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The date coincided with an older May Eve festival, which was also celebrated in much of northern Europe with the lighting of bonfires at night. [11] A variety of festivals of pre-Christian origin had been celebrated at this time (halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice ) to mark the beginning of summer, including Beltane in ...
The Triumph of Christianity over Paganism, a painting by Gustave Doré (1899). Paganism is commonly used to refer to various religions that existed during Antiquity and the Middle Ages, such as the Greco-Roman religions of the Roman Empire, including the Roman imperial cult, the various mystery religions, religious philosophies such as Neoplatonism and Gnosticism, and more localized ethnic ...
The notion of paganism, as it is generally understood today, was created by the early Christian Church. It was a label that Christians applied to others, one of the antitheses that were central to the process of Christian self-definition. As such, throughout history it was generally used in a derogatory sense.
The modern Icelandic festival of Þorrablót is sometimes considered a "pagan holiday" due to folk etymology with the name of the god Thor. [5] The name, while historically attested, is derived from Þorri which is not explicitly linked to Thor, instead being the name of a month in the historic Icelandic calendar and a legendary Finnish king.
Yule is a winter festival historically observed by the Germanic peoples that was incorporated into Christmas during the Christianisation of the Germanic peoples.In present times adherents of some new religious movements (such as Modern Germanic paganism) celebrate Yule independently of the Christian festival.
Some critics of Christian observances of Jewish holidays have echoed the comments of the 4th century theologian John Chrysostom who said, The festivals of the pitiful and miserable Jews are soon to march upon us one after the other and in quick succession: the feast of Trumpets, the feast of Tabernacles, the fasts.
Sukkot's 4 Holy Species from left to right: Hadass (), Lulav (palm frond), Aravah (willow branch), Etrog carrier, Etrog (citron) outside its carrier. Sukkot, [a] also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths, is a Torah-commanded holiday celebrated for seven days, beginning on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei.
[140] [141] [142] Theodosius also turned pagan holidays into workdays, but the festivals associated with them continued. [143] A number of laws against sacrifice and divination, closing temples that continued to allow them, were issued towards the end of his reign, but historians have tended to downplay their practical effects and even the ...