Pagan rituals and symbols
It will become quickly apparent to anyone trying to find information on this subject that since forces for christianity have done all they could to eradicate all trace of these ancient beliefs. Each year has 4 pivotal celebrations represented by the 4 seasons.
The origins of Easter
On the 21st oh March when the suns angle of longitude and declination are both 0.0 degrees.
Day time and night time are equal. The feminine deity Oestre is celebrated. Her temple has been hidden in Holland since the first missionaries backed by the frankish king Charlemagne were sent to obliterate the pagan temples. The first missionary Willibrord became a powerful archbishop by using his entourage murdering guardians of pagan sites and then like the sacred forest in Heiloo, burn them down.
The temple of Oestre is so feared that it is to this day hidden by the catholic church.
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The origins of X-mas
12th-century Syrian bishop Jacob Bar-Salibi. The scribe who added it wrote: "It was a custom of the Pagans to celebrate on the same 25 December the birthday of the Sun, at which they kindled lights in token of festivity. In these solemnities and revelries the Christians also took part. Accordingly when the doctors of the Church perceived that the Christians had a leaning to this festival, they took counsel and resolved that the true Nativity should be solemnised on that day.
For those who care the real birthday of Christ has been placed by some scholars as around 3BC somewhere between the 27th August and 15th September. The key to the very day of Jesus' birth is the words, "and the moon under her feet." This places his birth on the evening of the 11 September 3BC.
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The summer solstice
I haven't spent much time on this. This subject has has the most speculation and made up ceremonies associated with it.
It is possibly the shortest night being the more celebrated occurence than the length of the longest day. If Shakespear is to be believed then it is the mid summer night which heralds the return of darkness is when the festivities take place.
Pagan religious sites seem to comprise of a stone circle, and multiple wooden circles which form a trail along a waterway. Sacred woodlands have probably been removed over the centuaries.
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The harvest festival
The same sacred sites where used for this festival which is still very strong. Even the church could not dimish this festival. The churches even collect the gifts brought in by elderly and children to be distributed to the poor. Mostly elderly and children.
Clues to this celebration are the poem John Barley Corn, corn dollies. The tantamount
principal of this festival was getting in the harvest. The harvesting of the crops was a central ritualized communial effort but once the last neck of corn had been harvested then the real celebration could let loose.
This part is demonstrated by the oktoberfest in the Bavarian city of Munich.
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