What modern European traditions are rooted in pagan festivals? If you ask a European whether he celebrates Christmas, given pagan customs, he will most likely say no. But would he be right?
Christmas in Europe is a time shrouded in tradition, from the very day of the celebration to the decoration of the Christmas tree and the gifts underneath. Even not the most religious people know that this is a Christian holiday, and you might think that this holiday takes into account all the Christian traditions introduced by the church. You might think. But this is not the case.
Europeans owe much of their modern Christmas traditions to the Romans and Celts. The Saturnalia Festival, an ancient Roman festival dedicated to the pagan god Saturn, ran from December 17th to 24th. It was a week of feasts and gifts for the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. Likewise, the Celts celebrated the beginning of the increase in daylight hours, which means that spring was just around the corner.
- Holly. In Roman mythology, the holly was a plant of the pagan god Saturn. During Saturnalia, the Romans gave each other wreaths made of this plant. When Christians began to celebrate the birth of Christ, they were in danger of persecution by the new religion, so holly wreaths were hung on the doors to prevent them from being hunted down. Gradually, Christian customs supplanted pagan interpretations, and the plant became an exclusively Christian symbol.
- Mistletoe. Mistletoe is a popular Christmas plant among the British, which is used to decorate the house. Among the Celts, North American Indians and Normans, it was considered a sacred plant. The Druids believed that mistletoe protected from lightning and thunder. There is a custom: for Christmas, the British hang a ball woven from mistletoe on the ceiling, and then kiss under it. So that's it. The Druids considered the mistletoe to be a symbol of peace and joy. Those who met under a tree entwined with this plant, the enemies did not fight, but laid down their arms and arranged a truce until the next day. Hence, the modern Anglo-Saxons have been taught to act in a similar way.
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Date of the meeting of Christmas. In Europe, no one knew exactly when Christ was born, but the time of the winter solstice was known from pagan rituals. For three consecutive days, the Sun appeared at the same point on the horizon. It began on December 22, and on December 25, the daylight miraculously changed its position. Therefore, the date of birth of Jesus began to be considered December 25. The beginning of the increase in daylight hours was an important event for people in the past. It is difficult for a modern person to understand, but in those distant times, sunlight greatly influenced the quality of life. During the day, people worked and did their daily business, so the dark time of the day on the short winter days seemed endless.
- Evergreens. In ancient Rome, wreaths in honor of the sun god Apollo were made from laurel leaves. This tradition was adopted by northern Europeans, who began to decorate doors with such wreaths at Christmas. But since the laurel does not grow in northern latitudes, it was replaced by evergreen pine and spruce.
- Santa Claus. From childhood, Europeans are taught that Santa Claus is Saint Nicholas. But this is only part of the truth. The pagans had a god named Odin, he looked like a stout old man with a white beard, dressed in a long flowing cloak.
- Gifts for Christmas. The Romans gave gifts on Saturnalia, during feasts dedicated to the god Saturn. A similar Christmas custom originated from here. The gifts that the inhabitants of Ancient Rome gave each other were small. It was customary to give gifts to the poor as well. Over time, this custom of humble giving grew into a multimillion dollar business.
- Red and green. The traditional red-green color scheme consists of complementary colors that symbolize fertility among the pagans. These colors are found in spruce decorations, wreaths of holly berries and leaves, and Christmas tartan dresses.
- Christmas carols. Hymns have been sung for millennia, but these songs were not always Christmas songs. These were originally pagan hymns that were sung during the winter solstice festivals. Moreover, they were sung at any time of the year, but only the tradition associated with Christmas has survived.
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Christmas log. A log burned on Christmas Eve, as well as a sweet cake in the shape of a log, is a very ancient pagan tradition. Last year's log was specially kept in order to set it on fire at the beginning of next year. This symbolized the return of the Sun and the beginning of longer days. In Celtic mythology, there are legends about the oak king, who personified the winter solstice. Today, the log has been replaced by a chocolate-covered Christmas roll, sprinkled with powdered sugar and garnished with holly berries.
- Christmas candles. Throughout human history, candles have chased away evil and darkness. In ancient Rome, it was customary to light candles during the Saturnalia in December. They were brought as a gift to Saturn, and also presented to guests. Later, Christians began to put candles on the windows to tell Jesus the way.
- Ivy. In ancient Rome, ivy adorned the crown of the god of winemaking Bacchus. This plant symbolized eternal life among the pagans. Today ivy plays an important role in English Christmas celebrations.
