Have you ever wondered why in modern Christmas tradition we do the things we do? What is the origin of the Christmas tree, with the star on top, decorations about, and all the brightly wrapped presents beneath? Or the idea behind Santa Claus who jets around the globe in a magic sleigh with flying reindeer – defying both time and space – to deliver the world’s children a bounty of Christmas gifts? And since when did Santa and the birth of Jesus have anything to do with each other? Where do these stories come from – and better yet: what are we actually celebrating on Christmas morning? There are answers to these questions. And the history is not so farfetched or even that hidden. You just have to know where to look. And the first place we look is the North Pole; seriously – in ancient Siberia, near the top of the world. The story of Santa and his likely origins begins where he supposedly lives: the frigid North. In this wintry-wonderland, if you go searching for Santa, you may not find him or his Elvin factory – but you will find groups of indigenous people native to what we know as Siberia. Among these cultures are the northern Tungusic people, known as the Evenki. The Evenki were predominantly hunter-gatherers as well as reindeer herders. Their survival depended largely upon the health and vitality of their domesticated reindeer. The reindeer provided the Evenki and other northern tribes with everything from clothing, housing material, wares and tools from the bones and antlers, transportation (yes, they ride reindeer!), milk, as well as cultural and religious inspiration. The Evenki were also a shamanic culture. The word “shaman” actually has its roots in the Tungus word saman which means “one who knows or knows the spirits.” Many of the classic shamanic characteristics that would later be reflected in cultures all over the world were originally documented by Russian and European explorers while observing the Tungus and related people’s religious life. This includes the three-world system, the shamanic journey or soul flight, the use of altered states of consciousness, animistic belief in spirit, and so forth. A significant aspect of the shamanism practiced in this part of the world during that time was linked to Amanita muscaria, also known as the Fly Agaric mushroom. This mushroom is more widely accepted in the modern world as the Alice in Wonderland mushroom. It was held very sacred by these ancient people, and was used by the shaman and others for ceremonial and spiritual purposes. Amanitas – as you can tell by the pictures – range from brightly red and white to golden orange and yellow. They only grow beneath certain types of evergreen trees. They form a symbiotic relationship with the roots of the tree, the exchange of which allows them to grow. One of the reported ancient beliefs was that the mushroom was actually the fruit of the tree. Due to the lack of seed, it is also commonly held that Fly Agaric was divine – a kind of virginally birthed sacred plant. Although intensely psychoactive, Amanitas are also toxic. One way to reduce the toxicity and increase the psychoactive potency was to simply dry them. When out collecting the mushrooms, people would pick a bunch of them under the evergreen trees and lay them out along the branches while continuing to pick the mushrooms beneath other trees. The result was something that looked very reminiscent of a modern Christmas tree: evergreen trees whose branches are dotted with bright red, roundish “decorations” – in this case the sacred mushrooms. At the end of the session, the shaman or harvester would go around to each of their mushroom stashes and put them all in one large sack… a large sack?!! Remind you of anything?! Not only this, as the story of the tradition goes, the shaman would then, carrying this large sack, visit the homes of his or her people and deliver the mushrooms to them. They would then continue the drying process by hanging them in a sock, near the fire! Another way to reduce the toxicity of the sacred mushrooms is through human filtration. Once passed through the body, the toxic elements are apparently filtered by the liver and the resultant urine that comes out contains the still intact psychoactive elements. So they drank the filtered urine. But that’s only half the story. Somewhere in the mythic origins of this practice is the reindeer. Because the reindeer also love these mushrooms. They dig through the snow to eat them, and they also drink their own urine afterwards. So perhaps, long ago, one of the first shamans witnessed the reindeer’s love affair with this peculiar mushroom – as well as its propensity for eating its own freshly yellowed-snow – and saw how peculiarly it behaved as the romance heated up. The curiosity (indeed a hallmark characteristic of a shaman) couldn’t be contained, and the shaman did what he had to do: he first ate some of the yellow snow himself… and without a doubt realized the profound wisdom and magic not only in the mushroom, but in the reindeer. And so this romance, too, began… However it may have happened in antiquity, the connection between the reindeer, the mushroom and the shamanism is apparent. A very common vision that one has while under the influence of Fly Agaric is precisely that: flying. Massive distortions of time and space occur, affecting scale in dramatic ways. Not only do you observe yourself flying, but also other things… like reindeer. It is not that difficult to connect the dots here. Shamanic people are deeply invested in their environment. They learn the magical and mystical properties of the natural world, and often assign a great deal of importance and sacredness to the bearers of that magic. For some of these ancient Siberian people, this power was charioted by the reindeer and the sacred mushroom. That the reindeer should have the ability to fly is evident not only in the vision, or their clearly altered state once intoxicated, but also in the wisdom they offered to the shamans by eating the mushroom in the first place, and for guiding them to do so just the same. It wasn’t only the reindeer who could fly, but the shamans also took flight. As mentioned, the shamanic journey or soul flight is a keystone in shamanic practice and especially so in ancient Siberian culture. In order to interact with the spirits, the shaman had to be able to leave this world and enter theirs. This was accomplished by projecting his or her spirit from the physical and into the immaterial. They either needed the power to do this on their own, or use a spirit helper to take them. It is very common for shamans to develop relationships with birds, naturally, as they have the power to fly. But here, in the North Pole, what better animal to use than the magical, flying reindeer? ![]() There is one other component to the shaman’s flight that corresponds to our Christmas exploration, and this has to do with how they got to the other worlds. The shamanic cosmology often consists of three worlds: the Lower, Middle and Upper Worlds. Connecting the three worlds is a cosmic axis, which is also commonly known as the World Tree. The World Tree served as a bridge or portal that allowed a shaman and spirits to move between the three worlds. It was the gateway as well as the highway. In ancient Siberia, the same tree that also bore fruit to the amanitas was also a symbol for the world tree. The Evenki and other indigenous groups lived in roundish, teepee like structures called yurts. Sometimes they would place a pine tree in their yurts for ceremonial purposes. This symbolized the World Tree, and they would harness its symbolic power to propel their spirit up and out of the yurt – through the smoke hole, i.e. the chimney. Once the journey was complete, they would return through the smoke-hole/chimney with the gifts from the spirit world. They also believed that the North Star was the very top of the Upper World, and because the World Tree was an axis that connected the entire cosmology, the North Star sat upon the very top of the World Tree – which is where the tradition of placing a star at the top of the tree comes from. One of the final elements of the Christmas tradition that we know today is the whole concept of gifting. What are we celebrating? When you begin to unravel the experience of the shaman’s flight and dance with Amanita, you enter a world that is deeply sacred. These shamanic cultures were intimately interwoven with their environments through the reindeer and the mushroom in a way that honored and celebrated the mysteries and magic that life and experience brought to the people. The shaman’s journey and return was ultra-important to the survival of the whole community. What they brought back with them was often a matter of life and death. And time and again the shaman and the people, through these experiences that they deemed not only sacred but divine, would learn knowledge and wisdom directly from the sacred plants, their journeys, and from the spirits they interacted with. This was a kind of life blood for their way of being. This was the gift. The celebration was actually a kind of celebration of life, continued survival and renewal; an honoring of the spirits, animals, plants and natural world that gave them the gift of life and knowledge of life. This brings us to the grand finally, the big present hidden way back under the tree: Jesus Christ, and the timing of his arrival on Earth. Concurrent with Jesus’ storied birth is a yearly alignment with the sun. On the December 21st winter solstice, the sun reaches its furthest southern point, bringing the northern hemisphere its longest night. For 3 days the sun remains apparently unmoving. On the morning of the 25th, the sun begins its northern ascent once again. This can be looked at as the birth of the sun, which has spent the winter traveling in the lower world, or the world of darkness. When the sun begins to climb once again, it is a time to celebrate the light – literally the return of the light, the source of life on Earth, and ultimately the assurance of the coming summer, which also means the survival of the natural world, the animals, the plants, the people and their way of life. Hence, life and the people are saved. To indigenous peoples who depended on the seasons’ movement and bounty – and especially for the far northern peoples of ancient Siberia – this was a monumental time. The sacred Amanita with its red, golden and orange coloring as well as its capacity to offer direct experience and connection with divinity was also regarded as a symbol for the Sun and its life-giving and saving properties. The Sun – or the Son – is the savior, born on the 25th of December as the bringer of light, harbinger and liberator of life on Earth. This is the gift and the meaning of the holiday we know as Christ-Mass. When you are decorating your tree, hanging the star, and doing your thing with red and white and presents – perhaps take a moment to reflect on the esoteric meaning of the shamanic origins of Christmas, and what the spirit of this tradition was and is all about. Sources: http://www.dosenation.com/listing.php?id=5514 http://sagaciousmama.wordpress.com/2010/12/18/the-spiritual-origins-of-santa-claus/ http://www.shamanswell.org/shaman/siberian-shamanism-origins-santa-claus-reindeer-pine-trees-and-mushrooms http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JDh7W4oGxAs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evenks *All images credited to original publisher - links documented.
67 Comments
Virna
12/25/2013 10:43:54 am
What a fascinating and interesting story. There is so much information about the meaning of Christmas and its connection with shamans. This story has left me with the desire of flying like the reindeer : )
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Helen
12/29/2013 01:02:12 am
Very interesting article. But, Amanitas , the red and white variety often grow under Birch trees in the U.K. and these are not evergreen.
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Hi Helen - that is true! While primarily growing near coniferous trees, they do indeed grow in relationship to birches, and also with some beech species in Australia and New Zealand. For the article here the focus was Siberia, and the special relationship the Amanitas had with the origins of the "Christmas Tree!" Thanks for reading ~
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Richard
11/16/2015 10:15:15 am
The article didn't say they ONLY grow under evergreens.
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Hey Dennis, that is a good point. It seems that the connection between Santa and Satan comes later in the story, just as all the other Christian elements of the holiday are recreated from these earlier Siberian practices and traditions. That's how I would see it. Perhaps this is related to the tendency to demonize any non-Christian religion, which is how shamanism was historically viewed: as evil work of the devil. Direct experience however makes this claim nonsensical!
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Robyn Ryan
12/1/2015 09:21:31 am
Krampus is the dark side of Santa. One cavil - virginity is generally only important in religions that worship sperm and penises. It's only purpose, outside of ritualistic 'innocence' is to reserve ownership of children under the authority of sperm donation. 'Virgin' birth is generally a male conceit. For any being to be born, a portal must open.
Bruce McCrorie
12/8/2015 03:07:39 pm
Santa is the Sanskrit word for peace. The Santoor is an instrument for evoking peace. Satan does not exist as nothing can defy the will of God. Haven't you heard of Bill Hix?
dzai
12/9/2015 06:55:56 am
like Dennis is sinned backwards?
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Klimgeyt
2/24/2014 08:32:00 pm
Important material to teach to the children. The layers of this traditional party are manyfold, and each layer plays a particular role. I don't only love the tradition of Christmas, but I am also a Christian.
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Tannenbaum
12/20/2015 06:49:32 am
Sorry if you're Christian you're wrong.
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Cat
12/25/2015 09:25:12 pm
Who is Jesse?
Cat
12/25/2015 09:23:16 pm
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Melissa
12/16/2014 11:08:53 pm
Very interesting, Matt :) Thanks for sharing.
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sue johnston
12/18/2014 04:30:58 am
Please send future articles to me.
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Roise Corrain
12/18/2014 10:10:34 am
Great info here,Siberia links in with a sufi story of the three wise men...bringing gifts to celebrate the birth of christ...known as the magi (spiritual wise men-hence the shaman,the wanderer..one whom journeys)Some other tales blend in from orher european traditions....
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Matt
12/21/2014 01:22:13 am
Yes, very interesting. I did also come across some similar info connected to other European traditions!
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Elfriede
12/18/2014 05:35:03 pm
see this: http://de.spiritualwiki.org/Wiki/Gesetz31#toc38
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Suzanne Kelley
12/19/2014 01:28:16 pm
I enjoyed your version. Pls continue to post ancient spiritual healing practices and send me the newsletter via email.
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Di Tymon
12/20/2014 07:55:15 pm
Really enjoyed that . Like joining dots. Makes so much sense ..
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Steffi
12/20/2014 11:36:02 pm
Are these the sami people you are talking about? In norwegian we call them "samer" , and further up north in norway they would call them "saman". If so, then they are the indigenous people of norway, sweden, finland and russia, but dont think as far into russia as siberia. I know there are many tribes within the sami peopl
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Matt
12/21/2014 12:50:03 am
Yes, these are the Sami people. I know there are cultural variations in different groups throughout the region, but these elements are pretty common region-wide.
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Dave Buljoo
12/10/2015 01:52:37 am
very interesting story
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Malcolm
12/21/2014 06:50:00 am
Fascinating story with obvious elements of truth, many of which date back over 2500 years. Of course when speaking of the North Pole it is probably just North of the Arctic Circle that is meant; the North polar ice cap is not on land and so cannot support trees or mushrooms.
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Matt
12/21/2014 08:14:37 am
Yes of course. We are talking about the subarctic and other northern regions. The North Pole, only in name as it relates to the cultural significance of Christmas.
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Bernie
12/21/2014 06:18:53 pm
I enjoyed that..some new stuff I didn't know
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peggy davenport
12/22/2014 02:45:52 am
enjoyed this very much. send other my way thanks
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Matt
12/23/2014 11:23:30 pm
Hi Peggy - thank you. If you would like to be on the email list, just send me an email with the address you would like included.
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Sharon Leach
12/23/2014 01:37:32 am
This was a pleasure to read. I'm very *uninterested* in many of the traditions of Christmas this year (not into humbug but close), but this article revived me. The tree, the transformation, the light, the reindeer and the mushrooms. All of it is moving and sacred space. As a point of discussion, I would say that we are predisposed to experience something dark, like a weakening of the outer self, along with a falling toward internalization and contemplation as the season darkens. Any return of light still affects us deeply. Shopping and eating non-stop don't fit this, but these other outdoor/indoor rituals of shamanistic cultures and the science of natural observation are powerful to contemplate. Today the wind is blowing and I feel more connected to the landscape, even though it's bitter out there. I feel allowed to turn inward and grateful. Thanks for posting this.
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Matt
12/23/2014 11:26:36 pm
Thank you for sharing this. I resonate with your comments. The technological world makes it seemingly easy to forget the natural movements of the earth - which are our own, internal and external movements of the spirit.
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Bartke
12/23/2014 07:28:12 am
It struck me that Amanitas also grow under birch trees... Because in the Celtic tree oracle the 24th of june represents the birch, and it is also the summer solstice. In Christian culture it is also the birthday of John the Baptist, who was half a year older than Christ.
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Matt
12/23/2014 11:22:51 pm
Very interesting!
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Emmie
12/23/2014 08:56:27 pm
I would love to send this to my son, would you please email it to me. Wonderful read!
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Matt
12/23/2014 11:22:12 pm
Hi Emmie, sure thing. Just send me an email to matt@shamanicevolution.org and I will send you the link and the text.
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Ava
12/24/2014 01:42:15 am
Donald read this to me last night, and this morning I find it in my in box. Fascinating stuff!! Makes so much more sense than any of the singular stories we've heard in our lives.
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Joe
12/24/2014 04:54:35 am
Fascinating stuff. Loved learning about the true meaning of the Christmas myth. Another idea concerning Jesus Christ and the three wise men, perhaps he was simaler to a reincarnated lama that you find in Tibet perhaps the wise men were searching for the reincarnation of a highly developed being?
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patrick
12/24/2014 10:57:56 am
Bit too many people ready to believe this Fret one read. How did the traditions move across the world? Surely gift giving can't be isolated to one small out let. Though interesting seems very far fethe to me.
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Patrick's right
12/30/2014 09:36:41 pm
This is simply not true. The origins of Christmas traditions are well documented and varied. Just read the wikipedia entry on Santa Claus, for starters. Absolutely no mention of mushrooms. The author's true agenda is unclear, unless it is to simply deceive others. Those who wish to
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Mikael
11/27/2015 05:58:54 am
If you deny shamanism, spirits, and all things that SCIENCE proves to be true again and again, you're not an atheist, and seek your own opinions rather than the truth.
Stevens
12/8/2015 11:30:14 pm
You're right, part of it anyway is not true. It is well documented that Jesus of Nazareth was not born on December 25th or even in the winter. Roman Catholicism attempted to Christianize their Saturnalia winter solstice celebration involving the rebirth of the Sun. Equating the Sun and Son of God because of the way the two words sound in English, and only English, calls into question the intelligence of the writer. 12/27/2014 11:22:40 pm
Refreshing and rejuvenating as the materialism that has claimed this season loomed depressing at best. Thank you for your meaningful article. It inspires me to reclaim my responsibility for my reality and consent to the grace that is in the knowing.
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Patricia Graham
11/20/2015 05:13:20 am
This wisdom resonates with me. Thanks you for the illumination. Namaste. Trish
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Martina Muselová
11/20/2015 09:24:33 am
Well, Evenki still ARE a shamanic culture. :-)
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Hilary
11/29/2015 10:25:49 am
So nice to read about research into reclaiming the true origins of our most common holidays. To add to this, take a look at the Odin/Sleipnir ( the eight legged horse, referred to as the dead man's bier) connection, the wild hunt , Yule, etc. Odin is one of the earliest shamanistic ecstatic gods of Europe prior to the great genocide.
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Allan E.Vanderley
12/3/2015 04:01:05 pm
Matt Toussaint,
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Virge
12/4/2015 10:47:19 am
Thank you, Matt! Loved your article! I have often asked myself those very questions regarding the elements of Christmas and the answers have not resonated with me until now. Thank you for the gift of sharing your research and insight.
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June
12/5/2015 07:20:41 am
This is a very interesting article. I knew about the reindeer and the flying mushrooms but did not know about the rest. However, there is a point that I would like to bring out. Jesus was not born on December 25, he was born around October 1st or 2nd. If you look at the Jewish calendar you will see that the shepherds would be out of doors round about the October time and not December when the sheep would have all been safely tucked up and warm in their sheds. There are also other reasons for this but I will just post this for now. What happened is that the Catholic Church mixed Paganism with Christianity and that is how Christmas was born in the Churches of Christendom. The Catholic Church as well as other Denominations of the Churches of Christendom have all got a measure of Paganism mixed in with their beliefs and if you have a look at a book called "The Two Babylons" by the Rev Alexander Hislop you will see this very clearly, as this person was both a reverend in the Church of England as well as a qualified Historian. Although he has a go at the Catholic Church he also mentions these things coming into the Church of England. Plus if you do some research on the signs, symbols and beliefs in this book I am sure that you will see some of them in each of the Churches of Christendom and not just the Catholic Church. That's it, I will leave at this for now.
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Stevens
12/8/2015 11:39:46 pm
Correct, but remember that this is Paganism written for Pagans. These are people who believe that poisoning their brains with mushrooms somehow gives them access to ambiguous spirits that gives them gifts integral for the survival of their primitive tribes yet no real technology or any real knowledge to advance themselves. They don't know God nor do they care about when Jesus was born or that Sun and son only sound alike in English. But they done us the service of exposing Xmas for what it really is.
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Victor Reijs
12/8/2015 01:00:31 am
I though that Santa Claus came for the Dutch who immigrated in the past to America. The Dutch have this festival Sint Nicolaas (a saint from Turkey) and it is celebrated on Dec 6th by presents given to children (the Saint also did things like that). USA took that idea over and made it into a commercial Santa Claus at Christmas...
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12/8/2015 09:07:28 am
As a Taoist, with Seasonally Associated Depression, for whom Christmas has become quite the challenge, thank you for this generous dose of therapy. Brilliant and gorgeous. Beautiful world, right?
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12/8/2015 09:24:27 am
Excellent article. Thank you. Sharing on my interfaith ministry blog.
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allanvanderley
12/8/2015 12:35:29 pm
Victor Reijs, et.al.,
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Sarah R
12/19/2015 02:19:45 am
I found the article really interesting, have an issue with the concept 'virgin birth' used, to describe a tribal belief relating to Fly Argaric and host tree. Inadvertently, the beliefs from our own culture are imposed on theirs. The understanding of the relationship might be more aligned with the idea that within, there is both male and female in perfect balance...I don't know either, but I understand we use our own cultural references in order to explain, and in so doing, make this 'Other' part of our own. Many thanks for the article.
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12/19/2015 11:51:34 am
A seventh generation ancestor of mine spent seven years living with the Evenk as told in the Lost Letters of Gerhard David Epp. Neither he nor I knew of what you write, but there are close similarities.
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Cheri
12/25/2015 07:10:37 pm
I was quite interested until they threw Jesus into the mix. If Jesus was indeed real, he was not born in December but March when the shepherds would have been in the fields with the sheep who were also lambing.
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rebeca
1/22/2016 03:50:11 am
Sin duda el origen de muchos ritos actuales datan de pueblos ancestrales, el problema fue cuando lo tomaron como suyo los yankis e hicieron una historia de la coca cola y del sistema capitalista. Consume, materialmente.
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1/31/2016 05:25:14 am
Thank you, you have done a great service weaving the history and mythologies together into a very compelling story with excellent writing that communicates. (That is an achievement in itself). This researched article needs wide distribution, I'd suggest you submit it every year on Dec 21st. to News bureau's and general interest publications both online, print, and broadcast. YOUR story would do much to bring peace to the world at an annual juncture that motivates people of all races and creeds to start a new year with determinations to make life better. With Gratitude, Mark Yurkiw
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mark Yurkiw
1/31/2016 05:33:37 am
P.S.- I'd like to submit this article to Medium.com with your permission. Medium is a writers blog/website sponsered by the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation but remain editorially independent. Check it out and let me know if you are good with that.
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SANTA CLAUS STORY WORKS AGAINST RELIGION
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12/21/2016 12:04:00 pm
SANTA-CLAUS-EXPLAINED:Saint-Nicholas-Construct - Sinterklaas-cultural-appropriation
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Carmen
3/10/2017 08:49:18 pm
Great article! The artwork is fantastic. Are you also the artist?
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AuthorMatt Toussaint has immersed himself in shamanic practice and exploration for the past 10 years. He currently resides in Peru where he serves as an apprentice shaman and facilitator at a plant medicine retreat center. Read more. Archives
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