Bloodstained Holidays: Reflecting on the Violent Origins of Thanksgiving and Christmas

The warmth of twinkling lights, the melodies of carols echoing through frosty streets, and the collective anticipation of merriment define the spirit of Christmas for many. It is a season draped in joy and steeped in traditions that promise unity and goodwill. Yet, beneath the gilded veneer of yuletide cheer lies a shadowed past, where the sanctity of the holiday was marred by acts that contradict its core essence. Christmas, as we know it today, is not untouched by the machinations of history—a history shaped by forces that often wielded faith as a weapon rather than a beacon of hope.

Religious institutions and figures, the proclaimed custodians of morality and spiritual guidance, have at times orchestrated grotesque practices and unspeakable crimes. These acts, hidden behind the sanctity of rituals and doctrines, left indelible stains on the very season they purported to sanctify. The brutality of the suppression of pre-Christian celebrations, the persecution and execution of those deemed heretical or pagan, and the manipulation of sacred traditions reveal a chilling legacy. These historical truths force us to confront a difficult moral question: can we, in good conscience, celebrate a holiday rooted in so much pain and suffering?

Similarly, Thanksgiving, often heralded as a time of gratitude and reflection, carries its own harrowing history. The celebration is inseparable from the genocide and systemic oppression of Indigenous peoples, whose lands and lives were stolen under the guise of progress and divine providence. To partake in such holidays without acknowledging their violent origins is to tacitly condone the suffering inflicted in their name.

This editorial embarks on a journey through the chilling chapters of history, unraveling the macabre deeds committed under the guise of religious authority and cultural dominance. From the brutal erasure of ancient traditions to the violent enforcement of dogma, we will uncover the unsettling truths that cast long shadows over both Christmas and Thanksgiving. To celebrate these holidays without reckoning with their bloodstained histories is to ignore the suffering endured by countless lives, and it is this moral awakening that demands our attention.

The Roots of Christmas and the Struggle for Religious Supremacy

Pre-Christian Winter Festivals: Echoes of Ancient Celebration

Long before the nativity story adorned the walls of churches and the holiday was tied to the Christian faith, midwinter festivals brought warmth and revelry to the coldest days of the year. In ancient Rome, Saturnalia, a week-long festival dedicated to Saturn, the god of agriculture, blurred societal hierarchies. Slaves dined with masters, gifts were exchanged, and the streets brimmed with unrestrained joy, a momentary subversion of order in honor of renewal and abundance.

Similarly, the Norse festival of Yule celebrated the rebirth of the sun during the darkest days, with bonfires, feasts, and the burning of the Yule log as a beacon of hope in the harsh Scandinavian winters. Both festivals shared a reverence for light amid darkness, offering not just physical warmth but a symbolic promise of life’s triumph over death.

These rituals, deeply rooted in cultural identities, were not merely celebrations but acts of spiritual defiance against the bleakness of winter. They carried profound significance, intertwining human survival with the divine forces believed to govern nature. Yet, their exuberance and devotion would soon draw the ire of a rising power seeking dominion over both the spiritual and temporal worlds.

The Christianization of Winter Festivals: Erasure and Assimilation

As Christianity spread across Europe, the Church faced an enduring obstacle: the resilience of pagan traditions. Rather than obliterate these midwinter celebrations outright, early Christian leaders opted for a more insidious strategy—appropriation. By the fourth century CE, December 25th was declared the official date of Christ’s birth, despite no biblical basis for the choice. The timing was no accident; it aligned seamlessly with the Roman Saturnalia and other solstice festivities, facilitating the absorption of pagan communities into the Christian fold.

However, this assimilation came at a cost. Cultural erasure became a cornerstone of the Church’s campaign. Rituals once celebrated as acts of communal joy and spiritual connection were repackaged as Christian ceremonies, their origins obscured or condemned. The evergreen trees once revered by pagans as symbols of eternal life were reframed as icons of Christian faith, while Yule festivities were remolded into sanitized Christmas traditions. Conversion often came not through gentle persuasion but through coercion, with defiance met by ostracism—or worse.

From Sacred Groves to Ashes: The Eradication of Pagan Sanctuaries

The Church’s pursuit of religious supremacy left an indelible scar on Europe’s sacred landscapes. Pagan temples were razed, their ruins repurposed for the construction of churches, creating physical manifestations of dominance over the old ways. One stark example is the Temple of Jupiter at Baalbek, which was desecrated and transformed into a Christian basilica, symbolizing the obliteration of pre-Christian belief systems.

Closer to the heart of midwinter traditions, sacred groves—forests deemed holy by pagan worshippers—were systematically destroyed. The felling of Thor’s Oak in eighth-century Germany by Saint Boniface epitomized the Church’s violent rejection of indigenous spirituality. Under the pretense of spreading salvation, this act signaled the eradication of one faith in favor of another. Such desecrations were not only physical but also deeply psychological, stripping communities of their spiritual anchors and reshaping their identities.

As Christmas emerged from this crucible of cultural conquest, it carried with it the echoes of silenced voices and destroyed traditions. What was once a tapestry of diverse winter celebrations became a monolith, reshaped to serve the ambitions of religious hegemony. Yet, the shadows of these ancient festivals linger, reminding us of a history written not just in scripture but in the ashes of what came before.

Heresy, Witchcraft, and the Shadow of Inquisition

The Rise of the Inquisition: Faith as a Weapon

By the twelfth century, the Church had solidified its authority, but with power came the paranoia of dissent. The Inquisition emerged as a tool to root out heresy, targeting any beliefs or practices deemed a threat to Christian orthodoxy. While its reach extended across various aspects of life, its shadow inevitably fell over midwinter celebrations. Traditional festivities, particularly those rooted in pagan customs, were scrutinized for their perceived unholiness. Practices like feasting, dancing, and invoking the spirits of nature were condemned as relics of a heathen past.

The Church sought to cleanse Christmas of any elements that conflicted with its narrative. Singing carols with pagan undertones or engaging in rituals to honor the solstice could mark individuals as heretics. The enforcement of religious conformity was harsh; the Inquisition’s fires burned bright, consuming those who dared to preserve traditions outside the Church’s carefully constructed narrative. This zeal for purification would pave the way for even darker chapters, where the mere suspicion of deviation could prove fatal.

Witch Hunts and Christmas: A Season of Fear

The association between midwinter festivities and witchcraft further tightened the Church’s grip on the season. Women, often the custodians of oral traditions and folk rituals, became prime targets. Many of the customs linked to Christmas—lighting candles, brewing seasonal drinks, or invoking blessings for the new year—were tied to practices that predated Christianity. The Church, eager to suppress such remnants of paganism, branded these women as witches.

Accusations frequently peaked during the winter months, as communal celebrations provided fertile ground for suspicion. Women who practiced traditional healing or midwifery were accused of invoking dark forces under the guise of seasonal rituals. The punishments were as brutal as they were public—trials, torture, and executions became grim spectacles. The sight of a burning pyre during Christmas was not uncommon, a macabre reminder of the Church’s unyielding authority.

The Trier Witch Trials: A Winter of Fear and Fire

The city of Trier in modern-day Germany bore witness to one of the most devastating witch hunts in European history. Spanning the late sixteenth century, the Trier Witch Trials claimed the lives of hundreds, many of them women accused of sorcery. The trials were instigated in part by the Church’s suspicion of lingering pagan influences, particularly during the midwinter season.

The accused were often linked to practices associated with Yule—a pagan festival that celebrated fertility, light, and renewal. Lighting bonfires or partaking in festive gatherings became acts of treason against the Christian faith. Under the guise of rooting out evil, the Church orchestrated mass executions, leaving a community ravaged by fear and loss. The trials served as a chilling example of how the season of light could be weaponized to justify acts of profound darkness.

The Specter of Blasphemy: Enforcing the Sacred

Even those who celebrated Christmas in ways deemed unorthodox were not immune to persecution. The Inquisition sought to control not only what was celebrated but how it was celebrated. Diverging from the prescribed liturgical practices, whether by incorporating local customs or interpreting the nativity story through a regional lens, was seen as an affront to divine order.

In Spain, under the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, dissenters were punished for what the Church labeled “blasphemous” interpretations of Christmas. Some dared to question the alignment of Christian doctrine with its pagan roots, suggesting that the Church had co-opted these traditions for political gain. Such voices were swiftly silenced, their dissent branded as heresy.

The fusion of midwinter traditions with accusations of heresy and witchcraft left a scar on Christmas, transforming it from a time of communal joy into one fraught with fear and repression. The Inquisition’s relentless pursuit of orthodoxy not only extinguished countless lives but also stifled the cultural vibrancy of the season, replacing it with a cold and calculated uniformity.

The Twisted Morality Plays of Christmas Past

The Role of “Moral” Dramas: Propaganda in Festive Disguise

Amid the flickering glow of candles and the hushed whispers of yuletide gatherings, the Church introduced morality plays during the Christmas season. These performances, often staged in public squares or within the hallowed walls of churches, were more than mere entertainment. They served as potent tools of propaganda, designed to instruct the masses on virtuous behavior and reinforce the Church’s dominion over moral and spiritual life.

These dramas frequently centered on tales of sin, repentance, and redemption, weaving biblical narratives with stark lessons for the audience. They presented archetypal characters such as the virtuous Christian, the treacherous heretic, and the repentant sinner. The festive timing of these performances ensured maximum visibility, leveraging the collective spirit of the season to instill the fear of divine judgment. Yet, beneath their veneer of piety, these plays often harbored an undercurrent of grotesqueness, turning the Christmas celebration into a cautionary theater of human frailty.

The Depiction of Sin: Grotesque Imagery and Violent Storytelling

The morality plays of Christmas were not content with subtlety; they thrived on the grotesque. Sin was often personified by monstrous figures, their exaggerated features meant to terrify and repulse. Devils with leering faces and contorted bodies would drag the damned into the gaping maw of hell, a fiery abyss depicted with vivid brutality. These depictions were not merely theatrical but psychological, imprinting the fear of eternal damnation upon the minds of the audience.

Such plays delighted in violent storytelling, where the consequences of sin were meted out with visceral cruelty. Adulterers were stoned, the greedy were devoured by demonic forces, and blasphemers faced gruesome retribution. These narratives sought to leave no ambiguity: straying from the Church’s teachings would result in both earthly disgrace and eternal suffering. The grotesque served as both a spectacle and a moral cudgel, hammering the lessons of obedience and repentance into the hearts of all who watched.

Public Punishments and Their Spectacle

For many communities, the Christmas season was not just a time of religious reflection but also an opportunity for public purification. Under the guise of moral cleansing, punishments for perceived sins or crimes were carried out during this supposedly sacred period. These acts, often staged in the same public squares that hosted morality plays, blurred the lines between justice and performance.

Punishments ranged from flogging to executions, each carried out with grim theatrics. Those accused of theft, drunkenness, or lechery were paraded through the streets as an example to others. In some cases, individuals who resisted conversion to Christianity or clung to pagan practices were punished publicly during the festive season, their suffering framed as a necessary act of communal purification.

One particularly chilling example is the use of the pillory during Christmas markets, where offenders were subjected to humiliation amidst the revelry. Crowds, emboldened by the moral righteousness of the season, hurled rotten food and insults at the condemned. The juxtaposition of festive cheer with these cruel spectacles underscored the twisted moral code that governed such acts—a code where faith was enforced through fear, and the season of joy became a backdrop for human degradation.

These twisted morality plays and public punishments reveal an unsettling paradox at the heart of Christmas’s history. The very season meant to celebrate peace and goodwill was often marred by violence and control, as the Church sought to impose its vision of morality through grotesque imagery and brutal spectacle. What was framed as a celebration of divine love became, in many instances, a grim reminder of humanity’s capacity for cruelty in the name of righteousness.

The Dark Legacy of Suppression and Manipulation

The Banning of Christmas: Declaring the Season Unholy

Despite its deep roots in Christian tradition, Christmas has not always been universally celebrated within the faith. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, certain Protestant factions began to view the holiday with suspicion, denouncing it as a corrupt amalgamation of pagan rituals and Catholic excess. These groups, particularly the Puritans, sought to purify Christianity by excising practices they deemed frivolous, unholy, or superstitious. For them, Christmas was not a sacred commemoration of Christ’s birth but a profane indulgence in revelry and idolatry.

Under their influence, bans on Christmas spread through regions where Protestant reformers held sway. Churches were shuttered on December 25th, festive gatherings were outlawed, and any display of yuletide cheer could result in punishment. What had been a time of communal joy and spiritual reflection was recast as a period of solemn abstinence, its cultural and religious significance overshadowed by dogmatic rigor.

Puritan England and Cromwell: The War on Christmas

The most infamous example of Christmas’s suppression occurred during the rule of Oliver Cromwell and the English Commonwealth in the mid-seventeenth century. Following the English Civil War and the establishment of a Puritan-dominated government, the celebration of Christmas was outlawed in 1644. The Puritans viewed the holiday as an affront to their austere vision of faith, condemning its feasts, games, and carols as remnants of a debauched Catholic past.

Enforcement of the ban was harsh and often violent. Soldiers patrolled the streets to ensure compliance, forcibly dispersing Christmas gatherings and confiscating festive decorations. Churches that attempted to hold Christmas services faced severe penalties, their parishioners branded as rebels against the state’s moral authority. In one instance, a riot broke out in Canterbury in 1647 after townspeople defied the ban by decorating their homes with holly. The unrest was quelled with brutal force, leaving a bitter legacy of division and resentment.

The ban extended to food and drink, with traditional Christmas fare such as mince pies and plum pudding labeled as sinful indulgences. In their zeal, the Puritans sought not just to suppress Christmas but to erase its very essence, reducing it to a relic of perceived moral decay. Yet, despite their efforts, the holiday endured, preserved in secret by those who refused to relinquish their traditions.

Religious Wars and Festive Manipulation

Beyond its suppression, Christmas also became a tool for ideological dominance in the religious conflicts that raged across Europe. During the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648), one of the most devastating religious wars in history, the holiday was used by warring factions to assert their faith and demoralize their enemies. Catholic and Protestant armies alike targeted churches and communities that celebrated Christmas differently, desecrating altars and looting sacred relics during the yuletide season.

In France, during the Wars of Religion (1562–1598), Protestant Huguenots clashed with Catholics over the observance of Christmas. For the Huguenots, rejecting Catholic rituals became an act of defiance, and their refusal to celebrate Christmas in the traditional manner often resulted in violent reprisals. Communities were burned, and worshippers were massacred during what should have been a time of peace. The holiday, instead of uniting people in faith, became a flashpoint for persecution and bloodshed.

Even in colonial America, Christmas was a battleground for control. The Puritans of New England banned the holiday, viewing it as a dangerous import from the Old World. Those who celebrated Christmas faced public shaming, fines, or worse, as the authorities sought to stamp out what they saw as an affront to their vision of a godly society.

The Lingering Shadows

The suppression and manipulation of Christmas left a dark legacy, revealing the extent to which religion could be wielded as both a tool of control and a catalyst for conflict. These efforts to suppress or exploit the holiday did not succeed in erasing it but instead added layers of complexity to its history. Christmas emerged not just as a celebration of faith but as a testament to the resilience of traditions in the face of oppression. Yet, the scars of its tumultuous past remain, a reminder that even the most joyous seasons can be weaponized in the struggle for power and ideology.

Supernatural Legends and Religious Fear-Mongering

The Origins of Krampus and Other Figures: From Pagan Deities to Demonic Entities

In the snowy alpine villages of Europe, the legend of Krampus prowls the edges of Christmas lore, a horned figure wielding chains and birch branches to punish misbehaving children. Though now a fixture of festive fright, Krampus’s origins lie deep within pre-Christian mythology, where he was not a villain but a guardian spirit. Rooted in pagan beliefs, he was part of winter rituals celebrating fertility, the cycles of nature, and the triumph of light over darkness.

When Christianity spread across these regions, the Church sought to eradicate or transform these figures into cautionary tales. Krampus, with his wild and untamed imagery, was recast as a diabolic companion to Saint Nicholas, representing sin and the consequences of straying from Christian virtues. Similarly, other winter spirits and deities, such as the Norse god Odin—whose ghostly nocturnal ride on his eight-legged steed Sleipnir prefigures Santa’s sleigh—were demonized or absorbed into Christian narratives, stripped of their original meanings and reshaped to enforce the Church’s authority.

These transformations were no accident. By turning benevolent or neutral figures into embodiments of malevolence, the Church used fear to dissuade communities from clinging to their ancestral practices. Winter, already a season fraught with survival challenges, became a time when supernatural dread was amplified, ensuring adherence to the new faith.

Ghost Stories and Yuletide Specters: Fear as a Tool of Control

Long before Christmas was cloaked in tinsel and cheer, it was a season steeped in spectral tales. The long, dark nights of winter lent themselves to stories of ghosts and restless spirits, but the Church harnessed this tradition to instill religious obedience. By weaving Christian morality into these eerie legends, they turned fear into a mechanism for submission.

The ghostly apparitions that haunted Christmas tales were often souls condemned for their sins—misers, blasphemers, or those who neglected the poor and the Church. Such stories served as both entertainment and moral instruction, warning listeners of the dangers of greed, pride, and irreverence. Even the now-beloved “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens carries echoes of this tradition, with Ebenezer Scrooge haunted by specters of his past, present, and future sins, ultimately leading to his moral redemption.

But in earlier centuries, these tales took on a far grimmer tone. Spectral monks, demonic processions, and wailing phantoms were said to wander the frozen nights, searching for the unrepentant. These chilling accounts, repeated by clergy and storytellers alike, ensured that fear of the supernatural was tied directly to one’s faithfulness to the Church.

The Wild Hunt and Religious Warnings of Damnation

Among the most terrifying of these myths is the Wild Hunt, a spectral procession led by a ghostly host that tore through the winter skies. Known by various names across Europe—Wōden’s Hunt in Anglo-Saxon England, La Chasse Sauvage in France, or Das Wilde Heer in Germany—this myth predated Christianity but was swiftly co-opted by the Church as a warning of divine retribution.

In its pagan origins, the Wild Hunt symbolized the forces of nature, a wild and untamable phenomenon that heralded transformation. Riders, often led by gods or spirits of the dead, represented the balance of life and death. But under Christian influence, this balance was twisted into a harrowing vision of damnation. The riders became damned souls, and their leader—a once-noble deity—was recast as a devil or fallen angel, hunting for sinners to drag into the abyss.

The Church used the Wild Hunt as an allegory for judgment, claiming that those who broke holy laws or failed to repent might hear the galloping hooves of the hunt at their door. In one German legend, a farmer who ignored Christmas Mass to tend his fields was swept away by the ghostly riders, never to be seen again. These stories reinforced the idea that safety and salvation could only be found through strict adherence to the Church’s teachings.

Shadows That Linger

The supernatural legends and fear-mongering that shaped Christmas’s past leave a haunting legacy. What began as pagan reverence for the mysteries of winter was transformed into a tapestry of terror, where the joys of the season were laced with dread. These tales, while chilling, reflect a deeper truth about humanity’s need to reconcile fear and hope in the face of the unknown. And in the echoes of Krampus’s chains, the wail of yuletide specters, and the ghostly charge of the Wild Hunt, we find the remnants of a world forever altered by the intertwining of faith, power, and myth.

The Shadows of Thanksgiving: Gratitude Masked by Genocide

A Holiday Born of Conflict

Thanksgiving, often romanticized as a harmonious gathering of Pilgrims and Indigenous peoples, has roots steeped in bloodshed and exploitation. The story of the “First Thanksgiving” tells of a shared feast in 1621, but the broader context reveals a grim reality. This gathering occurred amidst a backdrop of colonization, where Indigenous communities faced displacement, enslavement, and violence at the hands of European settlers.

While the feast symbolized temporary cooperation, it was not long before relations soured. Settlers, emboldened by their belief in divine providence, expanded their territories at the expense of Indigenous lands and lives. The very gratitude celebrated at Thanksgiving became a justification for conquest, cloaking acts of genocide in the language of destiny and righteousness.

The Genocidal Undertones

Throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Thanksgiving celebrations often coincided with military victories against Indigenous peoples. In 1637, Massachusetts Bay Governor John Winthrop declared a day of thanksgiving following the massacre of over 500 Pequot men, women, and children in what is now known as the Mystic Massacre. Such events, far from embodying gratitude and unity, were grim commemorations of violence and domination.

These genocidal undertones persisted, embedding themselves in the national mythology of Thanksgiving. The holiday’s narrative, carefully curated over centuries, omits the atrocities that accompanied the settlers’ expansion, ensuring that the darker truths remain obscured.

Cultural Erasure and Resistance

Thanksgiving’s legacy of oppression extends beyond the massacres to the erasure of Indigenous cultures. Ceremonial practices, languages, and traditions were systematically suppressed as part of a broader effort to assimilate Indigenous peoples into colonial society. The holiday became a symbol of this cultural hegemony, celebrating the colonizers’ triumph while silencing the voices of those who resisted.

In response, Indigenous communities have sought to reclaim the narrative. The National Day of Mourning, observed annually on Thanksgiving, honors the resilience of Indigenous peoples and acknowledges the suffering inflicted upon them. Through activism, education, and storytelling, these efforts challenge the sanitized version of Thanksgiving and demand recognition of its true history.

The Moral Reckoning

Thanksgiving, like Christmas, is a holiday steeped in contradictions. While it offers moments of reflection and togetherness, its foundations rest on violence and erasure. To celebrate it uncritically is to ignore the suffering that made it possible. Recognizing this history is not about rejecting gratitude but about reframing it—acknowledging the resilience of those who endured and honoring their stories. Only by confronting these shadows can we find a way to celebrate that does justice to the truth.

The Persistence of Darkness in Modern Celebrations

Lingering Shadows in Contemporary Christmas

Though modern Christmas is often synonymous with joy, generosity, and familial warmth, echoes of its darker past still linger in surprising ways. Many contemporary traditions, sanitized and rebranded, carry traces of their macabre origins. Consider the ubiquitous figure of Santa Claus, a jovial symbol of giving who emerges from the amalgamation of Saint Nicholas and older, more ominous midwinter spirits like Krampus or Odin. His “naughty or nice” list retains the moralistic overtones of centuries past, where good behavior was rewarded and transgressions brought harsh consequences.

Similarly, the practice of decking halls with evergreen boughs, mistletoe, and holly—symbols of eternal life—hints at pre-Christian rituals venerating nature’s resilience against winter’s deathly grip. Yet, beneath the surface lies the Church’s manipulation of these symbols to fit its doctrines, erasing their pagan connotations in favor of Christian theology.

Even carols, those cheerful anthems of the season, are not free from shadows. Some older carols, like “The Coventry Carol,” recount chilling tales of King Herod’s “Massacre of the Innocents,” a biblical story of infanticide commemorated in solemn and haunting melody. These remnants of darkness serve as subtle reminders of the turbulent history underlying the holiday’s evolution.

Cultural Resilience and Revival

In recent decades, there has been a burgeoning effort to reclaim the older, untamed spirit of winter traditions—one that embraces both light and darkness. Across Europe, Krampus parades have gained popularity, reviving the horned figure in all his terrifying glory. These celebrations, far from mere novelty, reconnect communities with the primal essence of winter—a time when survival was precarious, and joy was a hard-won victory over despair.

The revival of Yule festivals and solstice observances also reflects a desire to balance the season’s dichotomy. These celebrations honor the natural rhythms of life and death, light and shadow, offering a counterpoint to the sanitized cheer of modern Christmas. Bonfires, storytelling, and rituals rooted in ancient practices remind participants of the profound connection between humanity and the natural world.

Even in popular culture, the darker side of Christmas has found a foothold. Films, books, and plays increasingly explore the eerie aspects of the holiday, blending festive joy with gothic elements. From tales of yuletide ghosts to reimaginings of Krampus as an anti-hero, these narratives resonate with an audience eager to engage with the full spectrum of the season’s history.

Balancing the Legacy

As contemporary society continues to reinterpret Christmas, there is a growing recognition that its darker elements are not mere relics but integral aspects of its identity. The balance of light and darkness, joy and fear, reflects the complexities of human existence. By embracing the shadows rather than shunning them, modern celebrations can achieve a richer, more authentic connection to the past.

In this duality, Christmas finds its enduring power. It is not merely a season of light but a testament to resilience in the face of darkness—a legacy shaped by centuries of transformation, repression, and revival. And in its ever-evolving traditions, the holiday carries forward the lessons of its shadowed history, inviting us to celebrate not only the joy of the season but also the perseverance that makes it possible.

Conclusion

The story of Christmas and Thanksgiving is not solely one of joy and gratitude but also a tapestry woven with threads of control, fear, and manipulation. Religion’s darker interventions and colonial ambitions have left indelible marks on these holidays, transforming celebrations into tools of suppression and dominance. From the suppression of ancient traditions and the demonization of pagan figures to the massacres of Indigenous peoples, these historical atrocities cast long shadows over what modern society embraces as festive seasons. Each tradition and ritual carries echoes of a tumultuous past, where faith and power were wielded to justify unspeakable violence.

We are here to remember—to bring to light the atrocities committed throughout history that gave rise to these holidays. Modern society may celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving as seasons of joy and unity, but we must not forget that their origins are steeped in brutality. Entire cultures were destroyed, Indigenous peoples were massacred, and ancient ways of life were erased, all to create traditions that have been sanitized and passed down through generations. These celebrations, crafted in part to manipulate and obscure the true scope of such crimes, persist as symbols of a history that often goes unacknowledged.

Acknowledging the past does not diminish the value of togetherness or the hope these seasons inspire in many. Instead, it deepens our understanding of the resilience of those who endured and challenges us to create traditions that honor truth rather than obscure it. In remembering the violence and brutality that shaped these holidays, we bring their true meaning to light, ensuring that the lessons of history are neither forgotten nor repeated.

Even as we strive to respect modern traditions, the weight of history makes it impossible to fully embrace the joy that these holidays claim to represent. How can one celebrate the destruction and suffering of countless lives, cloaked under the guise of gratitude and goodwill? This is not a time for uncritical celebration but for solemn remembrance—a moment to mourn the lives shattered and cultures erased. Modern festivities may obscure these truths, yet the echoes of violence remind us that we are still, symbolically, washing blood from our hands.