Monday, December 21, 2015

New Year's Eve Dream Temple - Part 4 - Feast of Circumcision

The Yogi Tree invites you to celebrate New Year's Eve in a community of like minded spiritual seekers.  We are offering Yoga, Reiki, Dream Exploration, Yoga Nidra, Hypnosis, Breathwork and Trance Dance in our adult slumber party for spiritual growth, healing and transformation at our studio in Toluca Lake.

The celebration of the New Year has ancient roots. Saturnalia was the name of the Ancient Roman New Year's celebration.  Saturnalia shifted during the lifetime of Rome. "It began around the middle of December ... and continued until January first. In its midst was December twenty-fifth, the day, as the Romans calculated, when the sun was at its lowest ebb ...." (E. W. Count's "4000 Years of Christmas", page 28.)

Around 375 A.D. the Roman Emperor Constantine imposed "Christianity" on the Roman world.

       "There were many immigrants into the ranks of the Christians by this time," writes Earl W. Count. "The Church Fathers discovered to their alarm that they were also facing an invasion of pagan customs. The habit of Saturnalia was too strong to be left behind. At first the Church forbade it, but in vain." In medieval Europe, however, the celebrations accompanying the New Year were considered pagan and unchristian-like, and in 567 AD the Council of Tours abolished January 1st as the beginning of the year.

January 1st was given Christian significance and became known as the Feast of the Circumcision, considered to be the eighth day of Christ's life counting from December 25th and following the Jewish tradition of circumcision eight days after birth on which the child is formally given his or her name.     "The Church finally succeeded in taking the merriment, the greenery, the lights, and the gifts from Saturn and giving them to the Babe of Bethlehem .... The pagan Romans became Christians -- but the Saturnalia remained!" (E.W. Count, page 31.)



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