The Season Before the Story: The Ancient Roots of Christmas and Why It's For Everyone ☀️🎄

Every December, the world slips into a familiar rhythm: twinkling lights, evergreen trees, candles in windows, rich food, music, and a collective sense that something is happening—something deeper than a single date on a calendar.

We’re told Christmas begins on December 25th. But historically, spiritually, and astronomically, the story starts much earlier—and it doesn’t begin with Christianity. 👀

This isn’t about dismantling belief systems. It’s about zooming out far enough to see the older layers beneath the holiday we think we know.

Because once you see them, you can’t unsee them. It brings us back to that classic question Little Miss Cindy Lou Who asks the disguised Grinch every Christmas, "Santa, what is the true meaning of Christmas?"

Saturnalia, the Winter Solstice & the Celebration Before Christmas

Long before Christmas was Christmas, ancient civilizations were already gathering at the darkest point of the year.

The Winter Solstice, usually around December 21st, marks the longest night and shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. From that moment forward, the days slowly begin to lengthen. Light returns.

For ancient people, this wasn’t poetic symbolism—it was survival.

In ancient Rome, this period was celebrated as Saturnalia, a multi-day festival honoring Saturn, the god of agriculture and time. It was one of the most important holidays of the year, and it came with customs that feel strikingly familiar even now.

During Saturnalia:

• Work and courts paused

• Social hierarchies temporarily dissolved

• Gifts were exchanged

• Homes were decorated with greenery and candles

• There was feasting, music, and public joy

  
  

This wasn’t chaos for chaos’s sake. Saturnalia was about restoring balance—celebrating abundance in the middle of scarcity and trusting that the sun would return.

What’s often overlooked is that this theme wasn’t uniquely Roman. Norse Yule, Celtic solstice rituals, Persian Yalda, and countless indigenous traditions across the world all revolved around the same truth: the light always comes back.

Why December 25th Matters (Astrologically, Not Accidentally)

There is no historical or biblical evidence that Jesus was born on December 25th. Early Christian texts don’t give a date at all. In fact, many early Christian leaders initially avoided celebrating birthdays entirely, as the practice was associated with pagan rulers and gods.

So why December 25th? Because astrologically, it marks the symbolic “rebirth” of the sun.

After the Winter Solstice, the sun appears to stop moving for three days—December 22nd, 23rd, and 24th—before beginning its gradual ascent in the sky on the 25th. Ancient astronomers observed this thousands of years ago.

This is why multiple solar deities across cultures—Mithras, Horus, Sol Invictus—were said to be born on or around December 25th. Not because cultures copied one another, but because they were all watching the same sky.

When Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, aligning Christ’s birth with an already sacred solar date made theological and cultural sense. The symbolism fit seamlessly: light entering the world after the darkest night.

The meaning wasn’t erased. It was reinterpreted.

A Quiet Historical Detail That Changes the Nativity Story

There’s a small but telling detail in the traditional Nativity story that many people never hear.

Shepherds would not have been herding sheep outdoors in Judea in late December.

Winters in that region are cold and rainy, and sheep were typically brought into shelter well before mid-winter. The biblical reference to shepherds “watching their flocks by night” strongly suggests a spring or early fall timeframe, aligning with agricultural cycles and lambing seasons in the ancient Near East.

This doesn’t invalidate the birth narrative—it reinforces what historians widely agree on: December 25th was symbolic, not literal.

The story was timed to the heavens, not the pasture.

Evergreen Trees, Candles & Feasting: Symbols Older Than Religion

Evergreens didn’t become sacred because of Christmas. They were sacred because they didn’t die.

In the depths of winter, evergreen trees symbolized endurance, protection, and life continuing beneath the surface. Ancient people brought branches indoors as reminders that vitality still existed—even when the world looked barren.

Candles served a similar role. They weren’t decorative; they were intentional. Human-made light stood in for the sun when darkness felt overwhelming.

Feasting, too, carried meaning. Winter food was precious. To share it was an act of trust, gratitude, and community. Celebrating abundance during scarcity was a declaration: we survived this far.

Even wreaths—circular and unbroken—symbolize cycles, time, and continuity. These symbols weren’t replaced by Christianity; they were woven into it.

That’s why they still resonate today, even for people who don’t consider themselves religious.

The 12 Days of Christmas: A Sacred Threshold in Time

The 12 Days of Christmas don’t lead up to December 25th—they begin on it.

Historically, the 12-day period stretches from December 25th to January 6th (Epiphany), mirroring ancient lunar and solar cycles. Across cultures, this window was seen as liminal—a threshold between years, identities, and states of being.

It was believed to be a time when:

• The veil between worlds felt thinner

• Dreams carried messages

• Rituals held amplified power

• Intentions shaped the year ahead

In other words, this wasn’t just a holiday season. It was a portal. Even now, many people instinctively slow down, reflect, and recalibrate during this period—often without knowing why.

Santa Claus: From Ancient Myth to Modern Marketing

Santa Claus didn’t initially appear fully formed down a chimney. His origins are layered, evolving over centuries.

At the historical core is Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century Greek bishop from Myra (modern-day Turkey), known for anonymous generosity and secret gift-giving. Early depictions show him as solemn and slender—nothing like the Santa we recognize today.

But even Saint Nicholas absorbed older mythic threads.

In Northern Europe, pre-Christian traditions spoke of Odin, a bearded, cloaked figure who traveled the winter skies during Yule, rewarding the good and punishing the bad. Children left offerings in boots for Odin’s flying horse—an unmistakable ancestor of stockings and reindeer.

By the 1800s, Dutch settlers in America brought Sinterklaas, which evolved linguistically into “Santa Claus.”

Then came the 20th century.

In the 1930s, Coca-Cola commissioned illustrator Haddon Sundblom to create a Santa who embodied warmth, abundance, and familiarity. The red suit, round belly, rosy cheeks, and cheerful demeanor weren’t ancient—they were advertising brilliance. And they worked so well that this version of Santa became globally dominant.

Santa didn’t begin as a marketing tool—but modern capitalism undeniably shaped the image we know today.

Honoring the Return of Light—Then and Now

Ancient rituals weren’t about belief systems. They were about alignment—with nature, time, and each other.

At their core, these traditions honored:

• The return of light

• Community during darkness

• Gratitude for survival

• Hope before proof

That’s why they endured. And that’s why this season still holds power.

How to Honor the Season Today—Regardless of Belief

You don’t need to reject Christmas—or adopt a new identity—to honor its deeper roots.

You can:

• Light candles with intention, not just decoration

• Spend time with people who feel grounding and real

• Reflect on what survived this year, not just what succeeded

• Treat the days between holidays as sacred pause

• Set intentions as the year turns, knowing cycles matter

When you realize Christmas wasn’t invented but inherited, the season becomes larger, not smaller.

It stops being about getting the story “right” and starts being about participating in something ancient and human.

Because even in the darkest moments, light returns.

And maybe that’s why this season still finds us and takes over—no matter what we believe.

So, if you're reading this, I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May the light return to you in full force after a season filled with so much sparkle and celebration that you may have never even realized it left.

With holiday cheer,

Coach Corey