Avanti Centrae is the author of the Van Ops thriller series. You can find out more about her book Solistice Shadows on her website www.avanticentrae.com, or more about her by clicking here, read her last post here, and buy her books here.
While researching novels, I learn all kinds of interesting things. For example, the Puritan ban on Christmas is a fascinating chapter in history, reflecting religious, cultural, and political belief systems of the 17th century. Historically, they were right.
Christmas and winter solstice celebrations are indeed intricately linked. Ancient civilizations meticulously observed winter solstice, constructing monuments like the Temple of the Sun at Palenque and the Karnak Temple in Luxor align with the sun on the shortest day of the year. Like Stonehenge at summer solstice, these structures highlight the solstice’s importance to communities across the globe.
The Puritans, a Protestant group seeking to purify the Church of England from Catholic practices, viewed Christmas as a decadent solstice-oriented festival lacking biblical justification.
Early Christians, who were often seen by their rural contemporaries as members of an urban cult, worked to ban old customs. But the country inhabitants weren’t easily swayed. Eventually the church realized they needed to co-opt some of these rural traditions.
If ya can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
In the 4th century CE, Church leaders begun to draw upon the Roman festival of Saturnalia, an ancient holiday that honored the Roman God Saturn. The festival was a week of dancing, decadence, and the inversion of social and moral norms, typically celebrated on the longest nights of the year between December 17th and 24th. Dies Solis Invicti Nati, another holiday, celebrated the return of the sun after the solstice.
These festivals involved feasting and gift-giving, lighting candles, and decorating with evergreens. Sound familiar? These traditions influenced Christmas customs that are still alive today.
It’s worth noting that historians believe the first mention of the Nativity feast and other early Christmas traditions appears in a Philocalian calendar dated around 354 CE. Because of the original ancient rituals, celebrating Christmas was banned by the Puritans and made illegal in Massachusetts between 1659 and 1681.
Although the ban lasted an entire generation, merry-making revelers eventually overturned the unpopular law. Millions of people around the world still celebrate Christmas, Yule, or some version of vanquishing darkness with the return of light.
And, deep down, isn’t that what a great thriller is all about?
If you’d like to learn more about solstice-inspired architecture while enjoying a page-turning thriller, check out SOLSTICE SHADOWS, an award-winning standalone in my VanOps series.
I love the notion of “vanquishing darkness.” We need light to live. Your post is a good summary of those beliefs. I always wonder “who” was “that person” back then who began leading the charge to make people believe in a certain way. It’s the stuff of good novels like yours obviously!
Yes, like plants, we all need light. And great stories!
It’s been said, “You learn something new every day.” This was today’s learning for me. Thank you.
You bet. Thanks for reading!
Very interesting post, Avanti. Like Laurie, this is new learning for me today. Thank you. I’ll share to social media.
Thanks for sharing, Margaret!
Thank you for the reminder of what Solstice is, Avanti! Hard to believe the Puritans’ ruling lasted as long as it did. Let the revelry commence! And I highly recommend your action packed thrillers.
Bring on the Christmas sweaters!
Thanks for recommending my thrillers, Tra ey. I love yours, too!
Thanks for sharing this information about solstice celebrations. I’ve seen Stonehenge and another amazing “fertility” structure in Malta, and I’m fascinated by the extent to which ancient people honored and respected nature in their rituals and ceremonies. I also find your thrillers well-researched and fascinating. Can’t wait for the next one!
I’m jealous that you’ve seen Stonehenge!
A very timely and interesting post. Research is always the best part of writing (or one of the best parts!) and I love how it often dispels ideas that we hold dear and sends the story in a different direction. Now I need to go read Solstice Shadows!
Yes, a bit of a holiday plot twist, isn’t it? If you grab the book, enjoy!
Seems like most cultures, even the Puritans, borrowed from others, and even Grinches like me are cheered by extra light during these long, dark winter nights.
I also love all the holiday lights!
I love the research! My latest release also Christmas and the Solstice and I had a blast researching druids. I can’t wait to read Solstice Shadows!