nothing to do with like European Western traditions.
[00:35:51] Speaker B: I know. It makes like, honestly, we just need to all come together and do this thing and like, call it one thing. Like, we just like the whole world needs to get together and we need to make one thing because we, we. We made it Christmas. But it. Christmas just feels cheap now, doesn't it?
[00:36:08] Speaker A: They also make dumplings, by the way. I bet it's delicious.
[00:36:11] Speaker B: Okay, wait, are you still talking about Asia? Because the dumplings I get from the local Chinese restaurant here are out of this world.
[00:36:19] Speaker A: Yeah, dumplings, we're going to say. But these days there are contemporary pagan people who do still celebrate the winter solstice slash Yule slash Christmas tide.
[00:36:31] Speaker B: Freaking cool.
[00:36:31] Speaker A: I know, right?
[00:36:32] Speaker B: Where are they doing that?
[00:36:34] Speaker A: Wouldn't you love that some of them try to celebrate as closely as the ancient German Germanic pagans did? Like doing the, you know, a modern Yule log that's decorated with like, candles and berries and put on an altar. Other modern pagans observe the holiday in a more eclectic way and borrow from different traditions. Yeah, and Yule festivities can also include, like, sharing meals and giving gifts. But modern pagan celebrations can include activities like meditation and the exchange of nature themed gifts, making wreaths, participating in candlelights.
[00:37:13] Speaker B: I kind of want to do the eastern Asian one with the dumplings.
[00:37:17] Speaker A: Participating in candlelight celebrations and spending time in nature to honor and celebrate nature's gifts.
[00:37:24] Speaker B: Yeah, I think I would rather do the dumping dumplings than the meditation.
[00:37:27] Speaker A: Sign you up for the dumplings? Okay.
[00:37:29] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:37:30] Speaker A: All right. Noted.
[00:37:31] Speaker B: Put me down.
[00:37:32] Speaker A: Anyway, isn't that all fascinating, Jill?
[00:37:35] Speaker B: My takeaway is that it feels like my mind is just so hyper focused on like, Christmas and what I know of it, and it's so much more. And these celebrations have been going on for millennia and it feels cheap just to call It Christmas, to be honest, I. Yeah.
[00:37:51] Speaker A: I mean, if you look at the roots, just like way back, winter solstice celebrations have grown up because of that correlation between astronomical events, I. E. The sun's position in the sky and the agricultural events that people had to. Had to take part in, like harvesting, storing food and slaughter. Slaughtering animals. I mean, it's that simple.
[00:38:16] Speaker B: And don't forget the fermenting of the wine.
[00:38:18] Speaker A: I will not.
[00:38:19] Speaker B: It wouldn't have been ready to drink.
[00:38:20] Speaker A: I won't forget that. And the other exciting thing, like you've been saying, is that these traditions have developed independently of each other around the globe in temperate climates that are dictated by seasonal changes.
[00:38:33] Speaker B: It's ridiculous.
[00:38:34] Speaker A: Interesting to say. I couldn't find any sort of solstice celebrations around, like equatorial regions, you know, because.
[00:38:42] Speaker B: Explain yourself.
[00:38:43] Speaker A: Around the equator, there are no traditions like that.
[00:38:47] Speaker B: Fancy word.
[00:38:48] Speaker A: They don't have like, growing seasons and like, like, you know, the. The cultural changes that have to happen from winter to summer. Right. So when you're looking at. You're really looking at those. Those temperate climates, it's just fascinating. It's just. I love it.
[00:39:04] Speaker B: It is. It's fascinating that everyone was doing the same thing in different ways. That's what's so fascinating. Like independent of each other, everyone's doing the same thing and calling it something different.
[00:39:13] Speaker A: Right. And not only that. If you look at religion and. And the grow. And religions growing over time, the holidays and traditions associated with the solstice activities seem to have been recycled by different religions over time as they borrowed from the. The traditions of the people before them. Right. Just like the Maccabees and the Romans.
[00:39:37] Speaker B: I love it.
[00:39:38] Speaker A: But all these traditions spring from the same source, Jill. From the celebration of light from darkness that the ancients recognized so long ago.
[00:39:49] Speaker B: I love it so much, you guys. Thank you for being with us today to learn about the season and what the meaning is and however you celebrate your holiday season. Remember two things.
We're all linked by the common human experience. And the light will always follow the darkness.
I have goosebumps. Can I meow now?
[00:40:16] Speaker A: That's so annoying.
[00:40:18] Speaker B: Please.
[00:40:21] Speaker A: Before. Before you tune people out with your meowing. You guys. Oh, my gosh. Please meet us on Patreon if you are interested in hearing about Krampus. I. I am so excited, you guys.
[00:40:36] Speaker B: It's coming back.
[00:40:37] Speaker A: We're bringing it back Santa's.
[00:40:39] Speaker B: I will not for another year without evil twin.
[00:40:42] Speaker A: Meet us on Patreon.
[00:40:45] Speaker B: Happy holidays. Don't forget, you can find us on our on our website, CommonMyStics.net find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and listen in wherever you're listening to your favorite podcast.
[00:40:55] Speaker A: But if you happen to be listening on Apple, please leave us a positive review so other people can find us.
[00:41:02] Speaker B: Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Hanukkah.
[00:41:08] Speaker A: Good night, everybody.
