| The Winter Solstice was traditionally celebrated on | | | | Do you think the Christmas tree originated as a |
| December 21 in the northern hemisphere. Well before | | | | Christian tradition? Well, think again - In Scandinavia |
| the birth of Jesus, ancient peoples marked the Winter | | | | during the Winter Solstice, men and their sons used to |
| Solstice with celebrations and rejoicing that the coldest | | | | go in to the woods to cut a tree down. After the tree |
| part of the year was behind them. From December | | | | had been felled, a nicely sized log was cut out of it, |
| 22, the days start to lengthen and the days gradually | | | | and the men would carry the log back to the home. |
| get warmer. | | | | This log was dubbed a Yule Log, and the Yule log was |
| Christmas celebrations are, to some extent, the | | | | burned in the fireplace. The entire time the Yule log |
| modern day equivalent of the Winter Solstice | | | | burned, the family would feast. Again, this was a |
| celebrations. | | | | Winter Solstice tradition rather than a specifically |
| The actual birth of Jesus is widely believed not to | | | | Christian tradition. Often, the Scandinavian Yule log |
| have occurred in December. Nevertheless, the | | | | might burn for a whole twelve days! Nowadays the |
| celebrations of Jesus's birth occur on approximately | | | | Yule log is represented in the form of an iced |
| the same day as the Winter Solstice. Christmas now | | | | log-shaped cake, and is associated with the Christian |
| serves as the mid-winter celebration for the northern | | | | Christmas experience. |
| hemisphere. Of course, in the southern hemisphere, | | | | As the Yule log burned it sent sparks out of the hearth |
| Christmas falls in mid summer - at approximately the | | | | and as the sparks flew out of the fire place, the family |
| time of the Summer Solstice. | | | | would count the sparks, as they believed that each |
| Saturnalia was also a celebration of the Winter | | | | spark represented a farm animal that would be born |
| Solstice that occurred in ancient pagan Rome. | | | | on their property that year. These beliefs have little to |
| Saturnalia was celebrated in honor of the god of | | | | do with Christmas beliefs and celebrations, but the |
| agriculture, named Saturn. During the time of Saturnalia, | | | | Yule log is now firmly associated with Christmas in the |
| servants and peasants spend time with and celebrate | | | | minds of many. |
| the holiday with people of higher classes, which | | | | Even the Christmas story is thought by some to have |
| certainly did not occur throughout the rest of the year. | | | | been influenced by a pagan myth. But despite that, the |
| The Saturnalia festival in itself could last as long as a | | | | story itself and all the traditions which have come to |
| week in Rome. During that time, people rejoiced all | | | | be associated with it form a firm part of the Christmas |
| over Rome. The phrase 'eat, drink, and be merry' was | | | | experience of millions, both in the northern and |
| played out to its fullest. | | | | southern hemispheres. So whether you celebrate |
| So celebrations at the time of the Winter Solstice | | | | Christmas in the snow, or on the beach, you're likely to |
| were well established prior to the birth of Jesus. But | | | | identify Christmas with Christmas trees, Yule logs, lots |
| what about some specific Christmas traditions with | | | | of food, and family time. |
| which we're all familiar? | | | | |