Exploring the pagan roots of Christmas: 5 traditions that originated from pre-Christian practices

Did you know that the origins of Christmas were surprisingly pagan?
Today, Christmas carols, stuffing gifts into socks, dazzling trees decorated with fairy lights, and delicious plum cakes may be associated with the biggest Christian festival. Still, according to historians, its beginnings were not quite Christian!

The Origins Of Christmas Began In Ancient Rome

Traditionally, Christmas is celebrated all over the world, to commemorate the birth of Lord Jesus Christ, the central figure in Christianity.

However, many Christmas traditions have their origin in the winter solstice celebrations of ancient Romans and other pagan people, which were celebrated to welcome seasonal changes. A lot of popular practices associated with Christmas such as kissing under the mistletoe, and decorating trees with holly were inspired by pre-Christian traditions. These celebrations took place to celebrate the end of the winter season and the advent of spring.

Here are some Christmas traditions which had pagan origins.

How Christmas Came To Be Celebrated On December 25th

There is an ongoing debate on the birthday of Jesus Christ. Many scholars do not believe that Christ was born on December 25. So why is Christmas celebrated on that particular day?

This may be a mere continuation of the pagan tradition of celebrating the winter solstice which was celebrated in late December. The Roman festival of Saturnalia (a harvest festival which was held in the honour of the deity Saturn) was also observed from 17th to 24th December.

Pagans were primarily agricultural people. The winter season marked the end of harvest and this signaled a season of merry-making and spending time with the loved ones.

Decorating Trees Can Be Traced Back To The Romans

Other than Saturnalia, another festival that has a very wide influence on the modern version of Christmas is Yule. Yule was a popular festival celebrated by the Norse people in northern Europe. Some of the most important rituals of this festival included the decoration of the Yule tree, making the Yule ham the main attraction of the evening meal (Norse pagans sacrificed boar to the deity Freyr). A lot of these rituals were absorbed by Christians.

Moreover, Romans too used to decorate their trees with small metal ornaments during Saturnalia. Each of these ornament was dedicated to a deity.

How Carols Came To Be Synonymous With Christmas

The tradition of going to your neighbor’s house on Christmas and singing has its roots in pagan traditions. The tradition of going to your neighbour’s homes and signing originates from an ancient Anglo-Saxon tradition called ‘wassailing’. The word comes from the phrase ‘waes hael’ which translates to good health. The minstrels would sing in the homes of villagers and wish them good health. Wassailing groups would carry drinks made from mulled ale, curdled cream, roasted apples, eggs, spices, and sugar.

History Of A Kiss

Today, the rather romantic tradition of stealing a kiss under the mistletoe tree is seen as synonymous with Christmas. However, this practice also owes its existence to the pagans. In ancient Rome, devotees would perform fertility rituals under the mistletoe tree. Kissing under the tree is considered to be a tamed-down version of this ritual.

Who Was Santa?

Globally, this plump, bearded old man with an armful of gifts has become the face of the festival. No Christmas celebration is complete without Santa Claus. Although the red-robed, jolly old man was popularised by the soft drink brand Coca-Cola in the 1930s, he is thought to be a modern version of St Nicholas. Also known as ‘Father Christmas’ Nicholas was the patron saint of poor children and prostitutes. Living around the 4th century AD, this kind-hearted bishop used to regale street kids with gifts. He would sport a big beard and long cloak like Santa.

However, the concept of a merry old man distributing gifts to kids did not originate with St Nicholas. Ancient Germanic tribes worshipped a bearded deity called Odin. Odin would ride an 8-legged horse called Sleipnir, who would descend from the heavens and leave children gifts!