Dec. 25, 2025
Why December 25th? The Real Origins of Christmas, Saturnalia, and the Sun
This episode of Broadcasting Seeds delves into the origins of Christmas, exploring its rich tapestry woven from ancient pagan traditions, Christian theology, and cultural adaptations. The conversation highlights the significance of the winter solstice, the Norse festival of Yule, the Roman celebration of Saturnalia, and the early church's strategic incorporation of these customs into the Christmas holiday we know today. The episode emphasizes the enduring themes of light, hope, and connection that resonate through these traditions, encouraging listeners to appreciate the historical roots of their modern celebrations.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-broadcasting-seeds-podcast--6402290/support.
Broadcasting Seeds Sponsors
ECO Flow - For all your mobile power needs! For home or when you are camping or doing research in the field. ECO Flow has everything you would need.
https://ecoflowtechnologyinc.pxf.io/19VYO9
Safe Shell VPN - This is the VPN that I use! Secure High-Speed Streaming VPN Different Apps, Different IPs The Best VPN for TV, Movies, Sports and Social Media with Exclusive App Mode-Enjoying content from multiple regions simultaneously!
https://safeshellvpn.pxf.io/xLqJBR
The Long Story Shirt - for all your Broadcasting Seeds Gear and other High Strangeness Apparel and Swag.
https://thelongstoryshirt.com
WEBVTT
1
00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:26.559
Pasts in the minds of the Welcome to broadcasting seeds,
2
00:00:26.600 --> 00:00:29.879
where we plant ideas and fertile minds and water them
3
00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:34.240
with a healthy dose of curiosity. I'm your host, Bennett Tanton,
4
00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:38.320
and today we're diving into a topic that might make
5
00:00:38.439 --> 00:00:42.679
your Christmas tree ornaments rattle just a little, the origins
6
00:00:42.759 --> 00:00:47.079
of Christmas. Now, before you start clutching your Santa hats,
7
00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:50.640
let me assure you this isn't an attack on Christmas
8
00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:55.320
or your family's favorite holiday traditions. It's an exploration of
9
00:00:55.399 --> 00:00:59.159
how this beloved holiday came to be and the curious
10
00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:03.200
mix of pagan roots, Christian theology, and good old fashioned
11
00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:07.840
cultural compromise that brought us here. Here's the thing, Christmas
12
00:01:07.879 --> 00:01:10.079
as we know it didn't just pop out of the
13
00:01:10.159 --> 00:01:14.359
heavens one starry night, like the Angel on your Nativity scene.
14
00:01:14.560 --> 00:01:18.799
It's a patchwork quilt of ancient festivals, customs, and, dare
15
00:01:18.840 --> 00:01:23.799
I say it, a pit of spiritual warfare. Yule logs, mistletoe,
16
00:01:24.120 --> 00:01:28.719
gift exchanges, feasting. These didn't start with a jolly guy
17
00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:32.480
in red. They've been part of human celebrations for centuries,
18
00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:37.120
long before Christianity claimed December twenty fifth as the day
19
00:01:37.159 --> 00:01:40.879
of Christ's birth. Today, we're going to dig deep into
20
00:01:40.920 --> 00:01:46.079
the roots of Christmas, pealing back the layers of Yule, Saturnalia,
21
00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:49.519
and other ancient celebrations that paved the way for the
22
00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:53.840
holiday season. We'll talk about the early churches clever some
23
00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:59.959
might say opportunistic strategy for blending pagan traditions with Christian messages,
24
00:02:00.519 --> 00:02:02.719
and we'll explore what I like to call the War
25
00:02:02.840 --> 00:02:06.959
for the Winter Solstice, where ancient customs and new beliefs
26
00:02:07.079 --> 00:02:11.719
duked it out for cultural supremacy. So buckle up and
27
00:02:11.759 --> 00:02:15.280
grab some eggnog or maybe a mug of biking style
28
00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:19.560
mead if you're feeling historically accurate. We're about to unwrap
29
00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:22.120
the story behind the season in a way that will
30
00:02:22.120 --> 00:02:26.719
make you see your Christmas decorations in a whole new light.
31
00:02:27.280 --> 00:03:03.319
Let's get started, all right. Let's kick things off by
32
00:03:03.319 --> 00:03:08.560
heading way back, like prehistoric humans huddling around a fireback.
33
00:03:09.080 --> 00:03:12.759
The winter solstice is the shortest day and longest night
34
00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:16.080
of the year, usually falling around December twenty first or
35
00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:20.000
twenty second in the Northern Hemisphere. To our ancestors, this
36
00:03:20.159 --> 00:03:24.639
wasn't just an astronomical event. It was a cosmic turning point,
37
00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:27.960
a literal light at the end of the tunnel. The
38
00:03:28.039 --> 00:03:31.800
solstice marked the moment when the Sun, their life giving
39
00:03:31.840 --> 00:03:36.400
beacon of warmth and sustenance, began its slow return. Now
40
00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:39.840
imagine this. You're living thousands of years ago in a
41
00:03:39.879 --> 00:03:44.120
world with no electric lights, central heating, or door dash.
42
00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:47.800
Winter's a real jerk. It's cold, it's dark, and if
43
00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:50.800
you didn't stock up on food. It's also a season
44
00:03:50.879 --> 00:03:54.400
long hunger games. So the solstice wasn't just a reason
45
00:03:54.479 --> 00:03:59.080
to party. It was a survival milestone. Hey, we made
46
00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:01.960
it halfway through the darkness without freezing to death or
47
00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:07.439
being eaten by wolves. Let's celebrate. For ancient cultures, the
48
00:04:07.479 --> 00:04:11.159
solstice was a sign of hope and renewal. Take the
49
00:04:11.199 --> 00:04:15.080
Neolithic people of Britain, for example. They didn't have TikTok
50
00:04:15.319 --> 00:04:19.839
or cable news, but they did have Stonehenge. Archaeologists believed
51
00:04:19.879 --> 00:04:23.040
this massive stone monument was built at least in part
52
00:04:23.399 --> 00:04:26.240
to track the movements of the sun, making it a
53
00:04:26.399 --> 00:04:30.759
literal solstice calendar. During the winter solstice, the sun aligns
54
00:04:30.759 --> 00:04:35.959
perfectly with the stones, casting light through the darkest day. Coincidence.
55
00:04:36.519 --> 00:04:41.079
Hardly these folks knew what they were doing. Meanwhile, over
56
00:04:41.160 --> 00:04:45.399
in Scandinavia, the Norse were celebrating Yule. They believed the
57
00:04:45.439 --> 00:04:49.120
sun was a giant wheel of fire, probably powered by
58
00:04:49.279 --> 00:04:53.319
Viking grade optimism, that rolled closer to Earth as the
59
00:04:53.399 --> 00:04:57.480
days grew longer. To honor this cosmic wheel, they'd light
60
00:04:57.639 --> 00:05:02.360
bonfire's feast and of course mead, because what's a winter
61
00:05:02.519 --> 00:05:06.759
celebration without a little liquid warmth. The Chelts too had
62
00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:11.680
their solstice rituals. Druids would gather mistletoe more on that
63
00:05:11.800 --> 00:05:15.800
later and hold ceremonies celebrating the Oak King's victory over
64
00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:20.759
the Holly King. Yes, they had a whole mythological WWF
65
00:05:20.879 --> 00:05:23.959
match going on to symbolize the rebirth of the sun.
66
00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:27.759
And let's not forget the Romans. They didn't have stonehenge
67
00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:32.279
or Viking fire wheels, but they did have Saturnalia, a
68
00:05:32.319 --> 00:05:36.079
week long festival that revolved around the solstice. But will
69
00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:38.959
get to their wild party scene in the next segment.
70
00:05:39.560 --> 00:05:43.680
The point is whether you were building massive stone structures
71
00:05:43.800 --> 00:05:46.920
or just lighting a fire to keep the wolves at pay,
72
00:05:47.720 --> 00:05:51.639
the winter solstice was a big deal. It reminded people
73
00:05:51.639 --> 00:05:55.720
that darkness wasn't forever, that the sun would return, and
74
00:05:55.759 --> 00:06:00.920
that life, despite the challenges, was worth celebrating. Now here's
75
00:06:00.920 --> 00:06:06.160
where it gets interesting. These solstice celebrations weren't just about survival.
76
00:06:06.600 --> 00:06:11.319
They were deeply symbolic, tied to themes of death and rebirth.
77
00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:14.720
Think about it. The sun dies on the darkest day
78
00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:18.600
and is reborn as the days grow longer. Sound familiar.
79
00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:23.000
It should, because that's the same kind of imagery Christianity
80
00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:27.800
later adopted for Christmas. But we're not there yet. First
81
00:06:28.240 --> 00:06:30.720
we need to take a closer look at Yule and
82
00:06:30.759 --> 00:06:34.680
its spirit of evergreen resilience. Ready to head north and
83
00:06:34.759 --> 00:06:50.560
get cozy with some Viking traditions, let's roll. Now that
84
00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:53.839
we've set the stage with the winter Solstice, let's dive
85
00:06:53.879 --> 00:06:58.680
into one of the most iconic solstice celebrations, Yule. If
86
00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:01.920
you've ever decked the hull with boughs of holly or
87
00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:04.839
lugged a pine tree into your living room, you've got
88
00:07:04.920 --> 00:07:08.040
Yule to think. This was the Norse festival of the
89
00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:11.480
winter Solstice. And let me tell you, these Vikings knew
90
00:07:11.480 --> 00:07:13.560
how to party like it was nine and undre and
91
00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:17.639
ninety nine. Yule revolved around the idea of endurance and
92
00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:23.279
rebirth in the harsh Scandinavian winter, Survival wasn't just about muscle,
93
00:07:23.800 --> 00:07:27.800
it was about mindset. So they turned to the evergreen trees,
94
00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:32.000
symbols of life that could weather even the cruelest frost.
95
00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:37.240
These trees weren't just decorative, they were spiritual icons. By
96
00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:42.360
bringing evergreens into their homes, the Norse people believed they
97
00:07:42.360 --> 00:07:46.360
were inviting the strength of nature itself to protect their families.
98
00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:51.279
And then there was the Yule log. Not the chocolate dessert,
99
00:07:51.560 --> 00:07:55.800
but an actual massive log. Families would select the biggest,
100
00:07:55.839 --> 00:07:58.920
baddest piece of wood they could find, drag it into
101
00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:02.120
their homes, and light it on fire. This wasn't just
102
00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:06.079
for heat, though that certainly helped. The burning log symbolized
103
00:08:06.120 --> 00:08:11.639
the sun's return, with its crackling flames chasing away the darkness. Plus,
104
00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:14.759
it was said that the longer the log burned, the
105
00:08:14.800 --> 00:08:17.600
more luck the family would have in the coming year.
106
00:08:18.120 --> 00:08:23.120
No pressure right Feasting was also a cornerstone of Yule.
107
00:08:23.639 --> 00:08:27.959
Picture of Viking banquet table piled high with roasted meat, bread,
108
00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:32.159
and ale. This wasn't just about indulgence, it was about
109
00:08:32.279 --> 00:08:36.679
gratitude By celebrating abundance in the face of scarcity. They
110
00:08:36.759 --> 00:08:40.759
honored the gods and strengthened their community bonds. And of
111
00:08:40.799 --> 00:08:45.519
course there was mead, always mead, because what's a Norse
112
00:08:45.559 --> 00:08:50.360
celebration without a little honeywine to keep things lively. But
113
00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:54.519
Yuele wasn't just about feasting and fire. It was also
114
00:08:54.559 --> 00:08:58.720
a time for storytelling. Around the hearth, families would share
115
00:08:58.840 --> 00:09:03.679
tales of their ancestors, gods, and mythical creatures. One such
116
00:09:03.720 --> 00:09:07.360
story involved the Wild Hunt, a ghostly procession led by
117
00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:11.000
Odin himself, riding through the skies on his eight legged
118
00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:15.399
steed slipe near sound like a certain sleigh, writing figure,
119
00:09:15.480 --> 00:09:20.480
we know hold that thought. Now, let's talk mistletoe. To
120
00:09:20.559 --> 00:09:25.120
the Norse, mistletoe was more than a holiday decoration. It
121
00:09:25.159 --> 00:09:29.559
was a plant with deep spiritual significance. According to legend,
122
00:09:29.919 --> 00:09:33.679
the god Balder was killed with a mistletoe arrow, but
123
00:09:33.799 --> 00:09:37.240
through the love of his mother frig he was resurrected.
124
00:09:37.799 --> 00:09:41.960
This made mistletoe a symbol of life and protection. The
125
00:09:42.039 --> 00:09:46.200
custom of kissing under it that likely came later, but
126
00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:50.919
the idea of mistletoe bringing blessings started here. Yule's influence
127
00:09:51.200 --> 00:09:56.200
is still everywhere in modern Christmas. The Christmas tree straight
128
00:09:56.200 --> 00:10:00.320
out of the Viking playbook the Yule log Yep, that's
129
00:10:00.440 --> 00:10:04.039
Norse too. Even the tradition of caroling can trace its
130
00:10:04.120 --> 00:10:07.480
roots back to Yule, when villagers would go from house
131
00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:11.480
to house, singing and spreading cheer in exchange for food
132
00:10:11.639 --> 00:10:16.080
or drink. But Yule wasn't the only winter celebration in town.
133
00:10:16.360 --> 00:10:19.639
While the Norse were lighting fires and toasting to odin,
134
00:10:20.120 --> 00:10:24.960
the Romans were throwing one of history's rowdiest parties, Saturnalia.
135
00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:28.000
It's a festival so wild it makes Yule look like
136
00:10:28.039 --> 00:10:30.840
a book club. Ready to head to ancient Rome and
137
00:10:30.919 --> 00:10:49.320
crash the party. Let's go now, Let's leave the frosty
138
00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:52.799
forests of Scandinavia and head south to the bustling streets
139
00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:56.120
of ancient Rome, where they had their own unique way
140
00:10:56.159 --> 00:11:01.440
of dealing with winter's gloom. Enter Saturnalia. A festival so
141
00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:05.799
extravagant it makes your office holiday party look like Amateur Hour.
142
00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:11.279
If Yule was about resilience and rebirth, Saturnalia was about
143
00:11:11.320 --> 00:11:15.879
cutting loose, flipping the script, and letting chaos reign at
144
00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:21.480
least for a week. Saturnalia celebrated from December seventeenth to
145
00:11:21.519 --> 00:11:25.919
the twenty third was dedicated to Saturn, the Roman god
146
00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:29.799
of agriculture and time. The Romans believed this was the
147
00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:33.720
season to honor Saturn's Golden Age, a mythical time of
148
00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:37.360
equality and abundance. And what better way to honor a
149
00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:40.720
god of abundance than by throwing a week long rager.
150
00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:45.360
This was a festival of role reversal, where social norms
151
00:11:45.399 --> 00:11:50.120
were turned completely upside down. Slaves were served by their masters,
152
00:11:50.519 --> 00:11:54.440
commoners dressed as kings, and everyone set aside their daily
153
00:11:54.519 --> 00:11:57.879
grind to revel in the spirit of freedom and equality,
154
00:11:58.440 --> 00:12:02.879
temporary though it was. Imagine your boss serving you coffee
155
00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:06.720
while you lounge at their desk. Now multiply that energy
156
00:12:06.759 --> 00:12:10.600
by one hundred and you've got Saturnalia. The streets of
157
00:12:10.679 --> 00:12:15.360
Rome were alive with celebration. People adorned their homes with greenery,
158
00:12:15.799 --> 00:12:19.879
sound familiar, and lick candles to symbolize the return of light.
159
00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:23.879
Gifts were exchanged, but not the kind you'd find under
160
00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:29.080
a modern Christmas tree. Instead, Saturnalia gifts were more about
161
00:12:29.200 --> 00:12:33.399
humor and wit than extravagance. Think gag gifts like clay
162
00:12:33.440 --> 00:12:37.519
figurines or joke filled scrolls. One of the festival's most
163
00:12:37.559 --> 00:12:41.960
striking features was the Lord of Misrule, a figure chosen
164
00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:45.799
from the lower classes to preside over the festivities. This
165
00:12:46.039 --> 00:12:50.080
mock king had the power to issue silly decrees, like
166
00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:54.879
ordering everyone to wear mismatched sandals or sing ridiculous songs.
167
00:12:55.440 --> 00:12:58.600
It was all in good fun, a reminder that the
168
00:12:58.679 --> 00:13:02.279
social order wasn't as rigid as it seemed. And then
169
00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:06.679
there was the feasting. Oh the feasting picture banquet tables
170
00:13:07.080 --> 00:13:11.159
groaning under the weight of roasted meats, bread, fruit, and wine,
171
00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:16.480
lots and lots of wine. Romans didn't just eat, they indulged.
172
00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:19.720
It was a time to celebrate the abundance of the harvest,
173
00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:26.039
even as winter tightened its grip. But Saturnalia wasn't all hedonism.
174
00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:30.600
It also carried deep spiritual meaning. The reversal of rolls
175
00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:35.600
and shedding of inhibitions symbolized a return to Saturn's golden age,
176
00:13:36.039 --> 00:13:40.440
a utopian ideal where everyone was equal, an abundance was
177
00:13:40.519 --> 00:13:43.879
the norm. It was a way of acknowledging the hardships
178
00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:47.519
of the present while hoping for better days ahead, a
179
00:13:47.559 --> 00:13:52.639
theme that resonates even today. So how does Saturnalia connect
180
00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:56.840
to Christmas. The answer lies in the early Christian Church's
181
00:13:56.919 --> 00:14:01.000
genius for adaptation. As Christians and he spread through the
182
00:14:01.080 --> 00:14:05.799
Roman Empire, church leaders saw the appeal of Saturnalia's joyful
183
00:14:05.879 --> 00:14:09.360
chaos and sought to harness it. They didn't ban the
184
00:14:09.399 --> 00:14:14.200
festival outright, too risky when people loved it so much. Instead,
185
00:14:14.759 --> 00:14:19.279
they gradually infused it with Christian symbolism, shifting the focus
186
00:14:19.320 --> 00:14:22.720
to the birth of Christ while keeping the festive spirit alive.
187
00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:27.799
When you look at Christmas traditions like gift giving, lighting candles,
188
00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:33.000
and decking the halls with greenery, you're seeing echoes of Saturnalia.
189
00:14:33.480 --> 00:14:37.679
Even the concept of a holiday season filled with goodwill
190
00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:42.000
and togetherness owes a nod to Rome's legendary festival. But
191
00:14:42.200 --> 00:14:47.080
Saturnalia was just one piece of the puzzle. As Christianity grew,
192
00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:52.240
it didn't just adapt one festival, it synthesized many, creating
193
00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:55.720
a hybrid holiday that could appeal to everyone. In the
194
00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:59.480
next segment, we'll explore how the early Church navigated this
195
00:14:59.559 --> 00:15:05.200
cultural balancing act and turned competing traditions into one cohesive celebration.
196
00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:09.639
Ready to see how the pieces came together, Let's keep going.
197
00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:39.799
All right, we've explored Eules, Evergreen's, and Saturnalia's chaotic revelry.
198
00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:43.320
But now it's time to talk about how the early
199
00:15:43.519 --> 00:15:47.240
Christian Church stepped in, saw the writing on the solstice
200
00:15:47.240 --> 00:15:50.360
wall and said we can work with this. What we're
201
00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:53.600
about to dive into is less about religion and more
202
00:15:53.639 --> 00:15:58.399
about marketing, a campaign so successful that it turned competing
203
00:15:58.440 --> 00:16:02.960
traditions into a unifor holiday. Let's start with the big question,
204
00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:08.799
why December twenty fifth. Spoiler alert, It wasn't because Jesus
205
00:16:08.919 --> 00:16:12.759
was born on that date. Biblical scholars generally agreed that
206
00:16:12.840 --> 00:16:15.919
the actual timing of the Christ's birth is a mystery,
207
00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:20.200
and early Christians didn't celebrate it at all. So why
208
00:16:20.559 --> 00:16:26.480
this particular day, Well, the answer lies in strategic brilliance.
209
00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:32.960
The winter Solstice, Yule, Saturnalia. These were all hugely popular celebrations.
210
00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:36.559
People weren't going to stop partying just because a new
211
00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:39.440
faith was on the rise. So instead of trying to
212
00:16:39.480 --> 00:16:42.840
squash these traditions, the church decided to co opt them
213
00:16:43.320 --> 00:16:46.600
By declaring December twenty fifth as the date of Christ's birth.
214
00:16:46.960 --> 00:16:52.279
They overlaid Christian meaning onto existing festivals, effectively absorbing them
215
00:16:52.440 --> 00:16:56.879
into the new faith. This wasn't just about convenience, It
216
00:16:57.000 --> 00:17:01.200
was about resonance. The solstice had all always symbolized light
217
00:17:01.320 --> 00:17:06.920
overcoming darkness, life returning after death. Sound familiar. The themes
218
00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:09.519
of rebirth and hope were a perfect match for the
219
00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:14.119
Christian narrative of Christ's birth. By aligning with these pre
220
00:17:14.279 --> 00:17:19.480
existing ideas, the church made its message more relatable and accessible.
221
00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:23.599
But they didn't stop at the date. The Church also
222
00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:28.759
adopted and adapted pagan customs. Take the evergreen tree, a
223
00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:32.480
mule staple, Early Christians reframed it as a symbol of
224
00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:37.720
eternal life, connecting it to Christ. The yule log repurposed
225
00:17:37.720 --> 00:17:41.079
as a metaphor for the light of God. Even gift giving,
226
00:17:41.400 --> 00:17:45.559
a hallmark of saturnalia, was recast as a gesture of
227
00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:50.559
Christian charity and goodwill. The strategy wasn't without resistance. Some
228
00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:53.880
purists in the early Church weren't thrilled about mixing sacred
229
00:17:53.920 --> 00:17:58.400
celebrations with what they saw as pagan frivolity. They wanted
230
00:17:58.880 --> 00:18:02.400
a clear break from the ways, But the more pragmatic
231
00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:06.599
leaders saw the bigger picture. By embracing these customs, they
232
00:18:06.599 --> 00:18:09.960
could win over converts without forcing them to abandon their
233
00:18:09.960 --> 00:18:14.359
beloved traditions. It wasn't just about winning hearts and minds,
234
00:18:14.759 --> 00:18:18.359
it was about creating a sense of unity. The Roman
235
00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:22.680
Empire was vast and culturally diverse, and Christianity had to
236
00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:26.440
appeal to people from all walks of life. By blending
237
00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:31.839
elements of Yule, Saturnalia, and other solstice traditions, the Church
238
00:18:31.960 --> 00:18:36.119
crafted a holiday that could be celebrated by everyone, regardless
1
00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:26.559
2
00:00:26.600 --> 00:00:29.879
3
00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:34.240
4
00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:38.320
5
00:00:38.439 --> 00:00:42.679
6
00:00:42.759 --> 00:00:47.079
7
00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:50.640
8
00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:55.320
9
00:00:55.399 --> 00:00:59.159
10
00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:03.200
11
00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:07.840
12
00:01:07.879 --> 00:01:10.079
13
00:01:10.159 --> 00:01:14.359
14
00:01:14.560 --> 00:01:18.799
15
00:01:18.840 --> 00:01:23.799
16
00:01:24.120 --> 00:01:28.719
17
00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:32.480
18
00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:37.120
19
00:01:37.159 --> 00:01:40.879
20
00:01:40.920 --> 00:01:46.079
21
00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:49.519
22
00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:53.840
23
00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:59.959
24
00:02:00.519 --> 00:02:02.719
25
00:02:02.840 --> 00:02:06.959
26
00:02:07.079 --> 00:02:11.719
27
00:02:11.759 --> 00:02:15.280
28
00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:19.560
29
00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:22.120
30
00:02:22.120 --> 00:02:26.719
31
00:02:27.280 --> 00:03:03.319
32
00:03:03.319 --> 00:03:08.560
33
00:03:09.080 --> 00:03:12.759
34
00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:16.080
35
00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:20.000
36
00:03:20.159 --> 00:03:24.639
37
00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:27.960
38
00:03:28.039 --> 00:03:31.800
39
00:03:31.840 --> 00:03:36.400
40
00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:39.840
41
00:03:39.879 --> 00:03:44.120
42
00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:47.800
43
00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:50.800
44
00:03:50.879 --> 00:03:54.400
45
00:03:54.479 --> 00:03:59.080
46
00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:01.960
47
00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:07.439
48
00:04:07.479 --> 00:04:11.159
49
00:04:11.199 --> 00:04:15.080
50
00:04:15.319 --> 00:04:19.839
51
00:04:19.879 --> 00:04:23.040
52
00:04:23.399 --> 00:04:26.240
53
00:04:26.399 --> 00:04:30.759
54
00:04:30.759 --> 00:04:35.959
55
00:04:36.519 --> 00:04:41.079
56
00:04:41.160 --> 00:04:45.399
57
00:04:45.439 --> 00:04:49.120
58
00:04:49.279 --> 00:04:53.319
59
00:04:53.399 --> 00:04:57.480
60
00:04:57.639 --> 00:05:02.360
61
00:05:02.519 --> 00:05:06.759
62
00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:11.680
63
00:05:11.800 --> 00:05:15.800
64
00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:20.759
65
00:05:20.879 --> 00:05:23.959
66
00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:27.759
67
00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:32.279
68
00:05:32.319 --> 00:05:36.079
69
00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:38.959
70
00:05:39.560 --> 00:05:43.680
71
00:05:43.800 --> 00:05:46.920
72
00:05:47.720 --> 00:05:51.639
73
00:05:51.639 --> 00:05:55.720
74
00:05:55.759 --> 00:06:00.920
75
00:06:00.920 --> 00:06:06.160
76
00:06:06.600 --> 00:06:11.319
77
00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:14.720
78
00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:18.600
79
00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:23.000
80
00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:27.800
81
00:06:28.240 --> 00:06:30.720
82
00:06:30.759 --> 00:06:34.680
83
00:06:34.759 --> 00:06:50.560
84
00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:53.839
85
00:06:53.879 --> 00:06:58.680
86
00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:01.920
87
00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:04.839
88
00:07:04.920 --> 00:07:08.040
89
00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:11.480
90
00:07:11.480 --> 00:07:13.560
91
00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:17.639
92
00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:23.279
93
00:07:23.800 --> 00:07:27.800
94
00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:32.000
95
00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:37.240
96
00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:42.360
97
00:07:42.360 --> 00:07:46.360
98
00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:51.279
99
00:07:51.560 --> 00:07:55.800
100
00:07:55.839 --> 00:07:58.920
101
00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:02.120
102
00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:06.079
103
00:08:06.120 --> 00:08:11.639
104
00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:14.759
105
00:08:14.800 --> 00:08:17.600
106
00:08:18.120 --> 00:08:23.120
107
00:08:23.639 --> 00:08:27.959
108
00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:32.159
109
00:08:32.279 --> 00:08:36.679
110
00:08:36.759 --> 00:08:40.759
111
00:08:40.799 --> 00:08:45.519
112
00:08:45.559 --> 00:08:50.360
113
00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:54.519
114
00:08:54.559 --> 00:08:58.720
115
00:08:58.840 --> 00:09:03.679
116
00:09:03.720 --> 00:09:07.360
117
00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:11.000
118
00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:15.399
119
00:09:15.480 --> 00:09:20.480
120
00:09:20.559 --> 00:09:25.120
121
00:09:25.159 --> 00:09:29.559
122
00:09:29.919 --> 00:09:33.679
123
00:09:33.799 --> 00:09:37.240
124
00:09:37.799 --> 00:09:41.960
125
00:09:42.039 --> 00:09:46.200
126
00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:50.919
127
00:09:51.200 --> 00:09:56.200
128
00:09:56.200 --> 00:10:00.320
129
00:10:00.440 --> 00:10:04.039
130
00:10:04.120 --> 00:10:07.480
131
00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:11.480
132
00:10:11.639 --> 00:10:16.080
133
00:10:16.360 --> 00:10:19.639
134
00:10:20.120 --> 00:10:24.960
135
00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:28.000
136
00:10:28.039 --> 00:10:30.840
137
00:10:30.919 --> 00:10:49.320
138
00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:52.799
139
00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:56.120
140
00:10:56.159 --> 00:11:01.440
141
00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:05.799
142
00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:11.279
143
00:11:11.320 --> 00:11:15.879
144
00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:21.480
145
00:11:21.519 --> 00:11:25.919
146
00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:29.799
147
00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:33.720
148
00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:37.360
149
00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:40.720
150
00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:45.360
151
00:11:45.399 --> 00:11:50.120
152
00:11:50.519 --> 00:11:54.440
153
00:11:54.519 --> 00:11:57.879
154
00:11:58.440 --> 00:12:02.879
155
00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:06.720
156
00:12:06.759 --> 00:12:10.600
157
00:12:10.679 --> 00:12:15.360
158
00:12:15.799 --> 00:12:19.879
159
00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:23.879
160
00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:29.080
161
00:12:29.200 --> 00:12:33.399
162
00:12:33.440 --> 00:12:37.519
163
00:12:37.559 --> 00:12:41.960
164
00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:45.799
165
00:12:46.039 --> 00:12:50.080
166
00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:54.879
167
00:12:55.440 --> 00:12:58.600
168
00:12:58.679 --> 00:13:02.279
169
00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:06.679
170
00:13:07.080 --> 00:13:11.159
171
00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:16.480
172
00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:19.720
173
00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:26.039
174
00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:30.600
175
00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:35.600
176
00:13:36.039 --> 00:13:40.440
177
00:13:40.519 --> 00:13:43.879
178
00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:47.519
179
00:13:47.559 --> 00:13:52.639
180
00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:56.840
181
00:13:56.919 --> 00:14:01.000
182
00:14:01.080 --> 00:14:05.799
183
00:14:05.879 --> 00:14:09.360
184
00:14:09.399 --> 00:14:14.200
185
00:14:14.759 --> 00:14:19.279
186
00:14:19.320 --> 00:14:22.720
187
00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:27.799
188
00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:33.000
189
00:14:33.480 --> 00:14:37.679
190
00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:42.000
191
00:14:42.200 --> 00:14:47.080
192
00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:52.240
193
00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:55.720
194
00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:59.480
195
00:14:59.559 --> 00:15:05.200
196
00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:09.639
197
00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:39.799
198
00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:43.320
199
00:15:43.519 --> 00:15:47.240
200
00:15:47.240 --> 00:15:50.360
201
00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:53.600
202
00:15:53.639 --> 00:15:58.399
203
00:15:58.440 --> 00:16:02.960
204
00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:08.799
205
00:16:08.919 --> 00:16:12.759
206
00:16:12.840 --> 00:16:15.919
207
00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:20.200
208
00:16:20.559 --> 00:16:26.480
209
00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:32.960
210
00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:36.559
211
00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:39.440
212
00:16:39.480 --> 00:16:42.840
213
00:16:43.320 --> 00:16:46.600
214
00:16:46.960 --> 00:16:52.279
215
00:16:52.440 --> 00:16:56.879
216
00:16:57.000 --> 00:17:01.200
217
00:17:01.320 --> 00:17:06.920
218
00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:09.519
219
00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:14.119
220
00:17:14.279 --> 00:17:19.480
221
00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:23.599
222
00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:28.759
223
00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:32.480
224
00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:37.720
225
00:17:37.720 --> 00:17:41.079
226
00:17:41.400 --> 00:17:45.559
227
00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:50.559
228
00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:53.880
229
00:17:53.920 --> 00:17:58.400
230
00:17:58.880 --> 00:18:02.400
231
00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:06.599
232
00:18:06.599 --> 00:18:09.960
233
00:18:09.960 --> 00:18:14.359
234
00:18:14.759 --> 00:18:18.359
235
00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:22.680
236
00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:26.440
237
00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:31.839
238
00:18:31.960 --> 00:18:36.119