While Christmas is a big holiday in Western countries today, it’s actually based on older traditions that people celebrated before Christianity. Things like decorating trees and giving gifts come from these old celebrations. Even though we celebrate Christmas as a Christian holiday, we can still see the influence of these older traditions.
While Christmas is a major holiday in Western countries. It’s fascinating to see how Christmas is connected to older customs and beliefs. Alongside familiar characters like Jesus, Mary, and Santa Claus, there are other less-known figures who appear in winter festivals across Europe.
These figures often have a mystical or supernatural quality, like ancient myths and beliefs. They might be witches, demons, or spirits of nature. These characters remind us of the pre-Christian traditions that have influenced our modern Christmas celebrations.
Historically, the church tried to get rid of these ancient figures and their traditions. Many of these survived, often being included in Christian traditions. Today, these figures offer a fascinating look at how old stories and religious beliefs are combined over time. They are important parts of many European festivals, giving travelers a chance to experience these rich cultural traditions.
Before the rise of modern Christmas, Ancient Winter Festivals of Europe played a central role in seasonal celebrations, blending nature-based rituals, folklore, and sacred rites. These old European winter celebrations, deeply rooted in pagan and early tribal cultures, honored the solstice, rebirth, and the turning of the year. From Saturnalia in Rome to Yule among the Norse, these pre-Christmas European traditions laid the foundation for what winter festivals became in later centuries. So, if you’re wondering what were winter festivals before Christmas in Europe, the answer lies in these vibrant, symbolic customs that still echo in today’s holiday season.
Befana’s Feast, Italy
In Italy, a witch named La Befana delivers gifts on the night of January 5th. She shares similarities with Santa Claus, like flying through the night and entering homes through chimneys. She rewards good children with coal. This tradition despite its seeminglywitchlike figure is deeply rooted in Italian culture and is celebrated with great enjoyment.
La Befana’s origins likely predate Christianity, with similarities to Strenua, a Roman goddess who was related to new year gift giving. However, over time, the figure of la Befana has been integrated into Christian tradition. A popular myth suggests that la Befana encountered the three wise men on their journey to visit the baby Jesus and offered them shelter. This connection has solidified her place in Italian Christmas celebrations.
The town of Urbania in the Marche region of Italy is considered the home of la Befana. Every January, the town celebrates the festa Della Befana attracting around 30,000 visitors. During the festival, people enjoy special cookies called Befanini, watch a parade featuring the world’s longest stocking, and shop at markets selling local ceramics. The highlight of the festival is the performance of costumed witches who dance in the streets and even “fly” between church towers on broomsticks.
The Devilish Side of Winter Festivals
December 6th is the feast day of Saint Nicholas, a real person who inspired the legend of Santa Claus. In some parts of central Europe, like Bavaria, Austria and south Tyrol, this day is celebrated by giving gifts to good children, like how Italians celebrate Epiphany.
The night before Saint Nicholas Day, December 5th, is known as Kampus Night. This is a more frightening tradition, featuring a demonic creature called Krampus. Krampus is a half-goat, half-man figure with a long tongue, dark fur, horns, and menacing eyes. Unlike Saint Nicholas, who rewards good children, Krampus punishes bad children. He beats them with a birch rod or even carries them away to hell in a basket. Despite this, Krampus is often seen with Saint Nicholas in greeting cards, showing the contrast between reward and punishment.
The exact origins of Krampus are unknown. But La Befana, he probably comes from oldstories and beliefs that existed before Christianity. Over time, he became part of Christmastraditions. On December 5th, people in the Alpine regions participate in Krampus runs. During these events, people dress up as Krampus. Drinking schnapps and shaking bells to ward off evil spirits. One of the largest and most easily accessible Krampus runs takes place in the old town of Salzburg.
A Horse Skull’s Christmas Carol
In Wales, people celebrate Christmas and New Year with a unique tradition called the MariLwyd. During this tradition, people decorate a horse skull with shiny things and attach it to a pole. Someone wears this as a costume and goes around with a group of friends, singing songs and asking for food and drinks.
The Mari Lwyd is like trick-or-treating or Christmas caroling. People go door to door doing something to get treats. The Mari Lwyd is a special kind of wassailing. It is a custom where people go from house to house, singing and offering a special drink in exchange for gifts. The Mari Lwyd is a Welsh version of this, where people wear a horse skull and sing songs.
You can see the Mari Lwyd in many places in south Wales during Christmas and New Year. But the biggest celebration is in Chepstow, a town near England. In Chepstow, many people dress up as Mari Lwyds and dance with Morris dancers. They go from place to place, including the castle, and sing songs to get treats.
A group of people celebrate wassailing, an old English and Welsh tradition. They gather at a bridge between England and Wales and then move to an orchard. They pour cider on treeroots, hang toast on branches, and dance and sing. They believe it will bring good luck for the next year’s harvest.
Bear Dance, Romania
In Romania, especially in the eastern region of Moldavia, people celebrate a unique tradition called the Bear Dance. On December 30th, people dress up in real bear skins and dance through the streets. This dance tells us of death and rebirth, representing the start of a new year. The tradition is believed to have originated from ancient times when bears were considered sacred symbols of strength and new life.
