Pagan Origins?
The idea that most Christian holidays and festivals are “pagan in origin” is widely accepted as fact and often used by anti-theistic polemicists as a way of ridiculing Christianity. Unfortunately this nineteenth century trope has been substantially undermined and revised by modern historians of folklore. They have foud this was an assumption of the Religionsgeschichtliche Schule or “History of Religions School”, based in turn on some Protestant, anti-Catholic rhetoric. When critically examined by more recent scholarship, most of the claims of “pagan origins” have been found to be without foundation at all or wildly overstated and little more than vague possibilities.
But given the regularity with which this claim is repeated in pop history and in much anti-religious polemic, it is important for genuinely rational and sceptical unbelievers to be aware of the evidence and the flimsy nature of these claims and to avoid repeating them in any form without reference to the modern scholarly position and due cautions and caveats.
Pagan Christmas?
The Great Myths 2: Christmas, Mithras and Paganism.
Interview – Dr Philip Nothaft on the Date of Christmas.
Pagan Easter?
Easter, Ishtar, Eostre and Eggs.
Interview – Dr Andrew Henry on Easter and “Pagan Origins”.
Pagan Halloween?