Tim's History Talk- From Saturnalia to Santa: The Pagan Roots of Christmas

Historian Tim Hazell gives a talk tracing the pagan and ancient origins of Christmas traditions.

Tim Hazell, Riverhouse's Historian in Residence, explores how Christmas traditions such as gift-giving, pine trees, Santa Claus and reindeer developed over millennia. The talk covers influences including Indian bull deities, Roman decadence and Christian controversies in tracing the holiday's ancient roots.