Anyone else out there think we really lost out when Christianity convinced the pagan world that spring fertility festivals were gauche and needed to go?
Convinced at the point of a sword. Don't even get me started, Grrrrrr
if you don't get horny in spring that's your hard luck
Dunno, the bit where we used to sacrifice (as in kill, quite horribly in many cases) a maiden I can do without.
We lost out the moment we started using tools and cultivating the land. look how quickly we have fucked the planets nature.
Actually I don't think that is how it went the "Follopwers"(early christians were known as the Followers) in their effort to convert the Roman Empire, and several other Pagan groups made their holidays coinside with pagan holidays Christmas replaced the Winter Solace (or the first day of winter), Easter replaced Ister a pagan holiday that deals with spring plantings and several other major Follower's holidays
That is exactly what happened. February 2nd is Imbolc, the Vernal Equinox is Ostara, now Easter, May Day is Beltaine, Summer Solstice is Litha, August 1st is Lughnassadh, or the 1st harvest, autumnal equinix is Mabon in or the 2nd harvest, Samhain is called Halloween, the last harvest and the new year, winter Solstice is Yule, now Christmas. You can tell that many of the Christian holidays cooped the Pagan seasonal celebrations.