>>7032125We don't have it here, that's all. What's the brown stuff?
>>7032130Despite what you might've been lead to believe, Jesus was not born in the middle of winter. The exact date is unknown, however the date of the celebration was moved to midwinter to make the new religion more appealing (or at least less difficult to adjust to) for European Pagans.
Juleblot, or jól, is the original winter solstice celebration that preceded Christmas. It was traditionally an offering to Odin, followed by large feast together with the family or even the entire village. Many of the things that are considered quintessentially Christmas-y actually stem from older Pagan traditions. Santa wearing a long red hat, for instance, stems from the idea of the fjǿsnisse, a helpful spirit that helps around on the farm, while Santa himself was probably inspired by imagery of Odin.
