Viking christmas

The longship. The battle axe. The clinker-built boat. Skiing. Even the hair comb. The Vikings were an inventive lot but little known to most, they played a huge role in shaping everyone's favorite time of the year: Christmas!

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Did you know that many traditions associated with Christmas actually originated within the Viking culture? Well they did! Scandinavians marked Yule (“Jul”) or the winter solstice long before Christians were present within any of the Nordic territories. Celebrations of Yule included brewing beer, preparing food, visiting family and gift giving. Sound familiar?

For those of you who celebrate Christmas, tomorrow is the big day! In celebration, here's a badass illustration by Deviant Art user caiomm , and it features a fantasy style Santa viking riding a noble reindeer steed. Children beware, this Santa is only after the naughty kids!