Many traditions that tie Christmas back to the earlier “pagan ... and the renewal of life. Several of our modern religions, including Judaism and Christianity, hold this survival and renewal ...

From white wedding dresses to Christmas trees, Victoria’s personal choices became global trends—long before the age of social ...

and remain in this form as an essential part of a modern Christmas. Decorating the home at Christmas also became a more elaborate affair. The medieval tradition of using evergreens continued ...

Sweden has some charming Christmas traditions. For example, it’s customary to serve a Christmas Eve buffet of traditional foods including risgrynsgröt, a rice pudding flavoured with cinnamon.