How cozy Yuletide traditions got their start with raging parties and animal sacrifice
- Posted on December 24, 2025
- By NPR
- 2 Views
How cozy Yuletide traditions got their start with raging parties and animal sacrifice

Today, people consider "Yule" synonymous with "Christmas." But centuries ago, Yule meant something different — a pagan mid-winter festival, dating back to pre-Christian Germanic people.