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Christmas

Twelfth Night Revelries: Myrrh, Mirth And Making Merry, 5 – 6 January

Twelfth Night Revelries: Myrrh, Mirth And Making Merry, 5 – 6 January

In the Christian church, January 6 is commemorated as the feast of Epiphany, the day on which the three wise men, or three kings, arrived at the stable in Bethlehem to visit the newborn baby Jesus...
Dickens’ Dream by Robert William Buss (1875) Charles Dickens Museum (Public Domain)

Did Charles Dickens Really Invent Christmas – Ask His Descendant

The year 1843, was to mark a turning point in how the British – and eventually much of the wider world – celebrated Christmas. Not only was it the year in which Charles Dickens’ novella, A Christmas...
Ancient Christmas customs still held today. A door decorated with a Christmas wreath. (CC0) Snowy holly. (liz west/CC BY 2.0) Mistletoe. (CC0) A Yuletide fireplace. (Randy Robertson/CC BY 2.0)

Mistletoe, Holly, and Yuletide Cheer: Weaving Nature into Ancient Christmas Customs

It is estimated 2 billion people celebrate Christmas each year. Although the popular holiday is linked to Christianity and the birth of Jesus Christ, people all over the world, Christians or not,...
Father Christmas enjoying the Christmas tradition. Date: circa 1860. Source: Archivist / Adobe Stock

Favorite Christmas Traditions PLUS Those You May Never Have Heard About

Every year as December rolls in, some 2 billion people start to feel the Christmas cheer. While the celebration is now primarily a Christian one honoring the birth of Jesus, its traditions merge with...
A nativity scene showing the scene of Jesus’ birth, now taken to be December 25th. 	Source: itsajoop/Adobe Stock

Celebrating Christmas on December 25 Began As Early As the Second Century AD

By Martinus Ariya Seta /The Conversation Many people, including Christians, believe the origin of the date of Christmas is related to the pagan feasts to worship the solar god Sol Invictus , Saturn’s...
Traditional Christmas tree. Source: Asad / Adobe Stock

From Mithraic Mysteries to Modern Mirth: Unraveling the Evergreen Christmas Tree Tradition

The Christmas tree is probably one of the most recognizable symbols of Christmas, seen on greeting cards, advertisements, cookies, wrapping paper and in the homes of millions of people around the...
The Pilar Shrine a Karahan Tepe with the portal entrance at the back and the face in the middle of the right wall . ( Image: © Hugh Newman)

Can Winter Solstice At Karahan Tepe Explain A Shamanic Christmas Origin?

Ancient megalithic sites all over the world are still visited in celebration of winter solstice , to welcome the sunrise on the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. From Newgrange in...
Christmas Pudding on a plate surrounded by candle and decorations.	Source: Sławomir Fajer/Adobe Stock

How the Christmas Pudding Became an Iconic British Dish

Troy Bickham /The Conversation As an American living in Britain in the 1990s, my first exposure to Christmas pudding was something of a shock. I had expected figs or plums, as in the “ We Wish You a...
The nativity story depicting the birth of Jesus. Source:  Eric Wilcox / CC BY-NC 2.0)

The Nativity Story’s Timeless Message from Ancient Writings to Modern Day

Believe it or not, the Christmas holiday season is fast approaching, when homes will be adorned with twinkling lights and the spirit of giving fills the air. A timeless narrative unfolds—one that has...
January 14th, the day after St Knut’s Day, in Stockholm, Sweden is when everyone tosses out the Christmas tree but only after a good party the day before! Source: Swedense

St Knut’s Day: Jan 13 - The Scandinavian Fun Finale To Christmas!

Every culture has its own unique holidays and traditions, but one of the most interesting cultural holidays is St Knut’s Day. St Knut’s Day, also known as the Feast of St Knut, is a traditional...
Toasting with champagne and sparklers is a New Year’s tradition, or is it a ritual? Source: Valerii/Adobe Stock

Why Rituals Have Been Crucial for Humans Throughout History

By Michelle Langley /The Conversation Each December, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, among others, take over our thoughts and our wallets as we participate in ceremonies our ancestors have practiced...
Firewood was a gift brough to housewarming parties, literally to warm the house. Source: Adobe Stock Free

9 Crazy Things Ancient People Gave as Gifts

The holiday season is upon us, and gifts have been given to loved ones and friends. After a time of wracking your brains for the perfect gift, you may have wondered what types of items ancient people...
The Legend of the Christmas Spider is a folktale that dates back hundreds of years from German and Ukrainian origin. Source: VideoCorpus / Adobe Stock

Silver and Gold: The Legend of the Christmas Spider and Tinsel

If you celebrate Christmas, you likely have annual traditions when it comes to decorating your Christmas tree. There are many accessories we like to decorate our trees with, but one of the most...
A sad Santa sat on a chimney, lamenting the banning of Christmas. Source: Olly / Adobe Stock

17th Century British Christmas Ban Led to Civil War

An English Christmas without decorations, Christmas cake, mince pies, plum pudding, ale, eggnog, mulled cider, Christmas carols and mass? It’s like something out of a joyless, dystopian fantasy. One...
These historic lies may change the way you view history and our world. Source: photoschmidt / Adobe Stock

Eight Historic Lies about the Ancient World that will Blow Your Mind

Our understanding of the past is fluid. Very often things we think we know about the past turn out to be false or highly distorted. Historians aren’t perfect; sometimes they make mistakes, other...
The traditional British Christmas pudding has evolved over the years into a sweet delicacy of fruits and nuts. Source: Maksim Shebeko / Adobe Stock

Christmas Pudding: Savor the Flavor of Ancient Tradition!

Every family has their own holiday traditions, but one tradition that goes back centuries is the making of Christmas pudding. Christmas pudding is a traditional dish made in many British households...
The modern-day presentation of ketchup on Chinese food. Source: RomixImage /Adobe Stock

Ketchup Actually Originated in… Ancient China?

If asked, the first all-American meal to come to mind will probably be a hamburger, fries and a healthy dollop of ketchup. Unfortunately, none of these items actually originated in the United States...
You can find beautiful, fairy-tale like Christmas markets around Europe, with many dating back hundreds of years. The picturesque Gdansk, Poland Christmas market shown.          Source: Patryk Kosmider / Adobe Stock

Looking for Christmas Cheer? Six of the Oldest (and Best) Christmas Markets in Europe

If you visit any large European town or city during December, there’s a very good chance you’ll see a Christmas market. The traditional Christmas market is a centuries-old European tradition, and it...
Krampus is a Christmas Devil. Source: Sergio Delle Vedove / Adobe Stock

Krampus: The Terrifying Christmas Devil Who Punished Naughty Children

In European folklore, Krampus is the antithesis of Santa Claus . The equivalent of a Christmas Devil, Krampus is a horrific beast that hunted down misbehaving children and whipped or terrified them...
Traditional mince pies. Source: Magdalena Bujak / Adobe Stock

Did Oliver Cromwell Really Ban Mince Pies in England?

Oliver Cromwell was an English commander and politician who helped overthrow the Stuart monarchy during the era of the English Civil War and then served as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of...
Declaration of Christmas Peace in 2014 in Porvoo, Finland.	Source: CC BY-SA 3.0

Christmas Peace: Finnish Criminals, You’ve Been Warned For Over 600 Years

An ancient Finnish law promising harsher sentences for Christmas criminals was read out to an empty town square. Christmas is nearly upon us, and if you haven’t already outright cancelled family...
The Befana with sweet coal and candy on wooden background. Italian Epiphany day tradition (vetre/Adobe Stock)

Babbo Natale And Befana: The Italian Santa Claus Duo

Christmas and Epiphany are undoubtedly two of the most popular holidays for Italian children. Children love to be told fantastic stories and excitedly await the arrival of Babbo Natale and the Befana...
Detail of a vintage Christmas postcard showing Christkind.

Christkind: How Does this Christmas Gift-Bringer Differ from Santa Claus?

Christkind is a Christmas gift-bringer in certain European countries. Like its more famous counterpart, Santa Claus, Christkind is said to leave presents for children under the Christmas tree on the...
The Medieval Origins of The Carol: How Christmas Songs Have Survived Through the Centuries

How Christmas Carols Have Survived the Centuries

Singing and Christmas seem to go naturally together, like plum pudding and custard. Even those who would not normally attend a choir concert or church service throughout the year might happily...

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