Mich. Residents Receive Letter Calling Christmas Lights 'Pagan'

Who cares if they're Pagan, Christian, or whatever. They're lovely. My Jewish family makes an event of driving around town looking at Christmas lights, and we even put up our own, because they are beautiful, and a happy sight during all this dark winter weather. If other people want to express their joy, I say, get on board! You don't have to share their beliefs, just share their good feelings!

Clark W. Griswold was unavailable for comment.

The origin of a tradition has less meaning than the reason why you do it. If you put up Christmas decorations to celebrate Christ, then that's the meaning. If you put them up for the fun of the season, then that's the meaning. If you put them up because they're "purty" then...good for you!

To all my Pagan friends......Merry Christmas!

I've heard that the ancient druids were fond of LED displays.

Christianity incorporated many traditions to make converting a bit more comfortable. What about the Advent wreath? But then, I'm a Catholic and not a real Christian according to some folk. And I'm sure there's something in the Bible about not being all judgy about one's neighbors' devoutness.

Bring on the Christmas lights and let us go a-wassailing!

Too much free time. As a Christian, I would rather have a peaceful pagan next door than a
Bible thumping bigmouth who is probably humping his secretary in secret.

I don't mean to rain on the letter writer's parade, but so is celebrating Christmas on Dec 25. The church did that to try to entice "pagans" from celebrating a pagan holiday. The church more or less appropriated the date,Please just try to get into the real spirit of the Holiday, even if we're off by several months.

Get over it, just decorations.

Oh, how I wish these fanatics would just sit down, shut up and assume an attitude of respectful silence that so becomes them. So freaking *WHAT* if the lights have their origin in pre-Christian customs ? The early Church adopted any number of Pagan traditions and invested them with a Christian understanding, and the very celebration of Christmas itself is one example. So is burning the greens on Twelfthnight. So is honoring the Dead in late October/early November. So is the ritual use of incense, et cetera. Classical Paganism contained much that was true and beautiful. Christianity merely appropriated these things as a way of propogating its message.

The letter writers are indeed accurate! And every week we ALL live & run our daily lives by Roman and Nordic Gods & Pagan ritual representation.. The actual DAYS OF THE WEEK are named after Roman and Nordic God's - FACT.. LOOK IT UP!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.................

Funnily enough, that letter writer ignores that fact that Christ wasn't even born during Yuletide. Yule was stolen from the neopagans by christians so they could be more easily converted and conquered. Go highjack and whine about another holiday you idiot.

To be fair. "Christmas" was a pagan holiday, before the church usurped it in an effort to stamp out papan religions. The holiday tree, yule tide, yule logs burnt in the fireplace and holly wreaths are all pagan symbols. In roman times, the holiday was called "Saturnalia" or The Feast of Saturn and celebrated the Roman God Saturn. Since I am follower of the "old religions", I refer to christmas as Saturnalia much to the chagrin of my wife and her family.

This is getting really stupid. Soon the holidays are going to be just another month in a year because everyone gets offended over any little thing displayed. Apparently, no one is allowed to have fun...ever.

Americans have always prided themselves on freedom of choice.So if some people want wreaths,mistletoe,and lights,that's okay.As usual,it's the fundamentalists getting upset.Ever notice how the first few letters spell the word fun ?

Well, the guy is technically right. Most of those traditions come from paganism, both Roman and German. In fact, if we take Luke's account in chapter 2, the shepheds would be out in the fields in early spring, not in December, when the new lambs need the extra feeding.

Doesn't change him being a jerk about it.

Holloween lights have gotta put these nuts over the edge !!!

The letter's statements are true. Lights, trees, wreaths, mistletoe, mummers and caroling are pagan practices established long before it was decided that December 25th was the birth date of Jesus. In fact the Puritans and other conservative religious groups tried to outlaw Christmas celebrations in America

I wonder what the letter writer would think and say if SANTA arrived riding a BROOM ? My wife is WICCAN and we celebrate the Solstices,Thanks Giving,Halloween,Christmas ,July 4Th and any thing else that may come to mind. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL.