Muggle Practices/Religion/Weasley practices

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 78894

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Richard" <darkmatter30 at y...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Deirdre F Woodward" 
> <dwoodward at t...> wrote:
> > Actually, Christains are following Pagan rituals when they
> > celebrate Christmas and Easter.  ...edited...
> > 
> > Christmas and Easter, then, I would think, are acutally
> > wizard holidays that Muggles have reinterpreted at Christian
> > rituals.
> 
> Says I (Richard the Uncontrollably Analytical) ...
> 
> ... However, you miss a few critical points.
> 
> The Weasleys and Hogwarts are not celebrating solstice or equinox by 
> name, or any other nameable pagan holiday, but Christmas and Easter 
> -- by name.  
>
> ...edited...
>
> Richard


bboy_mn:

Exactly how old do you think Christmas is? 100 years? 500 years? 1,000
years? No. Try 1,650 years old. 

"In 320 AD, Pope Julius I specified the 25th of December as the
official date of the birth of Jesus Christ."

"In 325AD, Constantine the Great, the first Christian Roman emperor,
introduced Christmas as an immovable feast on 25 December. "

"In 354AD, Bishop Liberius of Rome officially ordered his members to
celebrate the birth of Jesus on 25 December."

http://www.didyouknow.cd/xmas/xmashistory.htm

Why is it so hard to believe that wizards might have heard about it?
True Christmas and Easter were ancient pagan holidays that EVOLVED
into the current Christian holidays, but why can't you believe the
wizards evolved their tradition too. 

For what it's worth in the mid-1600's the Christmas celebration was
banned by law, and it was Christians who were pushing that law. Also,
many other Christian religious groups over history have fought to ban
the celebration of Christmas for a variety of reasons.

I see no reason why the ancient pagen rites of wizards and witches
would not have evolved with the advent, introduction, and wide spread
acceptance of Christianity. Remember that wizards and witches have not
always been separated from Muggles. They have gone through cycles of
being integrated and separated. Certainly, a 1650 year old tradition
could have easily crept into their culture. 

And let's not forget that as the pure wizard families died out or more
accurately, diminished, there has been more inter-marriage between
muggle/muggle-borns and wizards. So, again, I see no reason why the
wizards and witches would not have adopted the ancient tradition of
Christmas.

Just a thought.

bboy_mn