Interesting Origins of Our Favorite Christmas Traditions

Baking Christmas Cookies

Them: Not that I’m complaining, but why do you bake cookies on Christmas?

You: If one things for sure, celebrating any holiday in any religion always goes hand-in-hand with good food. In ancient times, winter solstice included a feast before the cold weather wiped out their crops, and it was perfect timing to drink the wine and beer that had been fermenting since spring.

Baking Christmas Cookies

When Christmas replaced these solstice celebrations by the Middle Ages, traditions such as feasting continued- this time with deserts. Bakers honored the celebration by using expensive ingredients like butter, lard, and sugar, and started incorporating spices like nutmeg and cinnamon into their baking, which are now essentials for the holiday.