THE SOLSTICE THROUGH THE CENTURIES
Historically, the winter solstice has had a rather checkered past. For hundreds of years, many people believed that the changing seasons and fluctuating hours of sunlight were controlled by a group of deities known as sun gods. The early pagans celebrated the Winter Solstice by honoring those gods with a variety of festivals and rituals designed to curry the gods' favor and ensure the sun's speedy return. In the Roman Empire, the Winter Solstice was further recognized by the celebration of the "Birthday of the Sun" on December 25th.
In the fourth century A.D., church leaders in Rome attempted to eliminate the pagan festivities by adopting December 25th as Christ's birthday. They hoped to replace the pagan customs with Christian traditions. The effort was never completely successful, however, and eventually many Winter Solstice customs were incorporated into Christmas observances.
By the tenth century, Christmas, with its colorful ceremonies and parades and entertaining performances, was the most celebrated holiday in Europe. In the 16th century, the festivities became so lively that Parliament passed a law abolishing Christmas altogether. Eventually the law was repealed, but today's winter solstice festivities are largely secular celebrations, held to brighten up the dark days of winter and remind celebrants of the spring to come.