25 December is symbolically revered by Christians around the world as the day that Jesus Christ was born, bringing light and hope into the world. My favourite historical era was Ancient Rome and back then they celebrated the same date as a festival called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, meaning the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun. Going back centuries before that, it was shared around Persia, Egypt and Greece as the birthdate of Adonis, Mithras and Osiris, among others. The solar deity of Ancient Rome actually had two titles: Sol Indiges, the ‘invoked or native Sun’ and Sol Invictus, the Unconquered Sun.
 
Sol Invictus represents the birth of a Spiritual Sun which lights the souls of people. In addition to being the Sun behind the physical Sun we see in the sky, it also represents the inner Sun which is born within us as we take our first breath upon incarnation into this world. I have called it in my articles the Solar Heart – it is the unseen Heart within us that draws the Vital Life Force – the Light, Life and Love of the Cosmic into our Soul.
 
The parallels between “Christian and pagan” traditional celebrations on 25 December are neither a coincidence nor a contradiction, but reflect the merging of beliefs and customs over time. Christmas preserves the traditions our forebears started so long ago: gift-giving and feasts from the Romans; wreaths and evergreen trees from the pagans; visits from Santa Claus in the Western countries later. From the Celts to the Christians and the Vikings to the Victorians, they have all added traditions to the rich tapestry of the holiday we call Christmas.
 
This does not detract at all from the Christian perspective – it is a fitting time to celebrate the birth of Christ… most importantly, it is a celebration of birth and life!