[HPforGrownups] Re: Christianity in HP

[K G]

No: HPFGUIDX 128355





Wasn't there a pagan goddess with the name similar to Easter? 

Anyway, Christmas ans easter aren't papan, but some of the traditions based on those holidays are stemmed from Pagan rituals. For example, Christmas tress and I think the giving of eggs. And the Christmas date, the 26th replaced an old pagan holiday on the same date, when the Christrams were deciding the calender, and when the feast day would occur, because they didn't know the exact date Jesus was born.

Plus I thought it was rather clever, replacing pagan holidays with the Christian ones, it gave Christianity some publicity, so to speak.

doodlingtea

 

 

Normally I do not jump in on any christian threads, but here goes.  Actually the goddess that you speak of is actually not a goddess but the name of the "easter" holiday - Ostara.  Btw- our "christmas" is Yule.

It goes even further than trees and eggs.  Yule log, mistletoe, holly, silver and gold (colors for the god and goddess), red and green (for the same reasons), the lights on the tree and on houses (sympathetic magik to bring back the light and banish the nights getting longer - our holidays are based on seasons and the sun and moon).  That is just a very, very few from Yule - and some of the less "contrversial and offensive".  Remember - Jesus was born in the summer in the middle east.

As far as Ostara - since when do we celebrate the torture and murder of a man with chicks and bunnies?  Chicks, bunnies, eggs, pastel colors, etc.  

I could go on for days and weeks with the pagan holidays and how they relate to christian ones but that has no bearing on Harry Potter.  JKR is a christian.  I am not.  I have written and had published several short stories.  I am Pagan.  My stories have nothing to do with being a Pagan.  Does that make me any less a Pagan?  No.  JKR has written a story that is based - in a very small measure - on a fantasy version of the Pagan world.  Does that make her a Pagan? No.  Does that make anyone who enjoys the books Pagan?  No.  People, you do not have to justify or infuse christianity into Harry Potter in order to not feel guilty about enjoying a work of fiction that has a Pagan (though purely fantasy) theme to it.  Just enjoy!!  We are all different - enjoy the differences!!

moonmyyst (who is going back to lurk and find a place to hide from the flame war that is sure to insue!!)


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