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I guess for those who celebrate the Germanic or Wiccan version of Yule, most of the traditions don't differ from the traditional Christmas ones, but do any of us, as pagans, do the whole Santa Claus thing or the excessive commercialism thing with all the gift-giving?
For those of us who don't celebrate Yule, Christmas is mostly only about family obligation and not so much about religion. Regarding Hellenic polytheism, the Rural Dionysia occurs in late December, but it doesn't have much in common with Christmas. A celebration of wine and phallic objects might not be the best thing to celebrate with one's family. (Interestingly, the Rural Dionysia occurs around Christmas, and the City Dionysia occurs in late March near Easter, and Dionysos is often associated with Jesus, as the son of the heavenly father born of a mortal maiden who is killed and resurrected for the salvation of mankind.)
So, do your holiday observances include the typical Christmas traditions, and how do you incorporate them into your religion?
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