There is no short answer to these two questions.
In fact, I am going to give an answer in 2 parts.
Part 1
The above item has been circulating the Facebook social network. It is simply a bit of ironic humor enjoyed by modern Wiccans and some other other Neo-Pagans.
Interestingly, it sparked hundreds of comments--including some from Christians.
In the case of the weekday names, this write-up focuses on the modern American English names for weekdays. It is true that weekday names are tied to ancient Roman cosmology involving seven heavenly bodies and these heavenly bodies are linked to seven deity names.
See Weekdays
Yet, as Wiccans, let us be fair...
Christians, in the USA, have the right to choose to celebrate any date to honor any event in their religion that they wish. (I'm not going to attempt to address any legal issues of sundry religious practices out side the USA.)
Below is my description about what the Chrisitians are celebrating on their dates:
On December 25, Christians in the Western Churches celebrate the birth of their deity, the Redeemer, Christ. In the Eastern Churches, Christains celebrate the birth of this deity on January 6.
On February 14, many Christians--but not all--celebrate a martyr, Saint Valentinus, who according Christian legend was beheaded while in service to their deity. In the 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer's poem, Parlement of Foules, referred to the English 14th century belief that birds choose their mates on February 14 in anticipation of summer. There was a 14th century English Christian tradition of divinations involving possible future spouces.
In the Spring, Christians in the Western Churches celebrate the resurection of the deity, their Savior, Jesus, at a moveable Spring feast called "Easter" in English. In many of the Romance languages the name of this holiday is based on the Hebrew name for the Jewish celeration of Passover. In Hebrew Passover is "Pesach." For example some of the names of the holiday celebrating the spring-time resurection of their deity, Jesus, is "Pasqua" (Italian), "Pascua" (Spanish), "Paques" (French), and "Pascoa" (Portuguese). The Council of Nicaea (325 C.E.) set the date of Easter as the Sunday following the paschal full moon, which is the full moon that falls on or after the vernal (spring) equinox. Generally, the Western Christian Churches and Eastern Churches celebrate Easter on different dates, due to the fact that Eastern Churches use the Julian calendar, rather than the Gregorian calendar.
On May 1, Christians in the Catholic Church a few of other Western Christian Churches, honor the mother of their deity, the Divine Infant, Baby Jesus. These May devotions are known as "Marian devotions" and specifically celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary as the mother of their deity. The Marian devotions originated in Italy in the 16th century. In the Eastern Churches, Christians honor the mother of their deity as the "Theotokos" which can be translated as the "God-bearer" or the "one who gives birth to God." May 1 also honors the foster father of their deity, Jesus, son of Joseph the Carpenter. Thus May 1 is a feast day honoring Saint Joseph the Worker or Saint Joseph the Carpenter.
On November 1, Christians in the Western Churches celebrate the servants of their deity, King of Saints, Incarnate God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Lamb. The sevants of their deity are known as saints--such as Saint Valentinus or Saint Joseph the Worker. Thus, this day is known as All Saints' Day or All Holy Day. In the Western Church, the 6th century leader of the Catholics, Pope Boniface IV set a date to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, especially all martyrs, on May 13. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III transfered the this holy feast to all the saints on November 1, and instituted this date as the time to honor and remember these sevants of their deity. In the 9th century, Pope Gregory IV extended the feast to the entire Catholic Church and ordered All Saints Day to be celebrated on November 1. Some Christians in the Western Churches also observe a vigil of All Saints' Day or All Holy Day the evening before November1 known as All Saints' Eve or All Holy Eve (aka All Hallows Eve).
Christians in the Eastern Churches honor the servants of their deity on All Saints Sunday, which is the Sunday after Pentecost. In the Eastern Churches, the date of Pentecost is determened by the movable feast of Easter on the Julian calendar. Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Easter.
Please let us, Wiccans, also remember that it isn't very polite to call these folks "Silly Christians" simply because of when they choose to honor their deity.
Also remember not all Christians celebrate all these "holy" days. For example, the Christian Jehovah Witnesses do not celebrate any of this stuff. Likewise, the Puritan Pilgrims outlawed the celebration of Christmas and Halloween in the colony of MA.
Part 2:
Aside from what or when Christians celebrate, these assertions about what was what are not entirely accurate.
Below is my $0.02 of historical commements:
"Christmas was the Winter Solstice."
December 25 as Christmas is near the December Solstice which is around December 20 -22, aka Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere. January 6 as Christmas is not quite as close to the December Solstice. It might be more correct to argue that Christmas was historically related to the Roman celebrations of the Natalis Solis Invicti or Saturnalia or link it to the Germanic winter celebration of Yule or Jul.
"Valentine's Day was Imbolc."
Imbolc is not Valentine's Day.
Imbolc, Oimelc, or Oimealg is celebrated on January 31, February 1, or February 2. Thus, Imbolc is closer to the observances of the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, Purification of the Blessed Virgin, and Groundhog's Day--all of which are observed on February 2. The Roman Goddess Juno was honored as Juno Sospita on February 1 and Juno Februa on February 2 as the virgin mother of the Roman God, Mars.
February 1 is the feast day or Saint Brigid or Saint Bridget (aka "the Mary of the Gael" or "Saint Bride") is the patron saint of dairy maids, infants, midwives, blacksmiths, poets, nuns, and students. Saint Brigid was certainly conflated with the legend of the Irish Goddess, Brigid, patroness of blacksmiths, poetry, and dairy cattle. She was also honored on La Fheile Bride, February 1.
If someone wanted to claim a historical link between Imbolc and a Christian holy day it would make more sense to draw a link to Saint Brigid's Day, Purification of the Blessed Virgin, or Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple--rather than Valentine's Day.
Actually though, there is a February pre-Christian Roman festival that has been associated with Saint Valentine's Day. The Roman Festival of Lupercalia has long been associated with Saint Valentine's Day. The Lupercalia was celebrated to the 5th century CE, and thus may be the longest-lasting of the Roman Pagan festivals. Lupercalia was February 15 or February 13-15, a period either proximate to or covering modern Saint Valentine's Day. Two men, the Sodales Luperci, ran naked, circling round the Palatine Hill in Rome; as the Sodales Luperci streaked around, they struck any women they encountered with goatskin thongs to ensure fertility.
If the above item had said, Groundhog's Day was Imbolc, or Valentine's Day was Lupercalia, the ironic joke would have been somewhat more accurate. (To be honest, lots of Neo-Pagans celebrate Imbolc; however, I don't think many observe the Lupercalia--at least not in the same manner that the ancient Romans did.)
"Easter was Ostara."
Bede in his 8th-century work, De temporum ratione, wrote about English name of "Eostremonat" (the equivalent to the month of April) which was the month that feasts were held by the Pagan Anglo-Saxons in honor of a pre-Christian Anglo-Saxon Goddess, Eostre. Bede also stated that this practice had died out by the time of his writing. Eostre was apparently associated with the Spring and dawn. The present day German name for this Christian spring holiday is "Ostern," which is also related to the name Eostre/Ostara.
There is some controversy that now claims Bede was mistaken about the month of "Eostremonat" being named after a Goddess called "Eostre."
Besides, Christians really draw the concept for their Easter holy day from the Jewish Passover as they connect the sacrifice of their deity with the sacrifice of the paschal lamb for the Passover feast.
"May Day was Beltane."
Beltane, Bealtaine, Bealltainn, and Boaltinn is either the month of May or the festival held on early in May and marked the beginning of summer. I suppose it is possible that the May devotions known as "Marian devotions," which originated in Italy in the 16th century, might have some historical connection with the Celtic Beltane.
In any case, devout Christians are not attempting to celebrate Beltane, they are attempting to observe their own holy day.
"Halloween was Samhain."
Samhain, Samhainn Sauin, Samain, Samuin, or Samfuin, and Mí na Samhna is either the month of November or the festival held early in November and marked the end of the harvest. It is possible that either Pope Gregory III or Pope Gregory IV did transfer the Feast of All Saints from May 13 to November 1, because early November was the time period in which the pre-Christian Celts honored their dead.
An interesting historical point is that the three days of the Roman Lemuria or Lemuralia were May 9, 11, and 13, in the Julian calendar which was originally introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BCE. The Lemuria was an ancient Roman religious observance, during which the Romans performed a ritual to appease and banish the wandering ghosts of the dead from their homes.
As to what I personally think about the item above:
Holidays and holy days often are observed at certain breaks in the seasons. It's possible that some of the dates of Christian holidays falling on the same dates as pre-Christian holidays may be a coinsidence. It's also possible that some of the customs and practices associated with a pre-Christian religious observance have been passed on into Christianity. The fact is--it really doesn't matter.
If Wiccans and Neo-Pagans want respect and courtesy, they not only have to insist they recieve it, they must, in turn, give the same respect and courtesy to adherents of other religions.
copyright 2012 Myth Woodling
For quick reference, just the text of Silly Christians:
SILLY CHRISTIANS
Christmas was the Winter Solstice
Valentine's Day was Imbolc.
Easter was Ostara.
May Day was Beltane.
Halloween was Samhain.
Monday was moon's day (Monandaeg).
Tuesday was Tyr's day (Tiwesdaeg).
Wednesday was Woden's or Odin's day (Wodensdaeg).
Thursday was Thor's day (Thuresdaeg).
Friday was Freya's day (Freyesdaeg).
Saturday was Saturn's day (Saeternesdaeg).
Sunday was the sun's day (Sunnandaeg).
YOUR CALENDAR IS PAGAN!
FAQ: Are pagans and atheists part of the war on Christmas?
FAQ: The Annual Holiday Debate--Is it Christian Christmas or Neo-Pagan Yule?
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