Yule

Around December 21st

Also; Winter Solstice, Yuletide, Alban Arthan

Yule is a celebration of the rebirth of the Sun and, therefore the God. He is, however, found in both the forms of the Oak King (King of light) and the Holly King (King of darkness) throughout the year. At Yule, he is reborn as the Oak King, and the daylight hours start to grow in length. The Goddess embodies the Mother.

Yule is probably best known because of its close coincidence with the Christian festival of Christmas. Many of the so-called Christmas traditions are actually derived from those of Yule. The Christmas celebrations which we are familiar with today flourished during the Victorian era - for example, decorating a christmas tree, having a 'Yule' log and kissing under mistletoe. Interestingly, it was also during the Victorian era that the 'myth' of Santa Claus was brought to England from its Scandinavian origins. Today our perception of Father Christmas is actually the result of a wide range of folklore influences, rather like Christmas itself.

Mistletoe is a tradition from the Druids, when the Cheif Druid cut the mistletoe from the sacred oak during the Winter Solstice festival. Pagans would bring a live tree into their homes during their Yule celebrations so that the wood spirits would have a place to keep warm during the coldest part of winter. Bells were hung on the branches of the tree so you could tell when a spirit was present, and food (apples, oranges, lemons) and treats (cinnamon) adorned its greenery so that the spirits would not go hungry. The five pointed pentagram, symbol of the five elements, would be placed at the top of the tree nad quartz crystals used to simulate icicles. The reason that pine trees and similar evergreens were used is that these were the only trees that still displayed external signs of life during winter. Thus the Christmas tree was born! Even the electric lights we use to decorate our trees are called 'Fairy Lights' - have you ever wondered why? Wreathes are placed on our front doors for a similar reason - 'Look, life is here!' we say to greet our visitors.

The red and green colours of the season (along with the practice of exchanging gifts) are of Pagan origin, probably due in part to the colours of the holly berries found in abundance. As it is a festival of the sun, Yule is celebrated by fire; a 'Yule log' is burnt during the celebration, and a piece is saved and kept throughout the year to protect the home. It is also used to light the subsequent year's log. The word Yule is derived from the old Norse word Iul, meaning wheel (as in the wheel of the year).

Yule is a time of 'rebirth' - new beginnings, setting new targets for ones self and putting any regrets or unhappiness of the old year behind us. We place evergreens such as pine, rosemary, bay, juniper and cedar on our altar.