In 2015, December 22 will mark the exact mid-point of winter in the Northern Hemisphere—the
shortest day and longest night of the year.
This is the Winter Solstice, and for many, conjures images of pine trees, decorated wreaths,
and burning Yule logs.
But while that may sound like Christmas, as a matter of fact, nearly all Christmas traditions
are borrowed from other celebrations.
Different cultures have been celebrating the solstice for over 5,000 years.
So, Why Do Holidays Fall Around The Winter Solstice?
Well, the term solstice literally means ‘sun stands still.’
As far back as 3,000 BC, Neolithic people erected sculptures and architecture to frame
this type of solar alignment.
Scholars believe that these solstice sculptures had a religious significance, and that sites
in Europe like Newgrange and Stonehenge were meant for worship.
We also know that the Romans famously celebrated an occasion they called Saturnalia, which
marked the mid-point of winter with a debaucherous seven day festival.
In Iran, the festival of Yalda also takes place on the solstice, and dates back to the
pre-Islamic religion of Zoroastrianism, which itself dates back to around 600 BC.
Like Christmas, Yalda celebrates the birth of Mithra, the goddess of light.
In fact, the word Yalda means “birth”.
Many winter solstice festivals are focused on the idea of birth or rebirth.
Some have suggested that these celebrations also served the purpose of keeping a large
group of people awake on the darkest, and arguably, most dangerous night of the year.
Within the Buddhist tradition, the solstice is a day of celebrating the daughter of a
pre-Christian Indian Emperor.
The festival, known as "Sanghamitta Day", is considered a major holiday for modern Buddhists.
And in Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the solstice is one of the most important
celebrations, called the Donghzi Festival.
So where do our Christmas traditions come from?
Well, historical records show that the Germanic peoples of Northern Europe also celebrated
the winter solstice in a form called Yule [you’ll].
The Christmas tree, pine wreath and Yule log all derive from the pagan Yule festival, all
predating the Christian symbols of the winter solstice.
But as Christianity grew from a cult into a mass religion, pagan traditions were adapted
to make the burgeoning movement seem more familiar to early Christian converts.
Despite Christmas’s stranglehold on winter solstice holidays, it is actually one of many
ongoing holidays.
Like other portions of the Christian religion, the basics are mostly borrowed from long standing
traditions.
So this holiday season, instead of saying “Merry Christmas”, why not wish everyone
a “Super Saturnalia!”
Many pagan traditions revolve around nature, but the umbrella of pagan religions is more
diverse than you’d think.
Learn more about their beliefs in
our video.
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