How Ancient Holiday Traditions Have Changed Over Time

Many of the holiday traditions we hold today stem from celebrations our ancestors held. And some traditions have all been lost.

By Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi
Dec 20, 2023 2:00 PM
yuel log with greenery and candle
(Credit: MalNindo/Shutterstock)

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Black Friday used to be an important, one-day shopping ritual. People lined up before dawn outside of stores and eagerly waited for the doors to open. The sale prices were only valid for that day, and quantities were limited. Some shoppers burst into the store as soon as it opened.

Online shopping forever altered the decades-long ritual. Sale prices are available at different times throughout the season, and there's really no need to shiver outside a store and then battle like a Gladiator over a Furby.

The ancients also had traditions surrounding their celebrations. Many of these traditions were far longer-lasting than Black Friday and persisted for hundreds if not thousands of years. But eventually, many of them came to an end.

The End of Opet

(Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus)
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