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1 "An astute reader brought to our attention that a section in the original
version of this post was unclear. The piece has been edited for clarity."
Before the inception of Christianity, Romans celebrated the birth of Saturn
on December 25. Since ancient Romans believed that winter solstice held
the promise of earthly renewal during springtime, two festivals, namely
Saturnalia and Jevenalia, were organized to honour the god of yield and
fertility. During the weeklong Saturnalia, Saturn was revered for blessing
mankind with agriculture and on Juvenalia, a feast was organized for the
children of Rome.
Original Article URL: http://www.atheistrepublic.com/blog/debapriya/originchristmas-pagan-holiday
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