Yule

The Christmas holiday has always been more Pagan than Christian. It has associations to Nordic divination, Celtic fertility rites, and Roman Mithraism. Both Martin Luther and John Calvin abhorred it. Puritans refused to acknowledge it, much less celebrate it. It was even made ILLEGAL in Boston. The solstice is already closely associated with the birth of older Pagan Gods and heroes, many of them (such as Mithra, and several others) possessed narratives of birth, death, and resurrection that were extremely close to that of Jesus. Many of the pre-dated the Christian messiah. That is why pagans (who have as much right to claim this holiday as christians, if not moreso) celebrate so enthusiastically. There was never much pretense that the date chosen for the birth of Jesus was an arbitrary date.

The Christian version of the solstice spread to many countries faster than Christianity itself. 'Christmas' wasn't celebrated in most of northern Europe hundreds of years after the creation of 'Christmas'. Yet these early pagans observed the season by bringing in the Yule log, wishing on it, and lighting it from the remains of the previous year's log. Feasting and festivities, rituals and carolling, fertility rites (girls standing under mistletoe got a bit more than a kiss) and divination were practiced. Watered down a bit, and modernized, these customs continue on today, even though few realize their origins.

This is the winter solstice, the longest night and shortest day of the year. It is the birthday of the Sun King, the Son of God -- by whatever name you call him. The Goddess becomes the Great Mother and gives birth, a long night of labor which brings forth the light of new hope. The day falls around December 21st, give or take a day or two. It is one of the quarter-days of the Wheel of the Year, one of the most important ones.

The Yule log made of ash was the center of the celebration, and was lit on solstice eve (on the first try) and kept burning for 12 hours for good luck. Later the Yule log was replaced by the Yule tree, and instead of burning it, lit candles decorated it. Christianity may claim it was invented by Luther or St. Boniface, but the custom can be traced back (according to Mark Nichols) through the Roman Saturnalia and to ancient Egypt. Such a tree should be cut fresh yourself, never purchased, and should be burned as all sacred objects should be.

Holly, Ivy and Mistletoe are important plants of the season, all representing fertility and everlasting life. Mistletoe was especially venerated by the Celtic Druids, who cut it with a golden sickle on the sixth night of the moon and believed it to be an aphrodisiac (magically only! Do NOT ingest it, it is highly poisonous!!!). Tables would be loaded with every kind of food and drink, especially the popular wassail (from the Anglo-Saxon 'waes hael' which means 'be whole or hale').

With all these old customs, and many more that weren't even mentioned here, it only remains to us pagans and wiccans to reclaim our lore and practices. By doing so we can share many of the common customs with our Christian friends, just with a slightly different interpretation. In this way we can share in the beauty and joy of this season, when the Mother Goddess gives birth to the Sun, her lover, and sets the wheel of the year in motion again.

Our Lady of the Prairie coven celebrates Yule much the same as most people; we decorate yule trees (our decorations are pagan and nature-loving, however), we feast and sing carols, decorate our homes in holly, we exchange gifts and burn a Yule log. We also use the log for divination and blessings. Our Yule ritual is often 'open', to include friends and family in our festivities.

Some ways you can celebrate Yule:

• Decorate your temple in gold, white, green and red. Put up Sun symbols, or Winter King symbols such as stag horns, pine cones and evergreen boughs.
• Begin your ritual in darkness, and end it in a blaze of light. You might enact a Mystery Play about the birth of the Sun.
• Share your hopes and desires for the coming year with others in circle.
• Sing carols: "Deck the Halls" or "Jingle Bells", or well-known Christmas tunes with Pagan lyrics.
• Have a gift exchange of magickal goodies crafted by each covener. Unveil special gifts from individuals to the whole coven, or from the coven to the Earth.
• Decorate a tree together with homemade ornaments; strings of popcorn and cranberries, stars and suns, pentagrams and crescents, snowflakes and wildlife, miniature torcs and talismans.
• Enjoy a visit from Santa or Mother Berchta or Santa Lucia!