Many years ago, Rabbi Leib Kelemen gave a class on the disturbing pagan origins of Edom’s December holiday. I found it very enlightening and wanted to check out his research for myself. (I was automatically double-checking everything back then.)
It’s a really creepy, crazy history.
(You can see another detailed analysis of that holiday history HERE. Fascinatingly informative!)
Posts have previously appeared on this blog explaining why polytheistic belief systems are not the traditions of serenity, wisdom, feminine power, and cuddly nature as portrayed by Western society.
Likewise, popular wintertime traditions possess many spiritually repulsive elements—which American colonists originally recognized.
Despite being Europeans themselves, American settlers were on their way to becoming a society of Bnei Noach (then took the wrong fork in the road).
In fact, the American Puritans ignored the December holiday and some even prohibited any celebration of it because it wasn’t mentioned in the Torah or their gospels. (Hint, hint!)
For example, seasonal trees are a newer tradition in America—dating only from the 1840-50s. The custom was brought by German immigrants who decorated their trees with candles, presents, and flowers.
One American newspaper initially reported on the custom with suspicion and frowned upon the pagan aspect of going into the forests at that time to decorate trees with candles and the like.
Their suspicions were well-founded.
It’s a really creepy, crazy history.
(You can see another detailed analysis of that holiday history HERE. Fascinatingly informative!)
Posts have previously appeared on this blog explaining why polytheistic belief systems are not the traditions of serenity, wisdom, feminine power, and cuddly nature as portrayed by Western society.
Likewise, popular wintertime traditions possess many spiritually repulsive elements—which American colonists originally recognized.
Despite being Europeans themselves, American settlers were on their way to becoming a society of Bnei Noach (then took the wrong fork in the road).
In fact, the American Puritans ignored the December holiday and some even prohibited any celebration of it because it wasn’t mentioned in the Torah or their gospels. (Hint, hint!)
For example, seasonal trees are a newer tradition in America—dating only from the 1840-50s. The custom was brought by German immigrants who decorated their trees with candles, presents, and flowers.
One American newspaper initially reported on the custom with suspicion and frowned upon the pagan aspect of going into the forests at that time to decorate trees with candles and the like.
Their suspicions were well-founded.
Emuna Goes Up Against...Pine Needles?
Tree-worship goes back to ancient times, with Ashera-worship clearly forbidden in the Torah.
Pagan systems vary in flavor, but they basically believed that the winter solstice indicated a sick god who would eventually be “reborn” again.
You’d think it’s very scary to believe that one’s god could get the snuffles (“Sorry, no prayer service today; our god just called in sick”), but rather than changing to authentic monotheism, people just developed different customs to make themselves feel better.
Egyptians used green palm decorations to reassure themselves while Europeans and Scandinavians used evergreens.
Okay…but why not just believe in the truth:
God is Eternal, All-Powerful, and cannot get sick or weak.
So put down the green stuff and have faith!
But some people prefer palm leaves and pine needles to emuna. Oh well.
Many people today also romanticize the nature-loving Celts.
But archaeologists in Britain discovered evidence of human sacrifice before a tree.
They also found mistletoe in the victim’s stomach. (Oh, so THAT’S what you’re supposed to do with the mistletoe… everyone’s been doing it all wrong this whole time!)
But it’s not just the old-time Brits who sacrificed people to trees.
Pagan systems vary in flavor, but they basically believed that the winter solstice indicated a sick god who would eventually be “reborn” again.
You’d think it’s very scary to believe that one’s god could get the snuffles (“Sorry, no prayer service today; our god just called in sick”), but rather than changing to authentic monotheism, people just developed different customs to make themselves feel better.
Egyptians used green palm decorations to reassure themselves while Europeans and Scandinavians used evergreens.
Okay…but why not just believe in the truth:
God is Eternal, All-Powerful, and cannot get sick or weak.
So put down the green stuff and have faith!
But some people prefer palm leaves and pine needles to emuna. Oh well.
Many people today also romanticize the nature-loving Celts.
But archaeologists in Britain discovered evidence of human sacrifice before a tree.
They also found mistletoe in the victim’s stomach. (Oh, so THAT’S what you’re supposed to do with the mistletoe… everyone’s been doing it all wrong this whole time!)
But it’s not just the old-time Brits who sacrificed people to trees.
Aryan Amalekites
Germans had a tradition of sacrificing humans before “Thor's Oak” (which was decorated with lights) on December 25th.
Many Europeans kept up a remnant of this tradition by burning a “Yule log” (rather than a person, I guess) on their hearths until the 1900s.
Then people decided to make the Yule log into a rolled-up jelly-and-cream-filled sponge cake and eat it instead of burning it.
Actually, it's funny that church-going people still use the term "Yule" to describe their cakes and season. Yule was an ancient Germanic pagan festival that revered imaginary gods, predatory spirits, and sacrifices.
Anyway, it’s not surprising that davka the Germans brought the tree tradition over to America. With a few exceptions, they never managed to completely drop their nature-worshiping tendencies.
Contrary to the popular belief that Nazism was an atheist movement, Nazism idealized and observed many occult nature-worshiping customs in an effort to get back to their pre-Christian roots (roots like “Thor's Oak”).
For example, the racist occult society on which Nazi ideology is based hosted secret ceremonies based on nature-worship and even included background music sung by a choir of “forest elves.”
(Presumably, these were creepy Aryans dressed up as forest elves and not actual forest elves.)
Continuing along these lines, Nazi SS officers married in pagan ceremonies that took place in special parts of forests containing occult significance. Nazis chose fortresses and castles located in forests for the occult significance of those particular areas.
Actually, West German tribes called Thor "Donar" and they knew the tree for human sacrifice as "Donar's Oak." An allusion to this tradition remains today as the name of one of Santa's reindeer, Donner. (Donner & Blitzen are "Thunder" (Thor) & "Lightening.")
How merry!
Anyway, the point is that Aryans traditionally have been really into trees.
And it’s not for good reasons.
And German immigrants brought these customs with them to America.
Many Europeans kept up a remnant of this tradition by burning a “Yule log” (rather than a person, I guess) on their hearths until the 1900s.
Then people decided to make the Yule log into a rolled-up jelly-and-cream-filled sponge cake and eat it instead of burning it.
Actually, it's funny that church-going people still use the term "Yule" to describe their cakes and season. Yule was an ancient Germanic pagan festival that revered imaginary gods, predatory spirits, and sacrifices.
Anyway, it’s not surprising that davka the Germans brought the tree tradition over to America. With a few exceptions, they never managed to completely drop their nature-worshiping tendencies.
Contrary to the popular belief that Nazism was an atheist movement, Nazism idealized and observed many occult nature-worshiping customs in an effort to get back to their pre-Christian roots (roots like “Thor's Oak”).
For example, the racist occult society on which Nazi ideology is based hosted secret ceremonies based on nature-worship and even included background music sung by a choir of “forest elves.”
(Presumably, these were creepy Aryans dressed up as forest elves and not actual forest elves.)
Continuing along these lines, Nazi SS officers married in pagan ceremonies that took place in special parts of forests containing occult significance. Nazis chose fortresses and castles located in forests for the occult significance of those particular areas.
Actually, West German tribes called Thor "Donar" and they knew the tree for human sacrifice as "Donar's Oak." An allusion to this tradition remains today as the name of one of Santa's reindeer, Donner. (Donner & Blitzen are "Thunder" (Thor) & "Lightening.")
How merry!
Anyway, the point is that Aryans traditionally have been really into trees.
And it’s not for good reasons.
And German immigrants brought these customs with them to America.
'Tis the Season to be Savage
Going even further back, the week of Saturnalia was celebrated at winter solstice in Rome.
Jolly pagans ran amuck violating women, looting, vandalizing, committing human sacrifice, and passing out pastries in the shape of—how do I say this in polite company?— erva parts.
Then they got rid of the human sacrifice and settled for distributing dolls made of wax or pottery instead...ooh, presents!
Europeans actually kept up some of these violent traditions, but only against the Jews.
Then they ran out of Jews after the devastation of the Shoah, so they stopped that seasonal tradition.
(Actually, not completely true. Several brutal pogroms were committed against surviving who Jews who returned.)
And Europeans also modified the vulgar pastries into gingerbread men.
Prior to the merry Romans, Persians celebrated December 25th as the birthday of their sun-god.
Ancient Persians shouted from their shrines about how a betulah has brought forth issue. (Gosh, that sounds so familiar...)
If you go back even further, you find a woman who seems to have been the wife of the Babylonian tyrant Nimrod, who gave birth to a baby long after Nimrod had died—like, a LOT longer than 9 months after he died. Oops!
But no worries—she simply claimed to have been impregnated by a sunbeam and the child was an incarnation of Nimrod.
So with that, Nimrod's wife inspired immaculate-conception & mother-goddess/child-god worship.
Ancient Egyptians also celebrated this time as the birth of their sun-god, which they represented with the image of an infant.
They ate goose and decorated their homes with greenery (both of which are familiar December traditions nowadays). They also had celebrations similar to the Romans, but less violent.
Jolly pagans ran amuck violating women, looting, vandalizing, committing human sacrifice, and passing out pastries in the shape of—how do I say this in polite company?— erva parts.
Then they got rid of the human sacrifice and settled for distributing dolls made of wax or pottery instead...ooh, presents!
Europeans actually kept up some of these violent traditions, but only against the Jews.
Then they ran out of Jews after the devastation of the Shoah, so they stopped that seasonal tradition.
(Actually, not completely true. Several brutal pogroms were committed against surviving who Jews who returned.)
And Europeans also modified the vulgar pastries into gingerbread men.
Prior to the merry Romans, Persians celebrated December 25th as the birthday of their sun-god.
Ancient Persians shouted from their shrines about how a betulah has brought forth issue. (Gosh, that sounds so familiar...)
If you go back even further, you find a woman who seems to have been the wife of the Babylonian tyrant Nimrod, who gave birth to a baby long after Nimrod had died—like, a LOT longer than 9 months after he died. Oops!
But no worries—she simply claimed to have been impregnated by a sunbeam and the child was an incarnation of Nimrod.
So with that, Nimrod's wife inspired immaculate-conception & mother-goddess/child-god worship.
Ancient Egyptians also celebrated this time as the birth of their sun-god, which they represented with the image of an infant.
They ate goose and decorated their homes with greenery (both of which are familiar December traditions nowadays). They also had celebrations similar to the Romans, but less violent.
I'll Stick with Judaism, Thank You Very Much
Many of us don’t feel the pagan holiday season at all, especially those of us living in Eretz Yisrael.
(The exception might be if you, like my son, served in the only Jewish army in the world and roomed on base with non-Jewish Ukrainians who decorated the room with colored tinsel and sang carols at the top of their lungs. Ho, ho, ho!)
And it’s so typical of Esavite culture to make everything look pretty and attractive.
But all those trees with their lights and decorations? Think human sacrifice.
Rolled-up jelly-cream log-shaped cakes? Think human sacrifice.
And all that partying & feasting & gingerbread? Think pagan reign of terror.
Yeah. It’s really not so nice.
Frankly, I prefer Chanukah.
And Purim. And Pesach. And even Tisha B’Av…
(The exception might be if you, like my son, served in the only Jewish army in the world and roomed on base with non-Jewish Ukrainians who decorated the room with colored tinsel and sang carols at the top of their lungs. Ho, ho, ho!)
And it’s so typical of Esavite culture to make everything look pretty and attractive.
But all those trees with their lights and decorations? Think human sacrifice.
Rolled-up jelly-cream log-shaped cakes? Think human sacrifice.
And all that partying & feasting & gingerbread? Think pagan reign of terror.
Yeah. It’s really not so nice.
Frankly, I prefer Chanukah.
And Purim. And Pesach. And even Tisha B’Av…
Baruch Elokeinu sheh baranu b’chvodo v’hivdelanu min hato’im…
Blessed is our God Who created us for His Glory and separated us from the erring ones…
Blessed is our God Who created us for His Glory and separated us from the erring ones…
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