Some Christmas traditions mirror pre-Christian festivities, but some pagan influences may have been overstated.

Elsewhere, its has been replaced by Santa Claus, a figure whose origin story ... Legend has it that he is a descendant of Odin, the most powerful Norse god. In Norway and Sweden, there is a ...

But the real-life Santa Claus doesn't quite resemble the brand ... The Germans celebrated the pagan god Odin. And the Romans celebrated Saturnalia in honor of the god of agriculture, Saturn.

planting the seeds for what would later become Santa Claus. Meanwhile, in Germany and Scandinavia, Saint Nicholas’ attributes merged with local folklore figures, such as the Yule Goat and Odin ...

"This story in particular, it really kind of humanised him for me and made him a far more interesting character than I think ...