The reasons why we celebrate Christmas vary depending on whom you ask. For what is often seen as a traditional Christmas, designed around the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. However, the middle of winter has been a time for celebration long before Jesus was born with many early Europeans spending the darkest of winter days celebrating light and birth. The winter solstice, which is usually around December 21st, signifies that the long dark nights of winter are behind and the bright days of summer are on the horizon. The Scandinavians would celebrate Yule during this time, with members of the community collecting large logs to burn in the homes and they would feast until the logs burned out, this would often last around 12 days. Norse pagans believed that each spark from the fire represented the birth of a new calf or pig in the coming spring.
