Holiday Myths
Introduction
In these days of excess entertainment and consumption, it is easy to get caught 
up in the so-called "holiday season", rarely stopping to consider its significance. I 
say so-called, because the very word holiday is derived from the two words holy 
and day. However, under closer scrutiny from the Judeo-Christian and Islamic 
perspectives, these days are anything but holy. Celebrations such as Easter, 
Christmas, All Saint's Day, and Halloween all find their roots in pagan traditions, 
alien to the prophets (may peace and blessings be upon all of the prophets). 
Proof of this lies in the lack of historical evidence that the prophets ever 
celebrated their birthdays, decorated eggs, placed ornaments on trees, or 
dressed up in costumes. Through an examination of these holiday myths as 
religious innovation, or bid'ah, this article is a small attempt at warning people of 
the dangerous implications and subtle attitudinal changes that come with such 
celebrations. 
Bid'ah: Religious Innovation
Before any discussion on the origin of holidays such as Christmas and Easter, it 
is important to define a term called bid'ah. A bid'ah is any invention, creation or 
addition of any religious matter, which was not found in the original teachings. 
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "He who innovates 
something in this matter of ours (religion), will have it rejected." (Bukhari 
and Muslim) 
To illustrate the bid'ah involved in Christmas and Easter simple questions beg 
asking. Did Jesus (peace be upon him) celebrate his birthday? Did his mother, 
Mary (peace be upon her)? Did his disciples? The answer, of course, is no. Did 
Jesus (peace be upon him) speak of an Easter bunny? Did he decorate 
evergreens? Of course not. 
To believe that Jesus (peace be upon him) came with the truth, and to then add 
or delete from his message is to mix truth with falsehood. The above practices 
find their origins in pagan rites and rituals. I have heard with my own ears, 
Christian learned men and leaders acknowledging the true origins of Easter and 
Christmas, but putting it off as "all in good fun." So, I ask, would Jesus (peace be 
upon him) approve of mixing his teachings with those of the pagans? 
Furthermore, to illustrate the gravity of bid'ah and of immitating non-believers, I 
refer you to the words of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who said 
what translates as follows: 
Whoever imitates a people is one of them. (Related by Ahmad)
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once saw the Ansaar celebrating 
a certain day. He inquired about that and was informed: This is one of two 
days that we used to celebrate in Jaahiliyyah (pre-Islaamic ignorance) and 
we continue to do so. He replied: Nay! Allaah has substituted for you two 
better days: the day of al-Fitr and the day of al-Adhhaa. (related by 
Ahmad, an-Nasaaee, and others)
Christmas
Christ Mass, or Christmas, is one of many Christian celebrations which finds its 
origins in pagan ritual. To understand its origins one must examine the cult of the 
sun god. Be it Roman, Persian, Babylonian, or Egyptian worship of the sun god, 
there are common features. In general, the festivals of sun god worship occurred 
throughout the year and were based on the path of the sun and the relative hours 
of day and night. Therefore, the most significant pagan rites occurred during 
transition periods such as the vernal equinox, autumnal equinox, summer 
solstice, and winter solstice. 
As autumn progresses to winter, the days get shorter and shorter until the winter 
solstice. At that point, the daylight hours begin to increase again. With respect to 
sun god worship, then, this represented the birth of the sun. In Rome and 
northern Europe, it was celebrated as the birth of Mithra, the sun god. These 
celebrations were ultimately merged with Christian teachings, perhaps to make 
Christianity palatable to the pagan masses. 
By adopting [seasonal] festivals as Christian, the early Church sought both 
to win the allegiance of the populace as well as to harness the vitality of 
such festivals. While there is nothing to indicate the actual time of Jesus' 
birth, such an event most easily correlated to winter solstice festivals. The 
Roman celebration of the birth of the sun god, Mithra, for instance, had 
also been observed on December 25th .... the Church adopted the winter 
solstice as Christmas. The birth of God's sun at the solstice easily 
correlated to the birth of God's son. (Ellerbe p. 146)
The birth of Osiris in Egyptian pagan worship also correlated with the winter 
solstice. 
An Egyptian winter solstice celebration of the birth of Osiris, the divine 
representation of masculine fertility, on January 6th became the Christian 
Epiphany. The Church declared that it signified the manifestation of Jesus' 
divinity. Yet, the spirit of both Christmas and the Christian Epiphany 
embodied timeless celebrations of the winter solstice. The difference 
between them was due more to a difference in calendars than a difference 
in meaning; the Egyptian calendar was twelve days behind the Julian 
calendar. (Ellerbe p.146)
Evergreens were important symbols of life to pagan northern Europe. The fact 
that they stood the test of winter by remaining green was quite significant to 
pagan worship. Words attributed to Jeremiah in the Old Testament warn against 
following the way of the pagans. Specifically, the warning pertains to the 
decorating of trees with silver and gold after cutting them down from the forest. 
2 Thus says the Lord: "Do not learn the way of the pagans; do not be 
dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the pagans are dismayed at them. 
3 For the customs of the people are futile; for one cuts a tree from the 
forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. 
4 They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with nails and 
hammers so that it will not topple. 
5 They are upright, like a palm tree, and they cannot speak; they must be 
carried, because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, 
for they cannot do evil, nor can they do any good." (Jeremiah 10:2-5)
Whether or not this was directed at winter festivals surrounding evergreens is not 
known. But regardless, there is a general warning against following traditions 
which are alien to the prophetic tradition. And there are certainly no records of 
prophets (peace be upon them all) cutting down and erecting Christmas trees. 
And what of Santa Claus? Is this simply another innocent custom? Just 
something benign for the kids? Certainly not. The dangers in Santa Claus lie less 
in the realm of bid'ah, or religious innovation, and more in the realm of shirk, or 
associating others with God. Attributes are given to Santa, which apply to God 
Alone. Answering children's prayers and requests for toys, knowing whether they 
have been naughty or nice, and the ability to reach every home in the world in a 
single night are things which apply only to God. God, Alone, is Omniscient, and 
He alone knows the behavior of the children. God, Alone, is Omnipotent and able 
to answer everyone's request without decreasing His Dominion. To apply 
attributes of God to other than God is to have gods beside the One True God. In 
Judeo-Christian theology it violates the first commandment. And in Islam, it is an 
act of shirk. 
Time of 
Year
Pagan Traditions
Christian 
Synthesis
Winter 
Solstice
The birth of the sun. The birth of Mithra on December 
25th. Often celebrated with yule fires, processions of 
light, and tree decorating.
Christmas & the 
Epiphany
Winter 
Season
A time of nurturing and honoring inspiration and 
creativity. Common practices involving festivals of light, 
wearing animal masks and skins in hopes of augmenting 
the coming year's supply.
Candlemas
Spring 
Equinox
The sun is resurrected and gains prominence over the 
night. Fertility celebrations involving symbols such as 
the egg and the prolific hare.
Easter
Spring 
Season
The mating of the earth and the sky from which will 
come the year's harvest. Often celebrated with maypole 
dancing, decorating with new foliage.
Pentecost & the 
Feast of the 
Ascension
Summer 
Solstice
The peak of the sun's light. Celebrated with large 
bonfires, burning fragrant herbs, decorating with flowers.
Feast of St. John
Summer 
Season
The sun's energy transfers to the crops. Ritual blessings 
of the harvest, herbs, fields, mountains, and ocean.
Assumption Day
Autumnal 
Equinox
A time of gratitude for the harvest. Feasts and decorating 
with fall fruits, grains, and vegetables.
Michaelmas & 
the Nativity of 
Mary
Fall Season
Acknowledgement of the year's completion. Honoring 
the dead, honoring and releasing the past.
All Soul's Day & 
All Saints Day
(borrowed & edited from Helen Ellerbe's The Dark Side of Christian History, permission 
pending)
Easter, Fertility, & the Origin of the Cross
While holidays like Christmas, New Year's Day, and Valentine's Day have names 
which indicate either the holiday's origin or its significance, Easter stands out. 
Most people have no idea what the name Easter means. It turns out that Easter 
is a corruption of Austre, the name of the ancient pagan Scandanavian goddess 
of life and fertility. 
As noted above, many holidays celebrated today represent a synthesis between 
Christian doctrine and pagan ritual. The basis for most of these "holy" days 
revolve around natural phenomena such as the autumnal equinox, vernal 
equinox, summer solstice, and winter solstice. With regards to the spring season 
and the vernal equinox, pagans, especially the pagans of cold, northern Europe, 
celebrated the renewal of life, as was demonstrated by the budding of the leaves, 
blooming of the flowers, return of the birds, and the re-emergence of many 
mammals previously in hibernation. These celebrations often utilized symbols of 
fertility and life such as the egg, the baby chick, and the rabbit. 
The use of these same symbols in present day celebrations of Easter is quite 
obvious. Decorating eggs, Easter egg hunts, and the Easter bunny are all familiar 
icons. These things have carried over from pagan traditions via a synthesis with 
Christian doctrine. In particular, the worship of the sun god has been 
incorporated into the once monotheistic Christian teachings. The vernal equinox 
represents a time in which the hours of daylight equal the hours of night. The 
days following the vernal equinox mark an increase in the number of hours of 
daylight over the night. This time, then became viewed as the time of sol invictus 
or the unconquerable sun, demonstrating its supremacy by conquering the night. 
The synthesis with Christian ideas was simple. Just as the sun conquered the 
night, the son conquered death. Thus, the pagan holidays of fertility and life were 
replaced with the Christian concept of the resurrection of Jesus (peace be upon 
him). 
The Church adopted spring equinox celebrations as Easter. As this time 
had already been one of celebrating the sun's resurrection and return to 
prominence, celebrating the resurrection of the son of God required no 
great change in understanding. In fact, the Easter celebrations were so 
similar to earlier celebrations - particularly those which recognized the 
resurrection of the Babylonian Adonis, the Greek Apollo, and the Roman 
Attis - that a bitter controversy arose with pagans claiming that the 
Christian Easter celebration was a spurious imitation of the ancient 
traditions. Vernal equinox bonfires, originally prohibited by the Church, 
found their way as Easter fires into the official liturgy of Rome by the 
ninth century. Fertility symbols associated with spring, such as the egg 
and the incredibly prolific rabbit, survived as well. (Ellerbe p.148)
In fact, the very symbol of the cross is derived from pagan fertility practices. It is known 
by many that the symbol of the cross was utilized by many civilizations prior to the 
emergence of Christianity. The ancient Egyptian symbol of the ankh, then, deserves 
mentioning for its connection to fertility. The ankh is a symbol which resembles the 
Christian cross, except that it has a loop at the top. Some sources indicate that this symbol 
derives its shape from ancient Egyptian studies of human anatomy. The loop, it is said, 
represents the gravid (pregnant) uterus, while the arms of the cross represent the 
Fallopian tubes. And the base of the cross serves as the vaginal canal. The ankh, then, 
serves as the ultimate fertility symbol. In support of this theory of the derivation of the 
ankh, the fertility dolls of many African peoples are shaped like the ankh.
Conclusions
The pagan roots of holidays celebrated in the name of Christianity testify to its having 
been altered. Christianity, as it exists today, does not represent the message of Jesus, the 
son of Mary (may peace be upon both of them). And this is not merely a Christian issue. 
This is an issue for all God-fearing people. We, as Muslims, must be aware of the pieces 
that make up the puzzle that is Christianity, first to protect ourselves and our families, 
then to warn others and to call them to the right way. 
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "You (Muslims) will follow the 
ways of those nations who were before you, span by span and cubit by 
cubit (i.e., inch by inch) so much so that even if they entered a hole of a 
lizard, you would follow them." We said, "O Allah's Apostle! (Do you 
mean) the Jews and the Christians?" He said, "Who else?" Sahih Al-
Bukhari Hadith, Narrated by Abu Said Al Khudri
There is no "good fun" in displeasing Allah, the Most High. So, we must provide 
alternative activities for our children; camping trips, sporting events, halaqaat, 
field trips, etc. We should do our best to avoid television, year-round. And if we 
find this difficult, we should at least avoid it during these "holidays". If we have 
non-Muslim family members that celebrate these days of bid'aa and shirk, then 
we should avoid their homes at these times. Visit them the month before 
Christmas, or the month after. 
Most importantly, however, we should study our deen and we should surround 
ourselves with those who do. We should seek righteousness among the 
righteous. We should seek the pleasure of Allah among those who please Allah. 
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that whoever imitates a people is one of 
them. Let us imitate those who are on the straight path, not those who have gone 
astray. 
Allah knows best.
Sources
? The Bible, New King James Version 
? Ellerbe, Helen, The Dark Side of Christian History, Morning Star Books, 1995. 
? Maier, Paul, In the Fullness of Time, Kregel Publishing, 1998. 
? The Noble Qur'an, English Translation 
? Quick, Abdullah Hakim, Holiday Myths, SoundVision Video, 1997. 
? Wood, Forrest, The Arrogance of Faith, Alfred A. Knopf, 1990.