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Originally Posted by Dead-Air
I agree there is no reason not for both Christmas and the solstice to fall around the same time of year. However, the early Christian church did set Christmas at the time of the pagan holiday specifically because it made it easier to convert people if the holidays seemed essentially the same. If you read the Golden Bough, it's rather interesting what the origins of the Christmas tree were - it was actually a tree used in sacrifices that was set on fire with people in it!
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Yes and no. The Roman celebrations of Christmas most definitely coincide with so-called pagan celebrations, particularly that of the cults of Mithras, also to specifically aid in the conversion of the masses of soldiers and military men who were devotees of Mithras, however, this was all occurring in the fourth century.
The celebration of Christmas itself, though not around the solstice, was celebrated in Alexandria and Syria, the origins of Christianity, as early as the end of the first century. It was at the first great Eccumenical Council that the entire church of ALL Bishops, eastern and western, African, Asian and European, met together to codify the Church. Here at the Council of Nicaea, the universal celebration of Christmas at the Solstice was established, and the Eastern churches set the dates on their calendar to coincide (in Ethiopia the 29 of Tahisas is December 25 of the old Julian calendar and in Egypt the 29 of Tankah). This is so permanently accepted, that the Orthodox communion did not switch like Rome to the Gregorian calendar, and so Orthodox Christmas is on January 7, (the 29 of Tahisas) and correlate to the original christmas, and are now removed from the actual solstice date.
I think it is safe to infer that the Eastern churches and bishops all accepted the December 25, not just because it coincided with Mithrasism which only benefited Rome, but also themselves, in codifying a universal date to celebrate the birth together, as ONE, solitary Church. If these bishops accepted the date, there must be more too it than Roman desires to convert Mithras military cults, because this was not the same circumstances in other Christian realms. Because everyone accepted this date, it is safe to assume it has more Christian elements to it than just Rome's great conversion plan..
accepting Christmas as being on December 25 ONLY as a result of competition with Mithras is rather Euro-centric and western biased, there are nearly a billion Christians who have nothing to do with Rome at all!