For example, we had learned that Dionysus was the god of wine and partying, an instant fan favorite among us college undergraduates, we being obsessed with beer and titties and whatnot. However, in From Paganism to Christianity we delved deeper, learning that Dionysus was born of a virgin on December 25th. In fact, we learned that other gods were born on the winter solstice as well, like Egyptian Osiris and Persian Mithras, the connection apparently being that this was the most important day of the year to many ancient peoples, as it signaled the coming of longer, warmer days and the growing
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