"The Earth Belongs to HaShem and the Fullness Thereof."

The Origins of Christmas

By Ben Ruach HaKodesh (John of AllFaith) 12.16.09

The purpose of this study is not to dis Christmas nor to present the case for Ebenezer Scrooge's Baa Humbug attitudes toward the celebration. I am not saying one should not join in the festivities if one is so inclined. My purpose is merely to present, in a concise way, where the holiday originated and its lack of biblical support.

One of the most serious sins according to the Bible is religious hypocrisy and I wish to acknowledge that I spend Christmas day with family and friends: a diverse collection Christians, Jews and non-religious folks. I give presents and I accept them. I am not a supporter of legalism and this trend flows both ways, i.e. those who are legalistic in their observances and in what they abstain from. The holidays can be a fun time to gather with others and Christians today do not observe it as a celebration of Paganism. We should however have accurate knowledge of its origins and decide whether and how to observe it as Believers in HaShem. Balance in such matters is always important.

The Birth

Here is the account of the Master's birth:

In the KJV:

Luke 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

In the Noahide Nazarene Bible:

Luke 2:1 Now it happened in those days, that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census be taken throughout the Empire. 2:2 This was the first census made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 2:3 Everyone went to enroll themselves, each to his own city. 2:4 So Yosef went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David; 2:5 to enroll himself with Miriam, who was engaged to be married to him as wife and who was pregnant.

2:6 While they were there the day came for her to give birth. 2:7 She brought forth her first son, and she wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn.

2:8 There were shepherds in the countryside, camping in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. 2:9 Behold, an angel of Adonai stood by them, and the Sh'khinah of Adonai shone around them, and they were terrified. 2:10 The angel said to them, "Don't be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people. 2:11 For there is born for you, this day, in the city of David, a Deliverer, who is the Anointed of Adonai. 2:12 This will be your confirmation: you will find the baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough." 2:13 Suddenly, with the angel was a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying,

2:14 "Glory to God in the highest,
on earth peace, good will toward men."

2:15 No sooner had the angels departed and returned to Heaven, than the shepherds said one to another, "Let's go to Bethlehem now and see this thing that has happened, which Adonai has revealed to us."
2:16 They came with haste and found both Miriam and Yosef, with the baby lying in the feeding trough. 2:17 When they saw it, they told everyone what had been revealed to them about this child. 2:18 All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds. 2:19 But Miriam kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. 2:20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them.

2:21 When eight days were fulfilled for the brit-milah of the child, his name was called Y'shua, which was the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

When was Y'shua Born?

Governor Publius Sulpicius Quirinius

One question scholars have debated since the founding of the Way of Y'shua is what year the Master was born. This reference by Luke should clarify the matter. We should be able to find this decree in Roman documents and establish the year of this census and, thereby, of his birth. Alas its not that easy.

Our text says that this Roman census -- the word apographo does not refer to a "taxation" as in the King James Version but to a written census or registration -- was "the first census made when Quirinius was governor of Syria."

According to the noted Roman historian Florus, around 14 BCE Quirinius defeated a desert-dwelling tribe of outlaws (known as the Marmaridae) while he was governor of Crete and Cyrene. This victory brought him to the notice of Augustus. He had clout with Rome at the time the Master is believed to have born, however he was not yet governor of Syria as Luke says he was here.

In 6 CE the Roman Province of Iudaea -- i.e. Samaria, Judea and Idumea combined -- was placed under direct Roman governance. At that time Coponius was named Prefect of Iudaea and Quirinius (Cyrenius in the KJV) was appointed Legate or Governor of Syria. One of his first duties as governor was to conduct this census registration to enable Rome to efficiently tax the people of his province. The text literally says this was to be a census of "all the world" but the context refers only to "the Roman world." According to Roman records this census occurred in 6 or 7 CE which fits with his service to Rome as known elsewhere.

This would mean however that Y'shua was around 7 to 10 years old when the census was taken.

In 12 CE Quirinius returned to Rome as a close associate of Tiberius. Nine years later he died and was given a public funeral.

According to both Luke (Luke 1:5) and Matthew (Matthew 2:12) Y'shua was born during the reign of Herod the Great, who is known to have died between 4 and 1 BCE depending to who you ask (based on Josephus' description of a specific lunar eclipse verses certain Roman documents). If Y'shua was born during the Reign of Herod of the Great -- not to be confused with his son Herod Antipas who ruled Galilee between 4 BCE - 39 CE then the Master was born before this census was taken. Since we know the dates of Herod Antipas the earlier date for the Master's birth, circa 7 BCE fits well. Matthew 2:19 records that Y'shua was living with his parents in Egypt when Herod the Great died:

Matthew 2:19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of Adonai appeared in a dream to Yosef in Egypt, saying, 2:20 "Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into Eretz-Israel, for those who sought the young child's life are dead."
2:21 He arose and took the young child and his mother, and came into Eretz-Israel.

So if these verses (Luke 2:1-21) are correct then Y'shua was not born during the reign of Herod the Great as Matthew (Matthew 2:12) and Luke himself (Luke 1:5) says elsewhere. We do not therefore have a date for his birth in these verses. It appears that these verses (2:1-21) are later editorial insertions. The most likely year for his birth from what is known, is 7 BCE.

December 25th in Israel

Our text says in the KJV:

2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

Or in the NNB:

2:8 There were shepherds in the countryside, camping in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock.

These shepherds were "abiding" or "camping" in the wilderness and watching their flocks all night. This would not be the case in the middle of winter. The animals would have been stabled during December. They might have been taken out to graze in the daytime, but the text specifically states that the shepherds were camped out with their flocks all night.

Bethlehem has a Mediterranean climate. This means hot and dry summers and cold, wet winters. Late December and January are the coldest months of the year with temperatures ranging from 33–55 degrees Fahrenheit (1 to 13 degree Celsius).

If Y'shua was not born in December where did we get that date?

The Calculation of Dionysius Exiguus

We are told that a Roman Catholic Scythian monk and abbot named Dionysius Exiguus sought to determine the birth day of the master and erred at his calculations. His error is said to have resulted in the date. His calculation was as follows:

Under Roman rule dates were counted from ab urbe condita: AUC (or, based on the founding of the City of Rome by Romulus and Remus). What we date as 753 BCE is calculated as the year 1 AUC or the year Rome was founded. Dates go forward from there.

Dionysius Exiguus calculated that Roman Emperor Augustus reigned 43 years, followed by Emperor Tiberius.

Luke 3:1 and 3:23 tells us that Master Y'shua turned 30 years old during the 15th year of Tiberius' reign. He thereby concluded that the Master lived 15 years under Augustus (thus placing his birth during the 28th year of Augustus).

It is known that Augustus took power in 727 AUC and so Dionysius established the birth year of Y'shua as 754 AUC, or as the year 1 CE according to modern calculations.

As discussed above however Herod the Great died in 750 AUC and both Matthew and Luke earlier placed the birth during his reign. So the problem is again with the text as we now have it.

Joseph A. Fitzmyer, Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at the Catholic University of America, member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, and former president of the Catholic Biblical Association acknowledges that "the year of Jesus birth, is based on a miscalculation introduced ca. 533 by Dionysius Exiguus."

The DePascha Computus, an anonymous document believed to have been written in North Africa around 243 CE, placed Jesus birth on March 28. Clement, a bishop of Alexandria (d. ca. 215 CE), thought Jesus was born on November 18. Based on historical records, Fitzmyer guesses that Jesus birth occurred on September 11, 3 BCE

The simple fact is, at this point we do not know for certain when the Master was born. It seem most likely to me that it was during the reign of Herod the Great as Matthew and Luke say and that his dates, coupled with the elevation of Publius Sulpicius Quirinius after the coming to power of Herod Antipas makes circa 7 BCE the most likely.

As for the time of year the most we can say is that it was not midwinter based on Luke's description of the Shepherds abiding in the fields by night.

December 25th

As I explain in several studies on my Noahide Nazarene Website, following the Diaspora (70 CE) and the exile of the Jews from the Roman Province of Iudaea (Eretz Israel) many false doctrines arose within the Way Movement. Master Y'shua describes these false doctrines as the Nicolaitan Heresy in the second and third chapters of his Revelation. As I describe there, the Nicolaitan Heresy (also known as the the error of Balaam and the teaching of "that woman Jezebel" -- i.e. Babylon the Great) is the overlaying of Pagan beliefs and doctrines onto the Way taught by Master Y'shua. The rites of December 25th are among these added traditions of men (Col 2:8, II Thess. 2:15). Despite the unsuccessful attempts of Dionysius Exiguus and others to justify the date, the reason December 25th was chosen was to continue the traditions of Saturnalia and other Pagan winter solstice holiday traditions. There is no biblical support for this date.

Saturnalia

The Roman celebration of Saturnalia ran from December 17-25.

Simply stated, during this week each community would pick someone to play the role of "Lord of Misrule." As I discuss elsewhere in some detail, it was common for Pagans to personify their gods in various ways. The most common of these was temple prostitution wherein the devotee engaged in sexual intercourse with the priest (qadesh) or priestess (qadeshah) in order to mystically and carnally merge with the deity. These temple surrogates are mentioned and condemned several places in the Bible as I discuss Here, for instance: "There shall be no Qadeshah of the daughters of Israel, nor a Qadesh of the sons of Israel... (Deuteronomy 23:17).

In the same way, the "Lord of Misrule" represented the spirit of darkness, lawlessness and abuse and took upon himself the excesses of the people. During the week this surrogate was given every imaginable luxury and excess; he was "King for the Week." Hedonism reigned supreme among the people and nothing was off limits. Having been overshadowed by the new Christ Mass celebrations many of the Saturnalia rites were later reborn as Brazil's Carnivaal or Mardi Gras. Not only the Lord of Saturnalia, but everyone engaged in these hedonistic celebrations. They roamed the streets naked or in costumes drunk singing raucous carols and looking for victims, sex partners, fellow revelers and so on.

Ginger Bread Men and Transubstantiation

As part of the Saturnalia rites the Pagans ate little biscuits, often shaped like human beings or animals (now known as Christmas cookies and ginger bread men). St. Nicholas Magazine (May 1875) recounts one of the surviving stories in the tale of the Gingerbread Boy. In brief, the wife in a childless couple was baking cookies one day and fashioned one in the shape of a boy. When she opened the oven a real boy (made out of gingerbread) jumped out and ran off. The woman, her husband, the farmhands, even the animals chased the boy but the boy would taunt them, saying:

I've run away from a little old woman,
A little old man,
A barn full of threshers,
A field full of mowers,
A cow and a pig,
And I can run away from you, I can!

Finally the fox joined in the chase and caught the boy:

Presently the gingerbread boy said, "Oh dear! I'm quarter gone!"
And then, "Oh, I'm half gone!"
And soon, "I'm three-quarters gone!"
And at last, "I'm all gone!"
and he never spoke again. (Read the whole story Here)

The Gingerbread Man tale has several versions but as far as we know none are the original. For more on the Gingerbread Man consult the SurLaLune Fairy Tales site. In 1890 for instance the story was updated by Joseph Jacobs and published as "Johnny-Cake" in his English Fairy Tales collection, but the story is clearly much older. Given what is known there should be no real doubt that originally the account held Pagan references to human sacrifice and a satirical memorial to one boy who sought unsuccessfully to escape (a similar chase of the victim is recounted in the Wickerman tales). This eating of the sacrificial boy may remind Catholics of their doctrine of Transubstantiation (the Papal doctrine whereby the Communion Host literally becomes the blood and flesh of Jesus to be consumed again and again -- in violation of Scripture: Heb 6:6).

During Saturnalia rape, incest, bestiality, most anything imaginable was allowed and even encouraged. The courts were closed and anything went.

But then on the 25th of December, the Lord of Misrule was publicly executed, indicating the passing of the Dark back to the Light, lawlessness to law, chaos to order. The people pretended that none of the abuses had taken place as they returned to comparatively civilized life in preparation for the New Year.

At first the followers of the Way were appalled by these acts but as the Universal Church replaced the Way in 4th century, Saturnalia was incorporated and "Christianized" by the Roman Church and with it came ever more Pagan converts.

Christmas Trees

Christmas trees (like the Tannenbaum or sacred fir tree) are specifically forbidden by the Torah and yet, as with Saturnalia, they were incorporated by the Nicolaitane Church to bring ever more Pagans -- like the Asheira cult -- under the dominion of the Roman Church. Of this forbidden practice we read:

In the KJV:

Jeremiah 10:1 "Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
10:2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
10:3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
10:4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
10:5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

In the NNB:

Jeremiah 10:1 Hear the word which YHVH speaks to you, house of Israel!
10:2 Thus says YHVH, "Don't learn the way of the nations, and don't be dismayed at the signs of the sky; for the nations are dismayed at them.
10:3 For the customs of the peoples are vanity; for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe. 10:4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it not move.
10:5 They are like a palm tree, of turned work, and don't speak: they must be carried, because they can't go. Don't be afraid of them; for they can't do evil, neither is it in them to do good."

Traditions of the sacred tree are ancient. The pre-Christian Romans honored the evergreen pine to celebrate the spring festival of Arbor intrat. Each March 22 in honor of the Spring Equinox (Easter, Eostar, Ostara, Sham el Nessim, Higan, Nowruz etc) devotees of goddess Cybele cut down a pine tree and carried it to the Palatine temple for worship. The tree was wrapped in tinsel (bandages), wreathed with violets and decorated to mourn the death Attis, the self castrated son of Cybele who died beneath a pine tree. Three days later Attis was miraculously restored to life.

According to the poet Virgil the Romans decorated sacred trees with little masks of the fertility god Bacchus even as people today place ornaments on Christmas trees. It was believed that as the wind blew these ornaments around, Bacchus granted fertility to whatever the masks looked upon. Therefore trees around the fields, the stables and elsewhere were decorated. The Romans also believed that woodland fairies and nature spirits (like Christmas elves) lived in the branches of the decorated trees (possibly giving rise to the custom of leaving milk and cookies out on Christmas Eve).

The worshipers of Mithras Sol Invictus (the Roman Sun god worshiped by Constantine until the day of his death: for more on this see Here) also believed that the souls of the recently dead occupied the trees awaiting rebirth. Trees were decorated by these people to call forth the shimmering presence of the Sun (Sol Invictus). Mithraism was a major factor in the doctrinal foundation of the New Religion of the Universal Church and to them the Winter Solstice and Saturnalia marked one of the four Sacred holidays.

Mithras Sol Invictus
Born from the rock (petra genetrix), Marble, 180-192 AD.
From the area of S. Stefano Rotondo, Rome.

Pre-Muslim Egyptians also honored a sacred tree; in their case the palm tree. Their sacred tree also held promises resurrection and good fortune and, like the Christmas tree, was brought into their homes and decorated during the winter solstice. Likewise, the Sacred Groves of the Baal and Ashtaroth worshipers are repeatedly condemned in the Torah. The Christmas tree is merely the Nicean Christan expression of these ancient Pagan customs.

Mistletoe

The mistletoe found on the sacred oak was considered especially sacred to the ancient Celtic Druids. On the sixth night of the moon Druid priests in white robes cut oak mistletoe with a golden sickle. They sacrifice white bulls while uttering prayers that the recipients of the mistletoe would prosper in all ways, including fertility and sexual prowess.

It is taught that the Norse god Balder was killed by the god Hoder using an arrow made of mistletoe while fighting for the pleasure of Lady Nanna. Mistletoe is a potent poison used by Druids and others that reaches deep within the soul according to the Will of the empowered Mage. Like so many other Pagan traditions this one was Christianized to draw in more Pagans and continue the ancient ways in a new form.

Mistletoe both empowers and gives license to sexual promiscuity, hence the Universal Church established the tradition of "kissing under the mistletoe" in preparation for the hedonism of Saturnalia. Even today it forms a frequent part of the Yule-tide observances and even many Christians place it on their door posts and exchange ritual kisses.

Santa Claus

The traditions of Saint Nick come from a few different places and have been combined into the popular image of Santa Claus.

"Saint" Nicholas

The "Nicolaitane Heresy" (referenced directly in the Book of Revelation and indirectly by Paul and others in the New Testament) is propagated by "Old Nick" or "the Stranger." Old Nick is another moniker of Lucifer.

"Saint" Nicholas with the Three Boys in the Pickling Tub,
South Netherlandish, ca. 1500. -- Metropolitan Museum of Art

Old Nick: God of the Merovingians

Nick or Old Nick is a well-known appellation of Lucifer and has been used as such for centuries. The name is related to (or may be derived from) the Dutch word Nikken or devil. The word Nikken stems from the Anglo-Saxon nac-an meaning "to slay". In the areas around Bavaria (home of the Bavarian Illuminati and seat of Merovingian power) there is a river spirit named "Neck," "Nikke," or "Nokke." This nature spirit/demon is of the same family of nature spirits as the Celtic Water Kelpie (supernatural water horses). These spirits are directly related to the Merman of Triton and elsewhere.

The Merovingian Global Elite trace their roots to Merovech (Meroveus or Merovius in Latin and Mérovée in French), the founder of the Salian Frankish Merovingian dynasty. According to their traditions, Merovech was born of a sea god after his mother was raped by a "bestea Neptuni Quinotauri similis." Mero is the root word of mermaid (and mermen) and directly references their father as "Neck," "Nikke," or "Nokke": I.E. as Old Nick or Lucifer in the guise of a quinotaur, which is to say, a five-horned sea bull. According to many of the Dark Prophecies, Rex Mundi will arise from and lead the Merovingians and establish the New World Order (the Novus Ordo Seclorum). Hence, Old Nick is the actual god of the Merovingians and father of the Nicolaitane Heresy.

The Nicolaitane Heresy, by whatever name, is a movement that has been carefully concealed and developed within the heart of the Nicean Church by the Merovingian Elite from as early as the late Second Century CE. That movement established much of what today is accepted as standard Christian dogma. Babylon the Great ("that woman Jezebel") will be the organized, global structure that will arise from this centuries-long endeavor finally realized under the authority of Rex Mundi (the Antichrist). This is the true identity of Old Nick.

But of course, had this been revealed the mislead believers would have rebelled and so a nicer, more Catholic face was developed for public consumption.

Nicholas, Bishop of Myra and Lord of Bari

"Nicholas the Wonder worker" as he was known was born in Parara, Turkey in 270 CE and died December 5th or 6th, 346. He was said to be a very kind and generous man who often left secreted gifts for the poor with the aid of companions like Zwarte Piet (a black skinned servant), Knecht Ruprecht (a bearded farm hand), Krampus (an incubus-like horned creature), der Wilde Mann (an unhorned incubus known simply as "the wild man") and other non-biblical Pagan characters. People would leave their shoes out on their porches and Nicholas often left coins in them.

The Nicean Church developed his popular reputation as the public facade of Saint (santa) Nick (even though he was not formally declared a saint until the 19th century). By incorporating these images and traditions many Northern Europeans came into the universal Church. While Old Nick's demonic companions are largely unknown in the US, they are still widely honored in the Netherlands and elsewhere as nature-spirit assistants to Sinterklaas. Sinterklaas' name comes from the Dutch word Sinter and offers a hint of Old Nick's true identity. He emerges from the sintel or cinders of the mythical regions of Hell along with his demonic assistants.

Nicholas, Nicea and the Nicolaitane Heresy

There was much more to "Nicholas the Wonder worker" than a simple Catholic priest however! Nicholas of Myra was also one of the senior bishops who convened the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE in order to establish the dogmas of the new Universal Church. He was instrumental in the editing, reworking and eventual canonization of what is known today as the New Testament ... as well as the destruction of all the original documents from which it was derived (or perhaps with concealing them in the Vatican vaults). With others, he created the Nicean Creed that effectively blended Paganism with the teachings of the Way and forever severed the Way taught by Master Y'shua from its Jewish roots.

This means that a member of the Nicean Counsel became the very embodiment of Old Nick and the benefactor of Christian children worldwide!

It is therefore quite revealing that Santa Claus has by far outdistanced Jesus as the "reason for the season."

Christmas Stockings and Gift Giving

Cynical or not, Christmas is the time for giving gifts and for redistributing vast fortunes from the pockets of the working poor into hands of the Elite and other corporate interests. Many companies that fail to meet their planned quotas during the Christmas season go out of business soon after and Santa was intentionally designed to facilitate this.

Is there a biblical basis for this annual greed-a-thon? No.

During Saturnalia gifts were freely exchanged in honor of the coming Light of Mithras Sol Invictus but in the Gospel account the Magi from the East only gave gifts to the child Y'shua and his parents in homage. There is no evidence of anyone else exchanging gifts. The Christianized origin of this tradition lies with Old Nick and his corporate handlers, not with the God of the Bible.

In 1087 a group of Nicolaitans who regarded Bishop Nicholas as a most holy saint (and who secretly worshiped him as Old Nick incarnate) moved his bones from Turkey to the sanctuary of goddess Pasqua Epiphania in Bari, Italy. There his remains were venerated and he was worshiped. His followers incorporated the cult of the Italian wish-fulfilling Pagan goddess (known as "Grandmother" Pasqua Epiphania) into their heretical rites. The cult of Nicholas worked behind the scenes out of the Catholic public eye but eventually their sect was formally merged with the Universal Roman Faith that Nicholas and his peers were establishing.

Mrs. Claus -- Er Ms. Claus

Even as Nicholas was said to place coins in the shoes of the poor, Pasqua Epiphania filled the stockings of local children with her gifts. Thus "Grandmother" was merged with the Nicholas traditions and effectively became Mrs. Claus. Her shrine at Bari became the center of the Nicholas cult. It was then that the tradition of exchanging gifts on the anniversary of Nicholas' death began: December 5th of 6th. This tradition was later added to the twelve days of Christmas and the December 25th observances although the rites continue in some parts of Europa on the 5th or 6th.

Wodan Wodel and Old Nick

As the Universal Church extended its authority across Europa, German and Celtic Pagans blended their pantheon of gods with the Triune Nicean God. Wodan (chief god and father of the trinity of gods: Thor, Balder, and Tue) was merged with Nicholas. It is worth noting in passing that Wednesday is Wodans' day, Thursday is Thor's day and Tuesday is Tue's day -- and of course Sunday is the day of Sol Invictus, Monday belongs to the Moon god and Friday is goddess Fria's day. Not only was the biblically mandated Shabbat taken from the Believers and replaced with Sol's day, it was given to the Pagan god Saturn (for more on Shabbat read my Sabbath series Here.

This elevation of Wodan established his rank within the Illuminati hierarchy of gods -- as Old Nick -- placing him above the public face of the Nicean Triune God so that mystically he began a "Grandfather God" (and as seen above was united with "Grandmother Goddess").

To facilitate this merger of religious authority, Nicholas grew his hair long, sprouted a long white beard (showing his authority, primal nature and purity), donned winter apparel and rode a horse through the heavens (later changed to a reign deer, then to a sled with 8 reign deer -- Rudolph was added later as I will discuss below).

The Nicolaitan, Nicean, Catholic Church then altered the Nicholas tradition so that Saint Nick now distributes his gifts on December 25th (rather than December 6th as the Nicholas sect did, although as stated previously those traditions continue in parts of Northern Europe).

Then in 1809 Washington Irving (author of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle) wrote Knickerbocker History and satirized Nicholas as the Dutch Santa Claus (Sinterklaas).

"Twas the Night before Christmas

Dr. Clement Moore, a professor at Union Seminary, read Knickerbocker History, and in 1822 penned the famous poem:

Twas the Night before Christmas
A Visit from St. Nicholas

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Does this sound Christian to anyone?

It was Moore who added the eight reindeer and Santa entering people's homes though sooty chimneys. Again, the idea of slipping through fire filled chimneys fits because Sinterklaas' name comes from the Dutch word sintel or cinder.

So one must ask...

If Christmas is about the birth of Y'shua of Nazareth, where is he in these traditions?

If Christmas is not about the birth of Y'shua, why do faithful Believers in Y'shua teach their children to anxiously await the arrival of a Pagan soot smeared god and his incubus helpers?

Why do they instruct their kids to leave him offerings of cookies and milk?

Why do Bible believing people who are taught that the love of material possessions is the root of all evil (I Tim. 6:10) honor a Pagan god, display his image in their homes, sing songs of praise to him and celebrate his clearly anti-Christian traditions when he is the epitome of anti-biblical hedonism?

Why do Christian parents place their young on the lap of an incubus (or one dressed in his guise) and instruct them to ask for material objects they will in all likelihood never receive?

I'm just asking...

Bavarian illustrator Thomas Nast

The appearance of Old Nick varied greatly for a long time. Sometimes he was shown as a stern Bishop (as Nicholas of Myra), sometimes as a busy elderly elf, sometimes as a fearsome incubus, and sometimes as a fur clad mountain man.

The Bavarian Illuminati had great plans for Old Nick (or more accurately he had great plans for them!) and so once they had his myth firmly established with Moor's poem, they unified Old Nick's public image through the art work of Bavarian illustrator Thomas Nast. By presenting the Pagan festival as the birthday of Y'shua the Nicolaitanes pulled in the Believers and the Vatican sanctified the Pagan festival. Then, once it was firmly planted within Nicean Christian culture, the Nicolaitanes methodically replaced the Nicean Jesus with their true god, Old Nick. The plan was ingeniousness and worked on many different levels: Their capitalist cum corporatist enterprises flourished, Christian children were taught to pray to Lucifer for what they wanted rather than to God (who alone we are to beseech as Believers) and the churches even promoted it as a holy rite!

AND If Santa Is Only A Myth...

Another Nicolaitane coup seldom considered by Believers is that once their kids learn that Santa is "only a myth" -- merely a beloved childhood fantasy -- they reasonably begin to assume that God, the other "imaginary friend who watches over us and keeps a list of whose been naughty and nice" is also not real. A guy in the mall speaks for Santa, a guy in the church speaks for Jesus... but at least Santa bring material goodies!

"My dear brothers, never forget, when you hear the progress of enlightenment vaunted, that the devil's best trick is to persuade you that he doesn't exist!" -- Charles Pierre Baudelaire

As the secular governments gained control over public education and began dictating school curriculum teachers were forced to indoctrinate Christian children with anti-biblical Atheistic religion in the name of Science and secular enlightenment. Through Darwinism and other secular sciences the Elite supported the belief that God, like Santa, was only a myth that enlightened people naturally discarded as they became adult.

Santa -- Satan

And behind it all with demonic glee was Old Nick! Surely it is no coincidence that Santa, in English, an anagram of Satan!

Nast created the popular version of Santa Claus known today. He also added to the myth by giving Santa a home at the North Pole, a toy workshop filled with busy elves (reminiscent of the nature spirits honored by the Pagans), and his list of the good and bad children (in heretical imitation of the biblical Book of Life) to keep them in check and subject to the All Seeing Eye.

Coca-Cola Red

After Nast, all that remained was Santa's red outfit.

In 1931 the Coca Cola Corporation contracted the Swedish commercial artist Haddon Sundblom to create a coke-drinking Santa (he also created Aunt Jemima and the Quaker Oats man).

Not surprisingly Kent, Muhtar (President and CEO of the Coca-Cola Company) and George A. David (chairman of Coca-Cola's Hellenic Bottling Co.) are also members of the Merovingian led Bilderberg Group of Global Elite. George A. David is also a member of the notorious Club of Rome. The Hellenic Coca Cola Bottling Co. is one of Europe's major soft drink companies. While we can not say for certain, as I discuss Here, it is worth noting that there is strong biblical evidence that Rex Mundi (the Antichrist) will arise from the Greek Isles. This globalist corporation insisted that Santa's fur-trimmed suit be presented in bright Coca Cola red. Perhaps it seems I'm stretching the point a bit here, however given the known ties binding Coca cola with the Illuminati (via their membership in Club Bilderberg and the Club of Rome), it is reasonable to question whether this might not suggest something darker -- a link between color of Santa's outfit to, for instance, an association with the the "Red Shield" (or "Rothschild" family of the Bavarian Illuminati).

Rudolph Joins the team

Rudolph, that "most famous reindeer of all," hitched his yoke to Old Nick's reindeer team about a hundred years after the original herd of eight flying deer was selected. Rudolph was created by Robert L. May, a copywriter at the Montgomery Ward department store in 1939 to bring in more customers. May created the myth that is now standard Christmas fare.

How Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Got His Start

Thus with the aid of a Bavarian artist and a Bilderberg member corporation (including the symbolic red shield of the Rothschild House) Santa became the real reason for the season replacing Jesus and undermining the God he served even more. Santa is a blend of Christian crusader, pagan god, and commercial idol.

And it all goes to enrich the global fascist Novus Ordo Seclorum, further undermines faith in the God of Israel, and helps pave the way for the coming revelation of Rex Mundi.

Jethro Tull - A Christmas Song

Happy Holidays.

Celebrate with understanding.

~ Ben Ruach HaKodesh
~ John of AllFaith

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