Sun Followers Can Get Lost! (Part 1 of 3)

The Meaning of Christmas…

Many ask: ‘What is the true meaning of Christmas?’ As inaugural members of the Ancient Order of Camel Train Navigators (M.A.O.C.T.N.), we say that all followers of the sun, especially Teddy Bear Grylls, can get lost!

When the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and made it the imperial religion, the feasts of the winter solstice, Saturnalia and Natalis Invicti December 17th to 25th), were syncretised into the Christmas holiday we observe today.

Solus Invictus “Disc Sol BM GR1899.12-1.2” by Unknown – Jastrow (2007). Licensed under CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons

Saturnalia was a festival in honour of the deity Saturn, who was considered the god of plentitude. Natalis Invicti was the ‘Birthday of the Unconquered Sun’, and was principally championed by the Roman Emperor Aurelian , but Constantine then tried to equate Christ with the Sun.

Christ as Sol – uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by User:Leinad-Z and Licensed under Public Domain

There was also an episode of Star Trek (‘Bread and Circuses’) that proposed the very idea that Roman Sun Worshippers were actually followers of the Son Of God (pun intended!).

But now most scholars agree that Christ was not born in December but sometime in March, which begs the observation: if Christmas is really a sun festival and Jesus was born in March, then surely sun followers (Christians), being confused between December and March, are bound to get lost!

How would this happen? Check out Part 2 of this series: The Bear Grylls Kimberley Experience