Great! More of the same on January the 6th as
well. What about some of the other things that are associated
with Christmas? Where did they come from?
“The authors whom we
consulted on this point are unanimous in admitting the
influence of the pagan celebration held in honor of Deus
Sol Invictus on the 25th of December, the Natalis Invicti, on
the Christian celebration of Christmas.
This influence is held to be responsible for the shifting to the
25th of December of the birth of Christ, which had until then been
held on the day of the Epiphany, the 6th of January. The
celebration of the birth of the Sun god, which was
accompanied by a profusion of light and torches and the
decoration of branches and small trees, had
captivated the followers of the cult to such a degree that
even after they had been converted to Christianity they
continued to celebrate the feast of the birth of the Sun god.”
- The Cult of Sol Invictus, by Gaston H.
Halsberghe, 1972, p. 174.