Christmas Tradition

The traditions of Christmas date back over 4,000 years. Many of our Christmas traditions were celebrated centuries before the Christ child was born. The 12 days of Christmas, the bright fires, the yule log, the giving of gifts, carnivals (parades) with floats, carolers who sing while going from house to house, the holiday feasts, and the church processions can all be traced back to the early Mesopotamians.
In Picture: A Palestinian Christian priest walks along an aisle at the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. Photo Getty Images