While Christmas is considered a Christian holiday, many of its traditions are derived from pagan winter solstice festivals. The legend of Santa Claus originated from Odin, a pagan god, and reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh represent Odin's eight-legged horse. Celebrations like Yule predate Christianity and involved bringing home logs for fires, feasting for up to 12 days, and children leaving treats for Odin's horse in exchange for gifts, a tradition related to modern practices of leaving cookies and milk for Santa.

1. TheHistoryofChristmasmalaika

2. No actually it’s not completely
Christian. Almost everyone knows
that Christmas is a holiday of
Christianity. But what everyone
doesn't know is that most of the
traditions are actually Pagan. One
of the most well known tradition
that actually is Pagan is Santa
Claus.
IsChristmasReallya
ChristianHoliday?

3. The Santa Claus legend is originally Odin,
and the reindeers that pulls his sled is
actually Odin's 8 legged horse Sleipnir.
The 8 reindeers that pull Santas sled
represent Sleipnir's legs.

4. Centuries before the arrival of Jesus we actually celebrated
Yule here in scandinavia, it started December 21 and continued
till the end of January.
In the U.S and a lot of other countries they hang a sock by
the chimney, and on the morning of the 25 December they wake
up to find presents in the sock. This is also in fact a pagan
tradition.
Kids used to put their boots under the chimney with treats for
Odin's 8 legged horse and in return for their kindness they
got food, candy or gifts. Which is why we leave cookies and
milk for santa today.

5. There are different stories
about why Odin was out
flying, one being the yearly
hunting party, and the other
being that he was guarding
his people in the dark
winter times.

6. The celebration called Yule
was a celebration for the
return of the sun in the
spring. The fathers and
sons would take home big
logs to set fire to, then
they would feast until the
fire burned out which could
take up till 12 days.