Yule
What is Yule?
In short, Yule is the winter solstice. This is the shortest day and longest night of the entire year! After this day, the days will start to get longer, so this is a celebration of the return of the light.
As an observation of the return of light, this day is also a celebration of the birth of the Sun God, the son of the Goddess. Various pagan paths have a sacred conception story, such as the Kemetic Horus. Some honor the sacred birth of their path on Yule.
It is a celebration of rebirth and light. The Sun will return; plants will grow, and life will continue. With the eventual return of good things, Yule is often used as a time to look forward to any future plans.
In some paths, Yule is also a time when the Holly King and the Oak King fight for the rule of the Earth once more. Depending on what path you follow, you might celebrate the fights at different times. However, one very common practice is to honor them on Yule and Litha, the winter solstice and summer solstice. Typically, on Litha, the Holly King wins and takes over, which is why the days begin to grow shorter and colder. Then, on Yule, the Oak King wins, and the days become longer and warmer. An alternative is celebrating these on Beltane and Samhain.
Things to Do
- Go for a walk
- Light a bonfire or candles
- Feed the wildlife (appropriately)
- Tell stories around the fire
- Have a Solstice feast
- Go wassailing (This is basically the pagan version of Christmas caroling!)
- Write down your gratitude for the year. You could shove them into a bottle or hang them on the tree.
- Decorate and then Burn a Yule log
- Decorate a Yule tree
- Give thanks
- Make a Yule wreath
- String popcorn and cranberries and hang them on an outdoor tree for birds
- Act out the struggle between the Holly King and the Oak King
- Decorate your home with plants sacred to Yule: evergreen, mistletoe, holly, and ivy.
- On the Solstice night, turn off all lights and experience the darkness. Reflect on renewal and peace. Then, turn the lights back on to symbolize the birth of the new solar year.
- Make New Year's resolutions
- Learn about Yule
- Listen to Pagan Yuletide music (YouTube is a good source for this)
- Join in on festivities with others
- Donate to a charity
History
Yule was originally a Germanic holiday. Scholars have connected Yule to the Wild Hunt, Odin the god, and another holiday called Modraniht. Yule goes back to at least the fourth century in Germanic writings. The Saga of Hakon the Good contributes King Haakon I with the Christianization of Norway, as well as the rescheduling of Yule to coincide with the celebrations of Christmas.
Common traditions back before Christmas included the Yule log, Yule tree, Yule goat, Yule boar, and singing/wassailing. When Christmas came about, a lot of Yule traditions were swallowed by Christians because the two holidays were celebrated at the same time. Another reason was that Christians wanted to convert the pagans, so they took some of the pagan practices to convince them to convert.
"Until the 16th century, the winter months were a time of famine in northern Europe. Most cattle were slaughtered so that they wouldn't have to be fed during the winter, making the solstice a time when fresh meat was plentiful. Most celebrations of the winter solstice in Europe involved merriment and feasting. In pre-Christian Scandinavia, the Feast of Juul, or Yule, lasted for 12 days celebrating the rebirth of the sun and giving rise to the custom of burning a Yule log."
From: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/winter-solstice-pagan-yule_n_585970abe4b03904470af4c5
While Yule was Germanic in nature, other cultures had festivals during winter. For instance, the Romans had Saturnalia. It lasted a week and was full of festivities, such as sacrifices, gift-giving, feasting, music, socializing, etc. It was a time to celebrate the god Saturn.
Yule and Saturnalia are merely two examples of winter celebrations in ancient cultures. There were many, but a lot of modern Western winter traditions do seem to come from Yule and Saturnalia.
Common Correspondences
Animals:
Bears, deer, owls, phoenix, reindeer, snow geese, squirrel, stags, wrens, ravens, boar, sow, tiger
Spellwork:
Happiness, hope, love, peace, strength, world healing, world peace
Symbols:
Hope after darkness, lights to bring back the sun, rebirth of the sun, wheel of the year, wreaths, yule tree, yule log, yule goat, bells, candles, peppermint, elves, evergreens, holly, ivy, lights, mistletoe, ornaments, plum pudding, reindeer, sleigh, snowflakes, Santa Claus, twelve days of yule, wassail, feasts
Food:
Apple cider, cinnamon cakes and cookies, dried fruit, egg nog, gingerbread, mulled wine, roasted meats, spiced meats, roasted apples, warm and warming drinks, wassail
Deities:
Aphrodite, Brighid, Demeter, Fortuna, Gaia, Hel, Holle, Ishtar, Isis, Apollo Attis, Baldar, Bacchus, Dionysus, Green Man, Helios, Lugh, Oak King, Odin, Ra, Sol
Incense:
Cedar, cinnamon, clove, frankincense, juniper, myrrh, orange, pine
Oils:
Cinnamon, ginger, orange, pine, wintergreen
Herbs:
Bay laurel, blessed thistle, chamomile, cinnamon, evergreen, holly, ivy, juniper, mistletoe, oak leaves, pine, pinecones, poinsettias, rosemary, sage, wintergreen
Stones:
Bloodstone, clear quartz, diamond, emerald, ruby, garnet
Colors:
Gold, green, red, white, silver
Offerings:
Fruits, nuts, candy, Apple cider, cinnamon cakes and cookies, dried fruit, egg nog, gingerbread, mulled wine, roasted meats, spiced meats, roasted apples, warm and warming drinks, wassail
Caroling
Glory to the Newborn King
Brothers, sisters, come and sing
Glory to the newborn king!
Gardens peaceful, forests wild
Celebrate the Winter Child!
Now the time of glowing starts!
Joyful hands and joyful hearts!
Cheer the Yule log as it burns!
For once again, the Sun returns!
Brothers, sisters, come and sing
Glory to the newborn king!
Brothers, sisters, singing come
Glory to the newborn sun
Through the wind and dark of night
Celebrate the coming light!
Suns glad rays through fear's cold burns
Life through death the Wheels now turn
Gather round Yule log and tree
Celebrate Life's mystery
Brothers, sisters, singing come
Glory to the newborn Sun!
Silent Night
Silent night, Solstice night
All is calm, all is bright
Nature slumbers in forest and glen
Till the springtime She wakens again
Sleeping spirits grow strong!
Sleeping spirits grow strong!
Silent night, Solstice night
Silver moon shine bright
Snowflakes blanket the slumbering earth
Yule fires welcome the Sun's rebirth
Hark, the Light is reborn!
Hark, the Light is reborn!
Silent night, Solstice night
Quiet rest till the Light
Turning every the rolling wheel
Brings the winter to comefort and heal
Rest your spirit in peace!
Rest your spirit in peace!
More carols can be found at: