The Christmas time can be wonderful for many. The religious and secular alike celebrate this holiday for a variety of reasons. Though traditions vary, people all across the world use the holiday season as a chance to connect with friends and family members, exchange gifts, and indulge with food and drink. If you’re not a religious individual, however, you might feel like you’re “phoning it in” when it comes to why you are celebrating.
Though you might not identify as a Christian, you may believe this religion is the entire reason Christmas exists in the first place. Though it is true modern Christians celebrate the holiday because they believe Jesus Christ was born around this time, plenty of the traditions around the holidays predate his birth. To find a way of celebrating that works for you, consider some of these modern pagan practices surrounding the season.
Natural Wonder
Close your eyes and envision some of the things that come to mind when you think about Christmas. While you are likely to have a lot of images swirling around in your head, many of them are probably going to be red or green. This is largely due to the fact that the plants of the Holiday season are lush with greens and accented by reds. Plants have always been a huge part of pagan celebrations, and it is no different during the Yuletide season.
Though you might feel like setting up a tree in your home and decorating it is tied to Christmas, you might be surprised to learn its origins go way back across several cultures. The Norse supposedly brought trees indoors during this time of year and decorated them with all kinds of candles and items. In Italy, the feast of Saturnalia took place in December and would include the placement of decorated shrubs within public and private spaces. Though it is now mainly tied to Christmas, putting a tree in your home is still a pagan method of celebrating.
Reflection
The winter solstice in December marks the time of year when the rays of the sun warm the Northern Hemisphere the least. Because of this, many early traditions that took place at the end of the year centered around worshipping the sun and preparing for the coming winter. While modern living makes it much easier to stay alive and healthy through the harsh cold of the winter, there are still easy ways to celebrate and pay heed to the power and glory of the sun.
This season, dedicate an hour each day to meditating. While you are sitting and relaxing, try to allow your thoughts to wander to all of the various decisions you have made over the past year. Think about the good and the bad together, and really allow yourself time to feel the emotional weight of it all. By doing this, you are able to think over what you would like to change about yourself in the coming year while really taking stock of your blessings and defeats.
Santa Claus
Perhaps the most perplexing of all modern Christmas traditions, Santa Claus is neither a historical nor religious figure. Still, people from all corners of the world have some version of Santa Claus who visits at the end of the year. Some even believe Old Saint Nick is the most modern incarnation of the German goddess Frau Holda, who was worshipped in the winter and who brought gifts to the people.
Christmas is the most modern incarnation of a celebration that has been going on for thousands of years. This holiday season, consider some of the practices listed here and find a way of celebrating the holiday that works for you and your beliefs.