13 Dark Origins Behind Beloved Holidays
It is easy to enjoy holidays without giving much thought to their past. However, some of the most beloved celebrations we know today began in ways that are far from cheerful.
- Tricia Quitales
- 5 min read
Many holidays are celebrated with joy, gifts, and good food, but few people stop to question where these traditions truly began. Beneath the cheerful decorations and festive music often lie stories filled with violence, sacrifice, and even fear. History reveals that some of our favorite holidays have roots in superstition, war, and ancient rituals that would feel out of place today. Uncovering these darker origins offers a deeper understanding of how culture, religion, and power shaped the celebrations we know now.
1. Christmas
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Although now centered on joy and giving, Christmas began as a pagan festival called Saturnalia. Ancient Romans celebrated it with feasting, drunkenness, and even temporary role reversals between slaves and masters. Early Christians adopted the date to overshadow these traditions. Over time, the rowdy celebration was sanitized into something more family-friendly. Its cheerful spirit hides a wild and chaotic past.
2. Halloween
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Halloween traces back to the Celtic festival of Samhain, where it was believed the dead returned to roam the earth. People lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off spirits. These rituals were rooted in fear and superstition, not candy and fun. The church later merged Samhain with All Saints’ Day in an effort to Christianize it. What we now enjoy as spooky entertainment was once a night of serious dread.
3. Valentine’s Day
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Valentine’s Day is linked to the martyrdom of Saint Valentine, who was executed by the Roman Empire. Some stories claim he secretly married couples against the emperor’s orders. Others suggest it was tied to Lupercalia, a violent Roman fertility festival. Lupercalia involved animal sacrifice and random matchmaking. Today’s roses and chocolates are a far cry from their bloody roots.
4. Thanksgiving
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Often taught as a peaceful meal between Pilgrims and Native Americans, the full story is more complex. The holiday followed years of conflict, land theft, and broken treaties. Some of the earliest thanksgivings were actually celebrations of military victories over Indigenous peoples. Native groups continue to observe the day as a national day of mourning. The tradition hides centuries of suffering behind its warm family image.
5. Easter
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While now associated with resurrection and renewal, Easter borrows heavily from pagan spring festivals. The name itself likely comes from Eostre, a fertility goddess celebrated with symbols like eggs and rabbits. Early Christians aligned their holiday with existing pagan rituals to ease conversion. The holiday’s cheerful symbols once carried deep religious and mystical meanings. Much of its current form is a blend of ancient beliefs.
6. Mother’s Day
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Mother’s Day was originally rooted in mourning and activism. Ann Reeves Jarvis created “Mother’s Work Days” to improve health and sanitation during the Civil War. Later, her daughter fought for a holiday to honor mothers but became disillusioned by its commercialization. She even protested and sued companies that profited from the day. What was born from grief and love became dominated by marketing.
7. New Year’s Eve
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New Year’s Eve celebrations trace back to ancient Babylon, where a 12-day festival marked the rebirth of the sun god. It involved ritual combat and the symbolic death of the king. Romans later celebrated with drunken feasts in honor of Janus, the two-faced god. The emphasis was more on chaos and transition than fresh starts. The modern countdown replaced what was once a deeply spiritual and dangerous time.
8. April Fool’s Day
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The origins of April Fool’s Day are murky, but many link it to the switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. Those who continued to celebrate the New Year in April were mocked. In some versions, it evolved from harsh pranks played on the gullible. The holiday may also have ties to ancient festivals that celebrated chaos and the reversal of social roles. What is now a joke once carried humiliation and ridicule.
9. St. Patrick’s Day
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Today, filled with parades and green beer, St. Patrick’s Day honors a man who converted Ireland to Christianity. But Patrick’s mission involved erasing Celtic paganism and replacing it with Christian beliefs. Some of his stories, like driving out snakes, are symbolic of suppressing old religions. The holiday’s early celebrations were more somber and religious. Its modern form is a product of American influence and commercialization.
10. Hanukkah
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Often seen as a cheerful celebration of lights, Hanukkah commemorates a violent uprising. The Maccabean Revolt was a brutal conflict against the Seleucid Empire’s religious oppression. The holiday honors the rededication of the Second Temple after the war. The miracle of the oil is a later addition, added to shift focus away from bloodshed. Its origins lie in resistance, not just celebration.
11. Carnival/Mardi Gras
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Known for music and revelry, Mardi Gras has roots in ancient pagan spring festivals. These festivals celebrated fertility with drinking, wild behavior, and ritual indulgence. The Christian church later absorbed the traditions, turning them into a last hurrah before Lent. The original events were chaotic and morally questionable. The modern parade masks centuries of excess and religious tension.
12. Labor Day
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Labor Day began in response to violent labor struggles in the late 1800s. Workers fought for fair hours and safe conditions, often facing brutal crackdowns from authorities. The holiday was created as a political move to appease angry labor unions. Its history is tied to strikes, riots, and unrest. Today, most people associate it with barbecues, not protest.
13. Dia de los Muertos
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Though joyful in appearance, Day of the Dead stems from ancient Aztec rituals honoring the deceased. It involved offerings, skull imagery, and communication with spirits. Spanish colonizers attempted to suppress it, blending it with Catholic observances like All Saints’ Day. The holiday persisted through resistance and adaptation. Behind the color lies a long struggle to preserve Indigenous identity and heritage.