Christmas the mixed culture of east and west

When in the middle of the third century, Mithraism reached the apogee of its power; it seemed that the world was on the verge of becoming Mithraic, the religion from Orient and Persia. The extension of Mithraism, in the Rome and other western countries, was a natural product of importation of slaves, and transportation of troops. Because of his powerful God Mithraism became the favored religion of soldiers.

As Christianity grew in power, Mithraism became more and more isolated. But similarities between two religions make us believe that traditions must have passed from the one cult to the other.

For example, the sectaries of The Persian god, like the Christians, purified themselves by baptism: received, by a species of confirmation, the power necessary to combat the spirits of evil; and expected from a Lord's Supper salvation of body and soul. Also, their conceptions of the world and of the destiny of man were similar. Both of them admitted the existence of a Heaven inhabited by beatified ones, situate in the upper regions, and of a Hell peopled by demons, situate in the bowels of the earth. They both placed a Flood at the beginning of history; they both finally, believed in the immortality of the soul, in a last judgment, and in a resurrection of the dead, consequent upon a final conflagration of the universe.

Mithraism like Christianity, also held Sunday sacred, and celebrated the birth of the Sun on the 25th of December, the same day on which Christmas has been celebrated, since the fourth century at least.

So Christmas does not merely belong to Christianity, but it is a universal festival, especially for Persians.
Merry Christmas.

Source:
Cumont Franz., 1956; the Mysteries of Mithra, New York.