Buzz
As the holiday season winds down in the Western hemisphere, many households still display their twinkling Christmas lights, savor the lingering satisfaction of festive feasts, and cherish the joyful remnants of recent celebrations. In today’s world, holidays serve as wonderful opportunities to bond, share laughter, express love, and create lasting memories with family and friends.
However, how frequently do we pause to reflect on the origins of these holidays and the historical events that inspired them? Most internet-savvy individuals are aware that numerous contemporary holidays are a blend of age-old pagan traditions, which have been adapted or incorporated in various ways by dominant religions over time.
Yet, beyond ancient pagan influences, many holidays trace their roots to specific historical occurrences. Often, these events are far from cheerful, revealing darker and more unsettling stories than the festive narratives we associate with these celebrations. Below are 10 holidays with surprisingly grim and peculiar backstories.
10. The Passing of St. Patrick
For many in the Western world who observe the occasion, particularly those who aren’t deeply religious or history enthusiasts, St. Patrick’s Day is often seen as a lively celebration filled with beer and merriment. Originally a religious observance, the holiday gained widespread secular popularity thanks to Irish immigrants in the United States, who transformed it into a vibrant symbol of Irish heritage and culture.
However, the origins of this holiday are far from lighthearted. It commemorates the death of St. Patrick, whose life was marked by hardship from the start. During the Roman occupation of Great Britain in the fifth century, a young 16-year-old St. Patrick was captured and forcibly taken to Ireland as a slave.
Remarkably, in 432, St. Patrick escaped enslavement and dedicated his life to spreading Christianity, converting the pagan Irish population and founding monasteries and churches. Tradition holds that he passed away on March 17, 493, which would place his age at over 100. However, most historians believe he died in 461, a more plausible timeline.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his exact age at death, St. Patrick’s Day remains a commemoration of his passing. Even more intriguing—and somewhat grim—are the events that unfolded after his death, adding layers of complexity to the holiday’s history.
The Battle for the Body of Saint Patrick erupted when two opposing groups clashed over who held the rightful claim to his remains. The account in Annals of the Four Masters, which documents this conflict, adds a mythical twist to the story.
The tale culminates with the rival factions meeting at a river, ready to engage in a fierce and bloody struggle for the saint’s body. Legend has it that upon their arrival, the river surged and flooded, halting the battle. Both sides departed, each convinced they possessed St. Patrick’s remains, attributing the ceasefire to a miraculous divine intervention.
A peculiar origin for a holiday now associated with green beer, festivities, and leprechauns.
9. Good Friday
Despite its pleasant name, Good Friday has a rather somber history. Rooted in ancient Germanic culture and language, it was originally known as Karfreitag (“Sorrowful Friday”). Before its modern interpretation, the holiday was observed through fasting, seeking forgiveness for sins, and engaging in solemn reflection, embodying a tone of deep remorse and penitence.
When you consider it, this aligns logically. Good Friday originated from themes of betrayal, avarice, and execution. Historically, it wasn’t the joyous occasion we often portray it as, but rather a commemoration of the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ.
Traditionally, monks and deeply religious individuals observed this day with solemn reflection and remembrance, viewing it as more than just a precursor to Easter Sunday. Some communities even conduct three-hour services to honor the duration of Jesus’ suffering on the cross.
8. The Friday of Sorrows
The lesser-known Friday of Sorrows occurs on the Friday preceding Good Friday and traces its roots back to medieval Europe. Similar to Good Friday but focused on the Virgin Mary, this observance honors her anguish as she watched her son’s crucifixion. Primarily celebrated in Catholic-majority nations, it holds less prominence in Protestant Christian communities.
Also referred to as the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, this observance commemorates not only Mary’s anguish during Jesus’ crucifixion but also seven significant sorrows she endured throughout her life.
From Simeon’s prophecy foretelling Mary’s pain to her frantic escape to Egypt after Jesus’ birth, losing Him in Jerusalem as described in Luke 2:43–49, and witnessing His execution, removal from the cross, and burial, the Feast of the Seven Sorrows encapsulates a profound darkness unique to medieval traditions.
7. The Night of Broken Glass
This solemn observance in Germany marks one of history’s most horrific events: the Holocaust. Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, recalls the violent acts that foreshadowed the atrocities later committed at Auschwitz concentration camp.
On November 9, 1938, German Nazis carried out a horrific massacre, targeting Jewish individuals and destroying their properties. The Nazi regime justified these brutal actions, claiming their violence against the Jewish community was “completely justified.”
The holiday’s name derives from the shattered glass littering the streets across multiple nations following the attacks. The brutality extended beyond Germany, reaching Austria and Czechoslovakia as well.
The events were triggered on November 7, 1938, when Ernst vom Rath, a Nazi official, was shot in Paris by a 17-year-old Polish Jew. Vom Rath succumbed to his injuries two days later, amid a frenzy of propaganda orchestrated by Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda minister, who falsely accused Jews of orchestrating a vast conspiracy.
Nazi loyalists seized on this narrative, unleashing widespread violence against Jews on the night of vom Rath’s death, November 9, 1938. Today, Germany observes this night as a solemn remembrance of the victims of Kristallnacht and the countless lives lost in the ensuing Holocaust.
That night marked the onset of anti-Jewish legislation pushed through by the Nazi Party, legitimizing the Holocaust and the atrocities that followed.
6. Samhain
Samhain was an ancient Celtic festival observed as part of their religious practices before Roman conquest and their eventual conversion to Christianity (likely influenced by St. Patrick). The Celts, referred to as Gauls by the Romans, were loosely connected tribes sharing a common language and cultural heritage.
Samhain served as the Celtic festival honoring the deceased. According to Celtic beliefs, the spirits of the dead roamed the Earth until Samhain on November 1, when they could transition to the afterlife, regardless of when they had died.
The Celts also believed their gods were mischievous and invisible, except on Samhain. On October 31, they lit candles to guide the spirits of the dead, helping them find their way.
While Samhain is not Halloween, many of its traditions have influenced the modern holiday. Today, Samhain is still celebrated by pagans worldwide, though on a smaller scale.
In ancient times, this period was thought to be a unique opportunity for people to connect not only with deceased loved ones but also with the Dark Mother and the Dark Father, powerful supernatural entities revered by the ancient Celts.
Their religion was deeply complex, and this holiday served as a time for individuals to engage with their darker instincts, the supernatural realm, and the spirits of the dead.
5. Valentine’s Day
Today, the diluted version of St. Valentine’s Day is symbolized by heartfelt cards, chocolates, and expressions of romantic or courtly love reminiscent of the Middle Ages. However, long before the infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre—a brutal Mafia execution of seven men orchestrated by Al Capone and his gang on February 14, 1929—there was another bloody event that ultimately gave rise to Valentine’s Day.
This event was the martyrdom of St. Valentine. Surprisingly, Valentine’s Day commemorates an execution.
In the year 269, Claudius II ruled the Roman Empire. The rise in marriages and family life had led to a decline in men willing to leave their homes for military service. As a result, Claudius banned marriage entirely, and anyone caught marrying or officiating weddings faced severe punishment.
St. Valentine, however, defied the decree and continued to perform marriages. For his defiance, he was brutally punished, tortured, beaten with clubs, and ultimately beheaded. Indeed, St. Valentine’s Day honors a Roman saint who was executed on February 14, 269.
4. The Feast of Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi might seem peculiar to non-Catholics unfamiliar with the concept of transubstantiation—the belief that bread and wine transform into the body and blood of Christ for those who partake. This feast day is dedicated to devout believers consuming what they regard as Christ’s flesh and blood.
The term “Corpus Christi” means “the body of Christ” in Latin, leaving no doubt that the ritual involves the symbolic consumption of Christ’s flesh.
Rich in symbolism, this holiday originated in 1246. With chalices and communion wafers prominently displayed, it is as much a visual spectacle as a spiritual observance. While the idea of bread turning into flesh might seem unusual to non-Catholics, millions of Catholics worldwide have celebrated this tradition for centuries.
3. Christmas
Christmas has a history that is both unusual and dark for several reasons. Firstly, it is a relatively modern holiday. Historically, Christians avoided celebrating birthdays, viewing them as pagan practices, as they prioritized the significance of an individual’s death and ascension to Heaven over their earthly birth.
This is why saints are commemorated for their (often gruesome) deaths rather than their births, as the moment of eternal judgment in Christianity holds greater importance than earthly life. For a long time, Christmas was criticized, with writers vehemently opposing its celebration. In traditional Christian belief, the moment of death was considered one’s true “birthday” in the kingdom of God.
The second, darker aspect of Christmas involves the jolly figure of Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus. Popularized by Coca-Cola advertisements in the 1930s, he is now depicted as a cheerful, rotund man with a white beard, dressed in a red suit with white fur trim. However, this portrayal is far from the historical reality.
The true identity of Saint Nicholas remains largely unknown due to the lack of surviving historical records. He served as the bishop of Myra in the fourth century, but beyond this, little is documented about his life.
One undeniable fact, however, is the existence of his preserved remains. Indeed, the only certainty about Saint Nicholas is that his actual corpse has been preserved and venerated for centuries.
According to legend, the real Saint Nicholas was far from jolly. He attended the first Council of Nicaea in 325, where he reportedly punched a man in the face for heresy.
After his death in 343, his remains were buried until Italian sailors stole his corpse in 1087, transporting it from Myra to Bari, Italy. Before this theft, Saint Nicholas was relatively unknown. However, the relocation of his remains sparked a surge in his popularity across Europe, cementing his place in cultural traditions that persist today.
To verify this historical claim, researchers examined a fragment of Saint Nicholas’ hip bone. The analysis confirmed it dated back to the fourth century, strongly suggesting it belonged to the original Santa Claus.
2. Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday during which participants remove all leavened bread from their homes and reenact the experiences of the Jews fleeing Egypt as described in the Bible. For many, it symbolizes the liberation of the Jews from Egyptian oppression and the establishment of the Israelites’ homeland. The holiday begins on the 15th and concludes on the 21st of March or April.
But what is the true story behind their escape? It begins with the massacre of the firstborn. Exodus 11:5 states:
“Every firstborn son in Egypt shall perish, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn of the slave girl working at the mill, and even the firstborn of the livestock.”
As described in the Bible, Jehovah struck down every firstborn child in Egypt to demonstrate His power. The situation was even more grim, as this act was retaliation for the pharaoh’s order to kill all newborn Hebrew boys. This was followed by the ten plagues of Egypt, which included everything from swarms of frogs to devastating pestilence, severely afflicting Egypt according to biblical accounts.
The holiday commemorates this religious and military triumph over another nation, which, if taken literally, was an exceptionally brutal event.
1. Dia De Los Muertos
Samhain cannot be considered the direct precursor to Halloween because it evolved into All Saints’ Day, observed by Catholics on November 1. All Saints’ Day mirrors Samhain in many ways, honoring those who have ascended to Heaven and replacing the ancient Celtic deities with veneration of the saints.
Dia de los Muertos, a Mexican holiday, personifies death and draws from both European and Aztec traditions. Following the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, the holiday was aligned with the Catholic All Saints’ Day, merging into a single observance where people honor their deceased loved ones, a practice rooted in both traditions.
Dia de los Muertos unapologetically centers on death, as its name translates to “Day of the Dead” in Spanish. However, it differs significantly from All Saints’ Day in its customs and symbolism.
Santa Muerte, also known as Our Lady of Holy Death, is the central figure of Dia de los Muertos, revered as the saint of death. This holiday takes the themes of Samhain and All Saints’ Day further by sanctifying death itself. The Catholic Church, however, rejects this figure, condemning the holiday as dark and even satanic.
