The period of time from late December to early January was an important spiritual cosmic event to ancient cultures. Pagan midwinter/ winter solstice festivals directly shaped our Christmas and New Year's holidays. This video traces the history from the earliest origins to modern day, exploring festivals like the Roman Saturnalia, Norse Yule, and AngloSaxon Modraniht. We consider the true meaning of the season, discussing the major religious themes and historical events that led us to the contemporary Christmas. These festivals involved both dark and light mythological concepts, as this was the time of both the death and rebirth of the sun god during the winter solstice. This astrological cycle is embodied in legends like the Wild Hunt, and the the Golden Age of Cronus.

In the second half of the video, we will cover the syncretization of pagan feasts and Christianity, beginning in the medieval period where we see traditions like mumming and the Lord of Misrule, through the early modern period when the Protestant Reformation resulted in a veritable war on Christmas.

Recommended Reading:

“Stations of The Sun” by Ronald Hutton

00:00 Intro
06:14 Saturnalia
14:49 British Isles Winter Solstice Observances
17:37 Yule
20:23 Supernatural Threats/ The Wild Hunt
26:49 Christmas Origins/ Syncretism
32:10 Medieval Christmas Festival
35:35 Pagan Christmas Symbols
39:29 The War on Christmas
43:15 The Reinvention of Christmas
46:22 Santa Claus Origin
48:40 Saturn Occult Symbolism
52:35 Conclusion
53:57 Outro

#folklore #occult #ancientphilosophy