About That Meme… and the Truth Beneath It

There’s an image going around claiming a politician wants to outlaw pagan holidays and rituals to “protect Christmas.” It’s dramatic. It’s viral. And, after digging, it doesn’t appear to be true. Here's the image:

There's no bill. No credible quote. No evidence the statement was ever made.

But here’s the part that matters:

The reason the meme spread so quickly is because it echoes something very real:

the long, messy history between Christianity, paganism, and the winter season.

And if we’re going to talk about truth, let’s talk about the actual history…not the meme.

First: What “Pagan” Actually Means

The word pagan comes from the Latin paganus, meaning:

• villager

• country dweller

• one from the rural places

It wasn’t originally an insult. It simply meant the people who lived closer to the land; the ones who kept older rites, older gods, older seasonal practices.

When Christianity spread through cities and political centers, rural religion became shorthand for “the old ways.” Eventually, the Church used pagan the way we say “outsider.” Not evil, just other.

And for two thousand years, “other” has been enough to create fear.

Then: Let’s Talk About Christmas

If people truly understood where our favorite holiday traditions came from,

nobody would be talking about outlawing pagan rituals...they’d be thanking them.

Here’s what most of today’s Christmas imagery actually comes from:

🎄 Evergreen trees

Pagan.

Symbol of life that survives the dark.

Used in Yule celebrations across Germanic and Norse cultures.

🔥 Yule logs

Very pagan.

A ritual fire to carry warmth, protection, and luck into the new year.

🌟 December 25th

Not the historical birthdate of Jesus.

Chosen to align with Sol Invictus, the Roman festival of the Unconquered Sun,

which itself aligned with older pagan winter rites.

🎁 Gift-giving

Again, pagan.

Rooted in Saturnalia – a Roman holiday of role reversal, feasting, and generosity.

🎀 Wreaths

Pagan symbol of cyclical time, winter endurance, and divine feminine protection.

🌒 Twelve Days of Christmas

The twelve-night Yule season, celebrated across Northern Europe.

✨ Mistletoe

A sacred plant to the Druids.

Symbol of peace; even enemies were forbidden to fight beneath it.

The only reason these traditions feel “Christian” today is because the early Church realized a truth that still stands:

If you want people to change religions,

don’t take their holidays. Transform them.

So… Why Does the Meme Matter?

Because even though the claim itself is false, the impulse behind it has historical roots.

Every time someone treats paganism as a threat, or talks about “protecting” Christmas from non-Christian influence,

they reveal how little they understand about the holiday they’re defending.

Christmas is one of the most pagan-saturated holidays in the entire calendar.

And in a country wrestling with Christian Nationalism, it becomes even more important to know the history:

• Pagan religions are ancient, diverse, and still very much alive.

• Winter rites existed long before Christmas did.

• Fear of the “other” has always been a political tool, not a spiritual truth.

• Outlawing religious practice is unconstitutional, and historically dangerous.

The meme might be misinformation,

but it opens the door to a necessary conversation:

If we truly understood the history of winter traditions, we’d stop trying to police spiritual diversity, and start honoring the roots we all share.

Final Thought

Whether you celebrate Yule, Christmas, both, or neither, the darkest nights of the year belong to everyone.

Light returning is universal.

And the old ways? They’re not going anywhere. They survive every attempt at erasure because they live in the land, and in the season, and in us.