This quintessentially Christian holiday has pagan roots ... their timing and adapted their rituals: They designated Dec. 24 as the night of Christ's birth and made the evergreen tree a symbol ...

While Easter is a time when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ, a few aspects of the holiday were adopted from ancient pagan rituals that ... Jesus after the birth after he has ...

However, the most disturbing and controversial pagan Yule rituals may have been the sacrifice ... One such tactic was to change the actual date of the birth of Jesus, which historians believe ...

From outrageous costumes to trick or treat: the unexpected ancient roots of Halloween's most popular – and most esoteric – traditions. With its goblins, goosebumps and rituals – from bobbing ...

But over time, such deities faded into myth; the rituals went underground. Recently, however, a resurgence of interest in Pagan practices—crystals and tarot cards, astrology, and herbal magic ...