The Strange Origins of the , Christmas Tradition.
BuzzFeed has offered readers a list
of fascinating facts about Christmas
that many people may not know.
1. Pagan Christmas Ornaments, The Pagan tradition of "yule balls" or "witch balls" dates
back to 17th century England. The ornaments were believed to
capture evil spirits, protecting people from sickness and curses.
2. Wassailing, Similar to modern-day carolers, wassailers would
knock on the doors of feudal lords, refusing
to leave unless they were given a treat.
If the lord denied the wassailers a treat,
they would often start throwing rocks or
potentially even break into the lord's home.
3. Saturnalia, Ornaments are not the only Pagan influence
on Christmas. The date itself originated with
the Pagan holiday Saturnalia, a widely
popular celebration day in ancient Rome.
3. Saturnalia, Ornaments are not the only Pagan influence
on Christmas. The date itself originated with
the Pagan holiday Saturnalia, a widely
popular celebration day in ancient Rome.
The celebration honored the Roman god Saturn
and lasted from December 17 to the winter solstice.
Other shared Pagan and Christmas traditions include
hanging wreaths, gift-giving, feasting and singing. .
4. Outlaw Christmas, The celebration of Christmas was briefly illegal. In 1659, the Massachusetts Bay Colony's "Penalty for Keeping Christmas" law called it "great dishonor of God and offense of others.".
5. The Christmas Spider, People in Ukraine still decorate their trees
with jeweled spiders or spider webs
in honor of a centuries-old legend.
5. The Christmas Spider, People in Ukraine still decorate their trees
with jeweled spiders or spider webs
in honor of a centuries-old legend.
In the tale, an impoverished family cannot afford
to decorate their tree, but a kind spider spins
intricate webs of silver and gold all around it.
Some say this is the origin of
the tradition of hanging tinsel