So are Mitra and Mithra the same deity as the Roman god Mithras? This is why New Atheists who invoke the alleged parallels with Christmas are fairly blasé about what they call the god: Mithra is Mithras and Mithras is Mithra, so who cares, right? Like Sol Invictus (and several other gods) Mithras was associated with the sun and so, like these other solar gods, he was sometimes given the title “Mithras Sol Invictus”. But while Saturnalia clearly influenced the way Christmas was celebrated, it had nothing to do with the date of Christmas. The idea that the date and other elements of Christmas are all derived from paganism is cute, but not sustainable historically.