• Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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    5 days ago

    That’s because you’re forgetting about the earlier parts of the tradition in both cases.

    The Christmas one used to be about bringing a bit of green into the house, originally a pagan custom, it was considered good luck because green plants were associated with spring and spruce was one of the few plants in that was green all year round. That ended up getting merged with the Christian Christmas and the giving of gifts symbolises the wise men giving gifts, originally it was symbolic the value of the gift was basically zero but then they invented the PlayStation.

    Halloween is also a pagan myth, coupled with the practicality of October being the time of year that you tend to have an awful lot of pumpkin husks lying around. You’re supposed to eat the pumpkin although I’m aware a lot of people don’t these days, because people don’t really see pumpkins as food anymore.