The Holidays

[Ðanisty]

I was wondering...how do Luciferians celebrate the holidays? What holidays do you celebrate and what makes them Luciferian? I haven't put a lot of effort into this yet. I used to love Christmas, not for any Christian reason but because I enjoy the decorating and such. I love getting a tree and putting up holly and mistletoe. I just don't want to celebrate a Christian holiday anymore. I want something of my own and I thought we could share some ideas. I understand Christmas isn't really all that Christian, so maybe just getting back to the true holiday is a possibility (isn't it Mithras' birthday?)

Anyway, I'm itching to celebrate the holidays and I don't even know how to begin because I want to start something new this year and do things my way.

Doc, any ideas you might have are definitely welcome too. This isn't just a Christmas thing. If you've got some cool way to do a LHP Hannukah (sp?), I want to hear it...lol.

[DocHolliday]

It's impossible to invert the Judiac holidays. They're not like the Christian ones, in which pagan themes are accosted.

As far as Christmas, I suggest celebrating Yule and Saturnalia.

[Ðanisty]

I was suggesting that it be inverted. I don't think things necessarily have to be inverted to have a different meaning.

As far as Yule and Saturnalia go, how are they celebrated?

[hayabusa]

I think it's almost safe to say that Christmas isn't a christian holiday anymore, more like a corporate one. Still, I celebrate Christmas. As I got older I realized that it really is better to give than recieve. I love giving gifts.

[DocHolliday]

To be honest, I haven't the foggiest idea of how some of the pre-Christian winter holidays were celebrated.

[hayabusa]

To be honest, I haven't the foggiest idea of how some of the pre-Christian winter holidays were celebrated.Are you talking about pagan holidays? My guess is that they contained a fair amount of nudity and human sacrifice...
Well...a boy can dream can't he?:D

[AppleJack]

I would say take how you are comfortable celebrating and put a twist on it. Lucifer gave the gift of knowledge to humans so why not work off of that? I am working through a couple of ideas myself but it will be hard to use them because I usually travel to relatives houses for holidays. I am not sure how they would react LoL : )

[Lux_Invictus]

I understand Christmas isn't really all that Christian, so maybe just getting back to the true holiday is a possibility (isn't it Mithras' birthday?)


Indeed. Christmas coincides with the winter solstice feast, also the pagan holiday of Natalis Invicti, supposedly the birth of the Roman sun-god Sol (a mixture of Mithras and Apollo).

To begin with, pre-Christian holidays are difficult to celebrate because we do not know much about them, or they are ridiculous in today's society. By celebrating Christmas you are in fact performing the traditions of a medley of pagan religions. The Yule log: The Germanic gods would be pleased. Children singing the glory of Christ: They are celebrating the Sun of Justice, the bringer of knowledge. Especially putting up the Christmas tree, which you mention you very much enjoy: Nothing less than homage to Saturn, the god of farming! The evergreen would (I think) be a perfect symbol of Luciferianism. Year round thirst for knowledge, and the triumph of life over death.

[Alarum]

As well as being a GIANT fertility/phallic symbol!

[Ðanisty]

I did put a tree up this last weekend. I always get a real tree. I go out to a Christmas tree farm and pick out one I like. I just can't do the fake tree thing. I haven't decorated it yet, but I bought a string of all-white lights. I didn't feel like doing colors this year. I hope I get it decorated by my birthday (Thursday).

Maybe we really should be asking what is Christian about Christmas. It could just be easier to remove those aspects.

[Lux_Invictus]

That's your prerogative. If you find Christianity that offensive, then I guess you can try to eliminate it from December 25. Um... seriously though what would you get rid of? As long as you aren't hanging up angel ornaments or crosses, or santa clauses, there's nothing you're doing on Christmas that is explicitly Christian. So... yeah there you go, that would be my suggestion. Seriously though even if I were to suddenly become Luciferan, I wouldn't consider trashing Christianity, so my advice to you may be limited.

[Ðanisty]

That's your prerogative. If you find Christianity that offensive, then I guess you can try to eliminate it from December 25. Um... seriously though what would you get rid of? As long as you aren't hanging up angel ornaments or crosses, or santa clauses, there's nothing you're doing on Christmas that is explicitly Christian. So... yeah there you go, that would be my suggestion. Seriously though even if I were to suddenly become Luciferan, I wouldn't consider trashing Christianity, so my advice to you may be limited.My intention is not to trash Christianity. My intention is to start a new holiday tradition. I'm not one of those anti-Christian types at all. I'm sure at least a few people here can back that up. I have even gone so far as to defend Christians on several forums that I frequent. It is merely a desire to be closer to my own faith. I'm not offended by Christianity, but I'm not a Christian either so why would I want to celebrate a Christian holiday? I'm just looking for ways to celebrate that suit me better. Surely I can do that on my own forum without being accused of trashing people. Where else would you propose I ask?

[Lux_Invictus]

why would I want to celebrate a Christian holiday?

Because as I was attempting to convey, Christmas traditions are not inherently Christian at all. I was just saying that not being Christian is no reason not to celebrate Christmas as you always have. You should only change your celebration method if the Christmas traditions make you uncomfortable. I don't know why they would, since you mention already that you like the Christmas tree, you just don't like the fact that it's Christian.

Fortunately for you, the tree doesn't come from Christianity anyways so you're good to go.

[Ðanisty]

Because as I was attempting to convey, Christmas traditions are not inherently Christian at all. I was just saying that not being Christian is no reason not to celebrate Christmas as you always have. You should only change your celebration method if the Christmas traditions make you uncomfortable. I don't know why they would, since you mention already that you like the Christmas tree, you just don't like the fact that it's Christian.

Fortunately for you, the tree doesn't come from Christianity anyways so you're good to go.Precicely! This is what I said in the post I made before this one. There isn't much Christianity in Christmas. What I don't understand is your last post. I am not trashing Christianity and I'm not all that offended by Christianity (not the honest kind anyway).

[TLF]

There isn't much Christianity in Christmas.

As an anekdote I'd like to add that in Denmark and Sweden we place he-goats made of straw in our homes around Christmas ... it's not difficult to see the reference to a celebration of Capricorn and the horned god around winter-solstice ...

[Ðanisty]

As an anekdote I'd like to add that in Denmark and Sweden we place he-goats made of straw in our homes around Christmas ... it's not difficult to see the reference to a celebration of Capricorn and the horned god around winter-solstice ...That rocks. I wonder what my neighbors would say if I did that this year?

[TLF]

That rocks. I wonder what my neighbors would say if I did that this year?

Send me your address around next Christmas and I'll send you a straw-goat ... who knows, perhaps your neighbours will turn pagan too :D

[Blackrose]

ummm. It has always been my impression that since AntonLevey founded the church of satan around the vernal equinox and since the pagans (druids) mostly observe the equinoxes with their various portents, that the big "holdiay" if there is one, for the infernal hosts is probably sometime in March or April. At latest, May 01.
If you are looking for a legitmate alternative to the usual orthodoxy of holidays espoused by the catholic doctrines, Druid lore is fairly interesting andmakes alot of sense based on the calendar.

Otherwise, you could do what I do, which is ignore the entire thing, except to maybe light a candle and buy some extra seasonal cookies. I havent had a christmas tree in at least 10 years, maybe longer. I never seem to get around to it, then its all over anyway--lol.

However in terms of Ceremonial Magic practices, most christian holidays are valuable in that they make ready made occasions on which the spirits are easily contacted. As an example, I had a medallion from the Grimoire Verum made for me on this last Easter Sunday.---Blkrse

[Crucible]

I do whatever is the most fun. I now have 3 kids of my own and an added 2 stepchildren and I love seeing the joy on all of their innocent faces when I do something grand. It really depends.

[TLF]

As a historian I have studied the Danish witch-traditions as they are found in the old court scripts. In Danish witch-tradition dating from the 1600's the real important day seems to be "Mikkelsdag" (Day of St. Michael) - also known as "all angels day" which was celebrated on September 29th, i.e. quite close to the Autumnal Equinox. Mikkelsdag was a harvest celebration among the peasants, but in witch-lore it was a big day for initiations into the cult (according to several [forced] testemonies from witches). It was usual for the participants to meet at the graveyard which encircles the local church, then dance three times around the church [against the clock/sun] after which the aspirant should exhale his/her breath through the keyhole of the church door. After that, the witch would get a vision of his/her "boy", the guardian spirit that would serve him/her. That guardian spirit often had the appearance of a tail-less dog, but could take other forms.

Several witch-testemonies circle around the topic. I should add here that some, but definitely not all, of these testimonies were given under "forced interiogation" (read: torture). Actually a law in Denmark explicitly states that a witch can only be tortured when he/she was already found guilty and had been convicted to die in at the bonfire ... therefore many of the testimonies deals with who was there, and not with what actually happened. The happenings had already been disclosed before the convicted witch was given over to torture.

[VelvetBat]

As for holidays, I don't really celebrate them. I still live at home and my mother is catoholic, so she celebrates her holidays. Actually I don't see a difference when it is a holiday, except for Christmas ofcourse. House filled with christmasdecorations, such as the decorated tree, a LOT candles and.. how do you call it? Don't know the word in English, neither does my dictionary. Never mind. back to the subject.
The house is decorated, but it is not christian at all. No angels, no Maria and Jesus things, exept one Maria and Jesus candleholder.
And my mother goes to chruch when it is christmas eve.
There is nothing christian in christmas anymore here in the Netherlands.

Christmas is for me only decorating the house with candles and the tree. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't celebrate it. I celebrate nothing. I don't even celebrate my own birthday anymore.