The Hidden History of Christmas


We often think of Christmas as a timeless tradition involving a manger, a star, and a birth in Bethlehem. But if you blow the dust off the history books, you’ll find a story much older—and darker—than what we learned in Sunday school.

In my latest video, "Why Christmas is still a Mystery," I dug into the archives to solve a 2,000-year-old cold case: If Christmas wasn't originally about Christ, whose birthday have we actually been celebrating?

1. The Missing Date and Roman Roots

Did you know the Bible never mentions December 25th? In fact, clues like shepherds watching their flocks suggest the nativity likely happened in spring or autumn, not the freezing winter.

So, why December 25th? We have the ancient Romans to thank. They celebrated Saturnalia, a week-long festival of chaos and lawlessness starting December 17th, dedicated to Saturn, the god of agriculture. By the 3rd century, they also worshipped Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun), whose birthday was—you guessed it—December 25th. The early church, needing to convert pagans who loved their winter parties, strategically adopted this date in the 4th century.

2. Odin, Yule, and the Christmas Tree

While Romans partied in the south, the Norse in the north celebrated Yule. They believed in the "Wild Hunt," a ghostly procession led by the bearded god Odin, who rode an eight-legged horse across the sky leaving gifts for the good and punishing the bad. Sound familiar?

The tradition of the Christmas tree also comes from the north. The Norse brought evergreen trees inside as a magical protection because they refused to die in winter.

3. The Real Santa Claus (and his scary sidekick)

The Santa we know is a mix of history and folklore. The real St. Nicholas was a 4th-century Greek bishop from Turkey, famous for secretly dropping gold down chimneys to save poor sisters from slavery.

When Dutch immigrants brought "Sinterklaas" to New York, the name eventually morphed into Santa Claus. But originally, St. Nick wasn't alone. He traveled with Krampus, a horned beast who punished naughty children with birch branches—a figure we’ve conveniently scrubbed from modern traditions.

4. When Christmas Was Banned

It wasn't always a cozy family holiday. In the 1600s, the Puritans (led by Oliver Cromwell) actually canceled Christmas, viewing it as a heathen festival. In Boston, you could even be fined for celebrating it between 1659 and 1681!

It took Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, bringing the Christmas tree to England, and Charles Dickens writing A Christmas Carol, to rebrand the holiday from a drunken street carnival into the family-centric celebration of charity we know today.


Ultimately, the origin of Christmas isn't just about one person or religion. It’s about humanity. For thousands of years, people have gathered in the darkest, coldest months to light fires, feast, and give gifts as a defiance against the dark.

Watch the full deep dive here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZjInuFVrqc

What do you think? Does knowing the pagan roots of Christmas change how you celebrate, or does it make it cooler? Let me know in the comments!