The past seems so distant to us and, perhaps more than any other people in hisrory, we tend to look down at those who came before us. We think we are sophisticated and have endless knowledge, our lives superior. Yet, our ancestors weren’t so primitive or mired in darkness. That’s why it’s a shame when some try to rewrite history to discount certain peoples, cultures or beliefs — all to rationalize their own beliefs or to feel better about themselves.

In particular, the myth of the Middle Ages being “dark” has been rapidly unraveling. Why should anyone other than history enthusiasts care? Because the Middle Ages is where modern culture was born. It was then that the Western world blossomed, while much of the remainder struggled. To downgrade their achievements, and pretend the Renaissance appeared out of nowhere, is disrespectful of our ancestors.

The Greeks honored the Egyptians; the Romans the Greeks. The West took the ruins of Rome and built something better. A true dark time was our own 20th Century with its unprecedented wars. Maybe that’s when we started to ignore the voices from the past?

We don’t want to gloss over the failures of the past, but nor do we want to look down upon our ancestors and ignore their achievements. So perhaps this is the perfect time of year to think about these things, surrounded as we are in Christmas traditions — many of which come down to us from the Middle Ages. Check out this video and take a moment to remember where many of us came from: