Christmas seems to come earlier and earlier each year. November will barely be over and people will begin setting up their trees, hanging wreaths, and blasting carols from their cars and homes. While many of the signs and traditions associated with Christmas have become mere symbols of the holiday itself, a large number of them can be traced back to pagan origins. Since Jesus, who Christians believe was born on Christmas, was said to have lived in the Middle East, it can seem peculiar that evergreens are associated with the holiday. The pagan connection can help make sense of things.
Whether you partake in this holiday or not, it can be fun to look at how some of the modern images and traditions associated with Christmas first came about. Look over these fun facts and see what you learn about the most wonderful time of the year.
Honoring Apollo
Driving down many city or suburban streets in America, Canada, or across Europe, you’re likely to see wreaths hanging on doors in the month of December. Though these decorations have become a lot more complex and ornate in modern times, the basic idea of the wreath is a woven circle of plants. Once upon a time in Ancient Greece, people would create wreaths made of laurel to pay honor to the sun god Apollo. When the Roman Empire took over the region, it ended up connecting cultures separated by incredibly vast distances. Through this, the concept of wreaths spread.
Often, hanging a wreath on a door was a sign of victory or celebration to Romans. This mindset carried throughout Europe over the years, resonating with the pagan groups in the north. Since the plants of the north were different than those surrounding the Mediterranean, pagans would use holly, ivy, and evergreen boughs. These wreaths eventually became heavily associated with the celebration of the Winter Solstice, a pagan holiday that would later transform partially into what is now Christmas.
Giving Gifts
There are a bunch of theories about why people give each other gifts during the Christmas season. While stores make a lot of money during this time of year, the concept of giving a ton of expensive gifts to family members is very recent. In Christianity, it is said that three wise kings from distant lands visited Jesus shortly after his birth and brought with them gifts of myrrh, frankincense, and gold. Still, the act of giving gifts to loved ones during the holidays seems to predate the story of the nativity in the Bible.
According to researchers, gifts were often exchanged in Ancient Rome during Saturnalia, which took place during the month of December. Pagans in the northern parts of Europe would also give gifts to one another during the Winter Solstice. To complicate matters more, the idea of actually giving gifts on Christmas didn’t start until sometime in the 1800s. Before this time, most people gave one another gifts during the holiday season on New Year’s Day. For better or worse, it seems like December is the right time for gifts, even though the origins are mysterious.
Staying Warm
The idea of the Yule Log is a classic one. Nowadays, many people know it as the thing you can put on television in the background on Christmas if you don’t have a fireplace. In reality, the origin goes back to Scandinavia. Pagans there would place giant logs in the hearths of their homes and burn large fires to pay respects to the returning sun.
The Christmas season can be a magical time of year. Whether you celebrate the holiday or not, learning about the various customs associated with Christmas and tracing back their origins can uncover some fascinating facts about how cultures influence each other over the course of history.