Oh December, the holiday season.
The time of year when the weather cools down, the nights begin early, and everyone seems to be in a better mood. It’s really easy to get caught up in decorating and shopping, but what if I told you there was a secret origin to many December holidays?
The original theme of the holidays was centered on God, and learning the secret origin will help unite humanity.
Without wanting to sound too “Grinchy,” it’s becoming more widely known that Jesus of Nazareth was not born on December 25, and that the date was most likely chosen as a convenient celebratory day, on the same day as a Roman holiday, the “Birthday of the Unconquered Sun,” which celebrated the winter solstice.
The winter solstice, toward the end of December, is the day with the shortest daylight and longest nighttime hours of the year. Beginning the next day, daylight hours will gradually lengthen.
Interestingly, many cultures around the Mediterranean, Europe and beyond observed feasts on or around the solstice, and the celebrations shared a common theme: celebrating the return or “victory” of the sun or sun god. So, whether we’re talking about the German Yule festival, Makara Sankranti in India dedicated to the solar deity, the Celtic legends connecting the solstice with Balder, the Scandinavian sun god who was struck down by a mistletoe arrow, or the triumph of the Persian sun god Mithra over darkness, the underlying theme is shared and commemorated in different ways depending on the region.
The History Channel has done segments tracing how many of the traditions associated with contemporary Christmas were incorporated from surrounding solstice festivals.
Why did so many ancient cultures celebrate similarly themed holidays that centered upon the winter solstice? One fascinating perspective is found in a piece of Talmudic lore. The source of all these festivals is said to have begun with Adam, the first man in the Bible. When Adam saw that the days in the winter were getting steadily shorter during his first year, he thought that he had brought on the diminishing of light through his sin.
He feared that darkness would soon consume creation and that the world would revert to a state of darkness and chaos. In response, he fasted and repented to God. When the days began to get longer, he rejoiced and realized it was part of the natural cycle of the world. The following year, he instituted days of praise and celebration to God, a week before and a week after the solstice, in lieu of fasting.
This annual celebration gradually morphed through Adam’s descendants, and eventually turned into diverse regional festivals centered around the sun god of that locale. While the timing and underlying cause remained loosely intact, the rituals surrounding it became varied.
Whatever the cultural icons and fanfare used to celebrate your December holiday, what comes out from this discussion is that celebrating God was the original-original reason for the season.
But there is a broader message that emerges from sourcing the December festivals to Adam, the first man. Jewish tradition teaches that humankind was created individually, from common parents — Adam and Eve — so nobody could ever claim superior pedigree, saying “My ancestors are greater than yours.”
Although people would eventually be divided into nations, and formulate different viewpoints, that single origin is a unifying element.
Whichever way your December holiday is celebrated in your home, maybe it’s worthwhile to reflect on an underlying message that unites us all: we all come from one source, and share a common destiny.
It’s time to reaffirm that, like Adam, each of us were created individually for a special and specific reason. We each have a divine spark within us, and a divine mission in front of us.
We remind ourselves that Divine blessings are bestowed upon a person not by race or creed, but by deed. Ultimately, we will return to this universal recognition of God, as it says in Zephaniah 3:9, “I will transform the peoples to a purer language that they all will call upon the name of God and serve Him with one purpose.”
Let’s start now.
If December holidays become a reminder of our common source, a catalyst for us to strengthen our sense of purpose, reconnect with the Creator, and enhance a sense of global unity, then together we will reveal a whole new level of the “most wonderful time of the year.”
Motivator, entertainer, and educator - Rabbi Pinchas Taylor hosts "Taylor Talks," available on YouTube, which provides weekly inspiration as well as promotes universal values and themes. He regularly features celebrity guests, athletes, and other public figures on his show. Rabbi Taylor prides himself on being a problem solver and a member of the American Counseling Association and the Association for Conflict Resolution. His most recent book (2020) A Jewish Guide to the Mysterious details the Jewish view on the paranormal. He is the director of Orthodox adult education and outreach in Plantation, Florida.
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