The pagan Yuletide was associated with gift ... Mistletoe is an evergreen that was used for Christmas decorations because of its bright green leaves and white berries. Historians aren't sure ...

Decorations also played a ... where Christian and pagan traditions blended. The transformation of Saturnalia into Christmas was not an abrupt shift but a gradual blending of customs and beliefs.

Credit: Anna Efetova via Getty Images It's often claimed that many of today's Christmas traditions derive from the pre-Christian observances of pagan cults suppressed by Roman authorities.