TRADITIONAL TRUTH, HISTORICAL HERESY

TRADITIONAL TRUTH, HISTORICAL HERESY 

Traditions are more important than actual, original events for it is cumulative culture that assumes greater significance than singular, even epochal events. Power lies with the directed multitude where each unit, the individual, contributes his mite to the might of a movement that is at hand or at a distance in space and time led by a leader of luminous significance or of greatness thrust on him by that very tradition to suit political necessity. Nonetheless, it is the people's power in the end, when directed, unified and brought to focus, that holds sway over history, giving the lie to original historical truth or otherwise of its initial essence. So is the birth of Christ celebrated on a day of common acceptance when he was not actually born --  born that he was if ever, for there is no proof of his historicity -- but on the 25th of December that had always been traditionally significant in ancient cultures beginning with that of the Mayan and running down to that of the Romans. The former celebtated this day as their religious day while the latter celebrated this day as a day of rejoicing and revelry post the Winter Solstice ever year. When Christianity arose, it appropriated this annual culture of the pagans and after deliberation declared this day to be the birthday of Jesus the Christ. And thus has it remained ever since, the Christmas celebration waxing and waning with the fluctuating fortunes of the Church.

Christ, if he was ever born, was born in 6 BCE and probably sometime in spring or early summer. 25 December has been thrust on him as his birthday. This way the early Church could make use of the already available traditional Roman annual holiday to good effect in their bid to popularise Christianity in the vast Roman Empire. And so it has remained ever since. Let us then immerse in this day of universal merriment based as usual on traditional truth and historical heresy.

Written by Sugata Bose