As far as classic Christmas Eve activities go ... celebrations and symbols tracing back to both ancient Christian and pagan ...

Christmas carols, for example, started out as a pagan winter ceremony called “wassailing ... While Christmas Eve was the darkest of times in the northern hemisphere, it also held the greatest ...

With roots in pagan folklore that predate Santa Claus ... Fried carp is one of the highlights of a traditional Czech Christmas Eve dinner, when it’s served up with lemon juice and potato salad.