Pre-Christian Winter Festivals

Postscript

Part II —Pagan Survivals

Chapter VI

The Church and Superstition —Nature of Pagan Survivals —Racial Origins —Roman Festivals of the Saturnalia and Kalends —Was there a Teutonic Midwinter Festival? —The Teutonic, Celtic, and Slav New Year —Customs attracted to Christmas or January 1 —The Winter Cycle of Festivals —Rationale of Festival Ritual: (a) Sacrifice and Sacrament, (b) The Cult of the Dead, (c) Omens and Charms for the New Year —Compromise in the Later Middle Ages —The Puritans and Christmas —Decay of Old Traditions.