The Origins of Christmas Legends and Traditions We Didn’t Know

Over two millennia before the first Christmas, the ancient Mesopotamians, in what is now Iraq, marked their new year with a spring equinox festival. Known as “Zagmuk” in Sumer and “Akitu” in Babylon, this grand celebration, lasting eleven or twelve days, revered the sun god Marduk. It symbolized the triumph of life and order over death and chaos, as Marduk annually vanquished the god of destruction, ensuring the world’s rebirth.

Strikingly, this ancient ritual bears resemblance to medieval European customs during the Twelve Days of Christmas and Twelfth Night. Both festivals featured role reversals, masquerades, communal feasts, and special fires, reflecting a universal human desire to celebrate renewal and rebirth in the heart of winter.