Yule.
My second favourite holiday!
The winter solstice, and the days of Yule represent the shortest day of the year. It is a festival of bright lights and fire, in the middle of the darkest season.
Most people whatever their religion, now accept that the 25th of December is not Jesus's birthday - and even more people view it as a commercial way of money making by companies, which may be true, but it does not diminish the ancient rites of a pagan festival...which as far as we can tell is where 'Christmas' descends from.
So Yule, to most witches, falls on the 21st of December. The word Yule, and the general festivities, relate back to Germanic paganism, with the first recorded use of the name Yuletide being found in 1475. In it's earliest form the term yule, or yuletide, was significant to a 12 day festival in the month of December, or sometimes just a referral term for the month itself.
As with most of Witch tradition, the true origins and rites are rather jumbled - but the general belief is that the days of Yule, are a celebratory festival during the Winter festival, rejoicing in the rebirth of the SUN, and/or the Great Horned God.
In simple terms, you are thanking the gods/goddess that you have survived a long hard winter, and are joyful that the sun is being reborn. The longest night is behind you, and their is hope.
So as a witch, you might ask why I have so many christmas related things in my household. A decorated tree? mistletoe? holly and ivy?
Why do I cook so many rich, cinnamon treats, and yule logs endlessly all month?
You might be surprised to learn some of their origins, and how they date back to our wonderful pagan and druid ancestors.
A Tree
That possibly tacky thing in the corner of the living room, covered in twinkling lights, and brightly coloured baubles, actually has some deep seated roots!
The evergreen tree was sacred to the Celts, because it did not die! Its boughs became a symbol of the eternal divine. Your gods and nature have not abandoned you, when all the greenery around you cannot penetrate the hard earth. Bringing full trees into your house is a more recent tradition, but it held the same basic priniciple. This tree would live the winter, and so would you, and when the sun returned to the earth, you would replant the tree back to nature.
Mistletoe
Druids revered the oak tree, and the mistletoe that grew from it. During the winter when all other signs of nature had vanished, the green twigs of mistletoe and their white berries, were seen as a sign of eternal fertility.
They travelled far, and climbed high for this mistletoe to clear couples of infertility.
Often hung over their doorways, over the years we have developed the tradition of kissing beneath it.
So...don't kiss too passionately, now you know the supposed effects ;)
Yule Log
Originally not a scrummy, chocolate cake at all!
Can you believe?!
The Yule log was just that, a log. Harvested with your own hands, and placed in the fireplace. The log would be decorated, for the season, and then put in the fire as the main kindling, at winters end. The fire here, representing the newborn sun.
Nowadays, what with fireplaces being hard to come by. Many witches, use their yule log as a base for three candles. The candles still represent the coming sun, it's a lot safer. and you can reuse the same log year and year again.
Nativity Scene?!
Yes.
I know.
The nativity is about the birth of christ? Yes. It is.
However, originally called the 'crib', the first such scene was made in 1224, to remind people of the religious side to christmas.
But for thousands of years, us magical folk, have been carving things into wood, making sculptures from clay, wheat poppets, even voodoo dolls. Their techinical name is 'santons', and making a santon of those you love is very powerful magic. Creating physical, visual images of your family and friends, and keeping them together, in a set-up similar to that of the nativity, forms strong bonds between you, and keeps you connected even over great distances.
Holly And Ivy
A sprig of holly near the door is said to invite nature sprites. It is a deterant for evil beings, and a welcome to positive entities.
It is also a symbol of remembrance for the historic battle of the Holly and the Ivy.
That Family Meal
This ones simple.
Harvest was over, times were hard. Getting everyone together for festive meals, around the fire, kept everyones spirits up - it shut out the dark, and laughter and good cheer, held away the negativity.
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So there you have it.
Christmas is a bit more witchy than you thought isn't it?
I will be back on Thursday for more tarot for you guys,
But I am already wishing you the happiest of Yules with your nearest and dearest.
Much love,
Jade
xoxo
