Dwain Northey (Gen X)

Now that we’ve cracked open the pagan gift-giving origins, let’s move further into the misty Nordic forest of “Christmas traditions that absolutely did not start as Christian, but sure—roll with it.”

1. The Lighting of Trees: Because Nothing Says “Joy” Like Bringing the Forest Indoors to Combat Cosmic Darkness

Picture this: It’s Northern Europe, it’s December, it’s dark for 23.5 hours a day, and you haven’t seen the sun long enough to remember what colors are. Ancient pagans didn’t have seasonal affective lamps or peppermint mochas, so they did the next best thing—dragged a live tree inside and lit it up.

Not as in electric lights, but candles.

Yes, actual fire.

On a tree.

Inside a wooden house.

It was a combo of natural magic and “I dare the universe to smite me.” The evergreen symbolized life surviving winter, and the lights symbolized the returning sun. When Christianity arrived, it wisely said, “Sure, that seems festive,” and suddenly the ritual of not burning your home down became a wholesome holiday tradition.

2. Wreaths: The Original Pagan Mood Rings

Before wreaths were hung on doors to say “We have good taste and probably a nice kitchen,” they were circular pagan symbols of the eternal cycle of seasons—life, death, rebirth, the whole natural Netflix drama.

A wreath’s circular shape represented the sun, eternal life, protection against spirits, and probably the ancient equivalent of “Don’t bother us, we’re trying to survive winter.” Christians later adopted the symbol, added candles, and called it Advent, but the core symbolism remained:

A decorative way of saying “We’re not going down without a fight.”

3. The Yule Log: Because Dragging a Giant Tree Trunk Indoors Once Seemed Reasonable

The Yule log is the ultimate holiday flex. Germanic and Norse pagans would haul an entire tree trunk—yes, the whole thing—into the home, shove the giant end into the fireplace, and let it burn for days or even weeks.

It was basically:

a space heater a sun charm a community bonding ritual and an ancient version of “we’re gonna need a bigger fire.”

Eventually the tradition shrank (thankfully) into a much smaller symbolic log, and then even further into… a cake. Because modern humans prefer edible symbolism over accidentally lighting the house on fire.

4. Mistletoe: The Ancient Kiss-Crime Plant

Long before it was the plant that justified awkward office-party encounters, mistletoe had a reputation as:

a fertility charm a peace symbol a magical healing plant and an indicator that druids really liked climbing trees

In Norse myth, it even plays a role in the death of Baldr, so you might say mistletoe has a complicated résumé.

When Christianity absorbed the tradition, all the messy mythology was quietly swept under the rug, leaving only the part where you’re socially required to kiss someone because a parasitic plant said so. Truly, humanity’s finest hour.

How This All Became Modern “Christian” Holiday Culture

As Christianity spread across Europe, it wisely realized that trying to ban all these beloved rituals would go about as well as banning cookies. So instead, it blended them seamlessly into Christmas celebrations.

The result is the holiday we now know—an elaborate, centuries-old remix of:

pagan solstice traditions medieval Christian symbolism Victorian sentimentality Coca-Cola marketing LED lights bright enough to summon aircraft

And today we celebrate by decorating with ancient fertility sprigs, resurrecting solar cult symbols, eating logs of chocolate, and lighting up trees like pagan disco balls—all while insisting this is very traditional and definitely not borrowed from the people who worshipped the sun on the longest night of the year.