9 Pagan Christmas Traditions That Inspired Today's Celebrations

The modern Christmas tree has deep pagan roots. Early Germanic tribes used evergreens as symbols of life during the darkest days of the year. The tree cult of northern Europe saw trees as sacred, and during winter, people brought branches indoors to ward off evil spirits.

Martin Luther is credited with adding candles to the tree in the 16th century, but the custom of decorating trees dates back much further.

Long before Christians celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25, pagans marked the winter solstice as a time of rebirth. In the northern hemisphere, this is the shortest day of the year, and ancient people honored the return of the sun god.

The Roman Saturnalia and Norse Yule were both winter solstice celebrations filled with feasting, fire, and fertility rituals. These celebrations laid the foundation for many aspects of the modern Christmas season, including lighting candles and gathering around fires.

Gift giving was part of Roman Saturnalia, a weeklong festival honoring the god Saturn. This practice included exchanging small items and lighting candles—long before Saint Nicholas or Father Christmas came on the scene.

Early Christian writers criticized these pagan customs but eventually adopted them into the Christmas celebration.

The Yule log comes from Norse pagan traditions, where families burned a large log to bring good luck and encourage a bountiful harvest. Ashes from the log were believed to protect the home.

Today, the Yule log survives in many forms—from decorative hearth logs to chocolate desserts.

The modern Santa Claus merges multiple influences, including the Christian Saint Nicholas and the pagan god Odin. In Germanic folklore, Odin rode his eight-legged horse Sleipnir through the midwinter night’s sky, delivering gifts to people below.

These legends, combined with later depictions from the nineteenth century, helped shape Santa into the jolly gift-bringer we recognize today.

Evergreen wreaths, mistletoe and holly all have pagan associations. These plants symbolized eternal life and protection in ancient rituals.

Mistletoe, considered sacred by the Druids, was used to bring luck and fertility. The early church initially banned these symbols, but they crept back into modern Christmas traditions.

The Christmas season is often celebrated with large meals and traditional drinks—a nod to pagan winter feasts.

Saturnalia, in particular, was famous for its wild parties, role reversals and indulgence. Over time, many of the celebratory aspects of pagan festivals were absorbed into Christmas customs.

Singing during the winter season didn’t start with the Nativity story. Pagans celebrated solstice festivals with music and dance. The tradition of caroling evolved from these public festivities.

Over centuries, the lyrics and themes shifted to focus on Jesus' birth, transforming a seasonal ritual into a Christian celebration.

December 25 isn’t the actual date of Jesus’ birth. Early Christian leaders like Pope Julius I likely chose it to align with existing pagan festivals. Celebrating Jesus' birth during the same period as the Roman sun god Sol helped the early church convert pagan populations more easily.

It was a strategic choice rooted in the realities of the Roman Empire.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.