It's often claimed that many of today's Christmas traditions derive from the pre-Christian observances of pagan cults suppressed by Roman authorities. The story goes that, after Christianity ...

Bodhi Day will fall on January 18, 2024, according to the lunar calendar. Yule is a Pagan tradition celebrated during the winter solstice, which is December 21. The holiday dates back to the fifth ...

Forget Santa: Icelandic children are visited at Christmas by 13 mischievous trolls or “Yule Lads”, the offspring of a murderous ogress called Grýla. Every year, children leave shoes in their ...

Who invented Christmas? Historian Lucy Worsley traces the roots of Christmas by exploring the Anglo-Saxon tradition, wassailing where people sing to the apple trees to celebrate the winter solstice.

Having trees over the winter period is a tradition so old that it actually predates Christmas. Evergreen plants, whose leaves remain throughout the year, were used in pagan celebrations of the winter ...

Kutia, a ceremonial dish at the heart of Ukrainian Christmas celebrations, is more than just a festive pudding. Steeped in symbolism and centuries-old traditions ... was part of pagan rituals ...