But it wasn’t Christmas quite yet. The influence of Saturnalia on Roman culture was significant, contributing to the social fabric of the era. It also shared links with other Roman and pagan ...

It's often claimed that many of today's Christmas traditions derive from the pre-Christian observances of pagan cults suppressed by Roman authorities. The story goes that, after Christianity ...

Credit: Anna Efetova via Getty Images It's often claimed that many of today's Christmas traditions derive from the pre-Christian observances of pagan cults suppressed by Roman authorities.