The Christmas Story: the Real History Behind the Holiday’s Development

3. If You’re Trying to Rally the Ancient World For a Celebration, Winter is the Perfect Time of Year

In the ancient world, before Christmas was a thing, winter wasn’t the friendly Instagram pictures in the snow time it is today. More often than not, people of that time took a note from the ant and worked their butts off all year long, so they’d have enough supplies to get through the winter. Right before the weather would turn nasty, people would harvest their crops, slaughter most of their animals (because it’d mean less mouths to feed), and hoist up their first fermented mug of beer. More than anything, it was a time to survive. And hey, while you’ve got all that fresh meat, vegetables, and new booze, why not throw a party right?