Christmas

Christmas (Old English: Crīstesmæsse, meaning "Christ's Mass") is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ central to the Christian liturgical year, celebrated on December 25.

Theosophical significance

Regarding this date, H. P. Blavatsky wrote:

The earth passes through its definite phases and man with it; and as a day can be coloured so can a year. The astral life of the earth is young and strong between Christmas and Easter. Those who form their wishes now will have added strength to fulfil them consistently.

Christmas comes just at the time of the winter solstice; the days then are shortest, and Darkness is more upon the face of the earth than ever. All the sun-gods were believed to be annually born at that epoch; for from this time its Light dispels more and more darkness with each succeeding day, and the power of the Sun begins to increase.

We are in the Winter Solstice, the period at which the Sun entering the sign of Capricornus has already, since December 21st, ceased to advance in the Southern Hemisphere, and, cancer or crablike, begins to move back. It is at this particular time that, every year, he is born, and December 25th was the day of the birth of the Sun for those who inhabited the Northern Hemisphere. It is also on December the 25th, Christmas, the day with the Christians on which the “Saviour of the World” was born, that were born, ages before him, the Persian Mithra, the Egyptian Osiris, the Greek Bacchus, the Phoenician Adonis, the Phrygian Attis. And, while at Memphis the people were shown the image of the god Day, taken out of his cradle, the Romans marked December 25th in their calendar as the day natalis solis invicti.

Additional resources

Articles

• Christmas, Esoteric Significance of in Theosophy World.
• The Hidden Meaning of Christmas by Catalina Isaza Cantor Agnihotri. Published in Theosophy Forward on 13 December 2021.
• Truth and Symbol in the Christmas Story by John Gayner Banks.
• Christmas Then and Christmas Now by H. P. Blavatsky.
• Christmas and the Winter Solstice by Alan E. Donant.
• The Magi by Jay Williams.
• Behind Our Christmas Celebrations by Kirby Van Mater.
• How Christ Got into Christmas by Peter H. Samson.
• The Christmas Tree by Regina Z. Thackara.
• Some Reflections on Christmas by H. P. Blavatsky. Excerpts from her article, "Christmas Then and Christmas Now." Made available by Blavatsky Theosophy Group UK.
• Let the Christ Child Live by Gottfried de Purucker. Posted December 2, 2011 in Theosophy Forward.

Books

• Barborka, Geoffrey A. The Christmas Story. Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1966.
• Gullo, Jean. Christmas and Solstice: Traditional and Mystical Celebrations. Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Order of Service, 1987.
• Hall, Manly P. The Story of Christmas. Los Angeles: Philosophical Research Society, 1956. Pamphlet.
• Kunz, Dora. Christmas of the Angels. Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1980. Pamphlet. Available at Henry S. Olcott Memorial Library and Krotona Library.
• Matthews, John. The Winter Solstice: the Sacred Traditions of Christmas. Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1998. With contributions from Caitlin Matthews.
• Steiner, Rudolf. The festivals and Their Meaning: Christmas, Easter, Ascension and Pentecost, Michaelmas. London, Rudolf Steiner Press, 1996.

Audio

• The Esoteric Significance of Christmas by Bing Escudero. 1979. Theosophical Society in America. 56 minutes.
• Christmas of the Angels by Dora Kunz. Narrated by Monica Nease. Theosophical Society in America, 1967.
• Christmas and the Angelic Forces by Dora Kunz. 1983. Theosophical Society in America. 47 minutes.