Pagan
Does Christmas have pagan roots? Absolutely – and that is something to celebrate. Pagan, from the Latin for ‘field’, was a pejorative term Christians used to describe rural folk who held onto traditional beliefs. In fact, almost everything about Christmas comes from pre-Christian celebrations related to the mid-winter solstice, such as the Roman Saturnalia and Germanic Yule festivals. Other traditions were adopted along the way: caroling from Old Norse ‘wassailing’, Santa Claus from 4th century St Nicholas in Turkey, the Christmas tree from 17th century Germany, gift-giving from Queen Victoria in 1850. No wonder Christmas has become a universal celebration.
— Wayne Visser
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From Purpose Inspired: Reflections on Conscious Living, Volume 2. Buy on Lulu ↗