Let the orgies commence!
Valentine's Day started off as a kinky Roman sex holiday.
From February 13-15, Romans celebrated the wild and crazy festival of Lupercalia, during which men would lightly whip women to make them fertile before spending the night with them. Early Christians tried to make this holiday more wholesome by naming it after two executed saints, both Valentine. It wasn't until Chaucer, though, that Valentine's Day became a holiday focused on romance instead of vigorous loving.
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Christmas started off with gambling, feasting, and the return of the Unconquered Sun.
On December 25th, the Romans would celebrate the rebirth of the Unconquered Sun god, citing the start of longer days after the Winter Solstice. This celebration occurred closely after the holiday Saturnalia, during which Romans would have large feasts and give each other gifts. It wasn't until Christianity became the official religion of Rome that Christmas came to the forefront.
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Halloween was all about bonfires and hiding from possessing spirits.
Samhain marked the end of summer for the Celts, and the beginning of darker times. On this day divination was thought to be particularly powerful, and spirits entered the world seeking entertainment or bodies to possess. For this reason, people dressed up in disguises to avoid the malevolent spirits and danced around massive bonfires. As this area became Christian, the holiday became linked to All Soul's Day.
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Purim is less 'drunk Jewish Halloween' and more 'Middle Eastern New Years.'
Purim is traditionally a two-day long festival in which Jews dress up, spin traditional noisemakers, and drink copious amounts of wine to celebrate their survival after an attempted genocide in ancient Persia. Originally, though, it is believed that Purim began as a traditional Babylonian new years celebration. The Jews enjoyed it immensely, and simply took the belief home with them to Israel.
