Are you religious?
I’ll bet you are. But, probably not in the way you think.
The Bible says “by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matthew 7:20) And I think we could all agree, Christian or not, that this is true. If someone reads the Bible and attends church, and partake of sacraments, we would call them a Christian. If someone reads the Koran, prays 5 times per day and plans to make a trip to Mecca for Hajj, we would call them a Muslim. Same for Jews, if they keep Kosher, attend synagogue and study the Talmud.
By that definition, you are a Pagan.
We all know about the Pagan origins of Christmas. (Okay, most of us know about it.) The Pagans had a winter solstice celebration. The Christians decided to make their celebration of Christ’s birth line up with an established Pagan celebration.
Same goes for Easter. The Spring Equinox is a time for Pagans to celebrate fertility and rebirth. Oh, but, you have it wrong Rodney. Christ may not have been born in December, but we know when he was resurrected. Easter is about Christ’s resurrection.
Except. . .bunnies? Easter eggs? How do those tie into the crucifixion and resurrection?
They don’t. But, you know what they DO tie into? Celebrations of fertility. You know, the Pagan festival.
We probably don’t need to even talk about Halloween. Christians didn’t even try to co-opt that holiday. Just go with the Pagan parts.
What about wedding rings? Not the ring itself, but where you wear it. The ring finger, in Pagan traditions had a vein that led straight to your heart. Ever wonder why it goes on that finger? Now you know. You Pagan.
Bridesmaids? Yup. Pagan weddings had the bridesmaids and the bride dressing exactly the same. That way the evil spirits would attack the bridesmaid instead of the bride.
And have you ever knocked on wood? You do it for good luck, right? But, why? Because Pagans believed that spirits lived in the wood. Knocking on the wood called forth those spirits to aid you in your efforts. (That’s why it doesn’t count if you knock on plastic or metal. The spirits only live in wood.)
So, by their fruits you know them.
You Pagan, you!
Stay safe
Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren. Order Miscellany II, an anthology including his latest short story, “The Mercy System” here
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