Use an environmentally-friendly cleaner to get rid of dirt and grime. Next, you need to light the candles and say a prayer to the sun. If you want to go all out, you can praise the sun and pray for a prosperous year. At the same time, the Triple Goddess restarts her own cycle, this time in her maiden form. We sincerely wish you a joyful Yuletide and a prosperous year ahead! I recommend baking with apples or cloves. It is a time for giving thanks It is not just about the rebirth of the God figure in lore. Remember, if you want to use mistletoe, youll have to harvest it from the branch, not the ground. If youre just looking for easy ways to celebrate Yule and the Winter Solstice, scroll down a few sections. This can include a christmas tree, ornaments, lights, and other festive decorations. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Its roots are complicated and difficult to trace, although there are several theories about how and why the festival was celebrated. Like many Christian holidays that have their roots in pagan celebrations, Christmas is basically Yule in disguise. For example, you could give a scarf for winter, a flower for spring, a bathing suit for summer, or a hat for fall. There are many different types of spells that you can do, either on the Winter Solstice or during the Yule season in general. Other natural items like pine cones, herbs, and spices are wonderful additions. The Philocalian calendar of AD 354 gives a festival of "Natalis Invicti" on 25 December. As we have established, Yule has several symbolic interpretations. Before you hold your Yule ritual, you may want to set up an altar to celebrate the season. One of the earliest known references to Yule is from English monk and historian Bede, who wrote in the early 8th century about giuli, a period in the old pagan calendar used by Germanic groups such as the Norse and the Anglo-Saxons. If you can't stand the smell of vinegar, toss some lemon verbena or lemon balm in the mixture. Because the veil is so thin between our world and the Otherworld (the world where Fae reside), we might be able to hear pieces of the hunt. A Yule Log is a fun Scandanavian tradition that you can try as well. The Winter Solstice is Dec 21st, and the second day of Yule starts the celebration that honors the Triple Goddess and the rebirth of the God in the form of the Sun. So some people deem it appropriate to celebrate during the period between these two holidays. Green is significant because of its presence in evergreen trees which are connected to the Holly King. She is the author of Daily Spellbook for the Good Witch, Wicca Practical Magic and The Daily Spell Journal. The Christmas tree is a symbol of the Yule log and is traditionally decorated with candles, ornaments, and garland. Your offering will be appreciated even if youre off key. So in addition to filling your stomach, these foods should also invite good luck and abundance. | Burning of the Yule Log | The Old Farmer's Almanac Yule is a starting point of sorts, as that is when the Yule Goddess gives birth to the Horned God. In my experience, this makes the money spell much more effective. Earth Mother is calling her children home. The 12 Days of Yule Dec 20th Mothers Night, the Disir, Yules Eve, Frigg Many modern Practitioners celebrate Mothers Night on the evening For Wiccans, Yule is the second sabbat of the Wheel of the Year, marked with rituals to welcome the return of the Sun. Many of the traditions that are celebrated during the 12 days of Christmas have been around for centuries. Here are the themes for each traditional day of Yule based on the twelve astrological houses and the values of the Wheel of the Year. The 12 days of Christmas are a time of tradition. But if those options arent available to you, you could attach a few candles to the log and burn it symbolically. There are so many different traditional Yule recipes from various cultures. If there's no room for a tree, use a Yule Log instead. The child and dependent care credit covers up to $6,000 of expenses related to day care or similar costs Newspapers? It is typically celebrated on December 21st or 22nd. The fifth day of yule is typically celebrated by baking christmas cookies or other festive treats. Without even doing anything beyond what you would probably normally do, you can make each of the twelve days a holiday for your kids. They can be used in fireplaces or as decor. This is one of my favorite Winter Solstice traditions because its simply so cozy! She then turns to the Mother and lights the Mother's candle. Adorn your home with evergreen boughs, holly, pine cones, and other winter trinkets. While youre at it, you can also decorate the rest of your home. Alison Eldridge is Managing Editor, Strategic Content at Encyclopaedia Britannica. The 12 days of Christmas are a time of tradition. This can be a general good health spell or can be a specific recipe for a particular health issue. Yule is a time to celebrate the winter solstice and the return of the sun. Evergreen plants give us the greens we use to symbolize Christmas and Yule. In essence, the Wheel represents the cycle of birth that is perpetually repeated year after year. It's also easily adaptable to a small group of people. Lastly, to invoke light and represent traditional Yule colors, get green, red, gold, or white candles. Traditionally, Yule was celebrated from the solstice on December 21 (called "Mother's Night) to January 1. Yule is the time of theWinter Solstice, and for many Pagans, it's a time to say goodbye to the old, and welcome the new. It begins on Winter Solstice day and runs through the new calendar year (January Once the Earth person has returned to his or her spot in the circle, the individual holding the Air symbol, at the east, begins a rotation around the circle, saying: May the powers of Air bless this donation.Air is the soul, the breath of life in a community.Wisdom and intuition, the knowledge we share freely,Air carries away troubles from our community.With these powers of Air, we bless this donation.. Of course, selecting March 25 for the conception was also rather arbitrary, it being calculated [?] After all, this dark night is an opportunity to reflect. In modern times Yule as a solstice celebration is observed by many Neo-Pagans, both as individuals and as groups. It is thought that the tradition originated in ancient times, perhaps as a tribute to the god Thor, who was said to ride in a chariot pulled by goats. Traditionally a pig or boar would be sacrificed, then a ham would be made for the feast. Wood ashes do indeed have beneficial uses in the garden! You could also have a potluck dinner and ask everyone to bring a dish to share. The word Yule comes fromOld Englishgeol, which shares a history with the equivalent word from Old Norse, jl. Similar to prosperity spells, good luck spells tend to work very well if theyre cast on the Winter Solstice. Yule is one of the oldest pagan winter solstice holidays. The annual festival at Stonehenge is incredibly lively, attracting crowds of Wiccans, Druids, and pagans from all over the place. Notably, the Holly King is generally described as a woodsy figure dressed in red with sprigs of holly in his hair. Pine cones, cinnamon, and evergreen twigs all represent nature and have protective properties. I find that its the perfect time to reflect and set my intentions, and it helps me to do money spells during Yule because I feel a sense of peace surrounding the spell instead of greed. Recycle the old ones as new ones come in. Bells are commonly used as decoration to ward off negative energy. Many of the traditions that are celebrated during the 12 days of Christmas have been around for centuries. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/about-yule-rituals-2562970. As the sun returns to the earth, life begins once moreit's a time to bid the Crone farewell, and invite the Maiden back into our lives. Go ahead and cast those celebratory spells! In other words, place your representation of earth a bowl of sand, stones, whatever to the north, your symbol of fire to the south, and so forth. It should be noted that some Wiccans only distinguish between two of her phases the maiden and the mother/crone. Tied with red ribbon, such logs make ideal Christmasgifts! Record Store Day, which happens Saturday in Maine and all around the world, is the equivalent of Christmas and your birthday to those who love, collect and listen to vinyl Tonight, light candles in the house to fill the home with light and hope. When you celebrate these holidays/Sabbats, there is not one set way to do it. Instead of the singular Horned God, they believe in the Holly King and the Oak King, as different divine personalities that rule during the winter and summer seasons. If you have carpets and rugs, sprinkle them with baking soda and give them a good hearty vacuuming. You can also eat any other foods that you like. They represent the light of the sun and are used to help guide the sun back to us. Interestingly, the Yule log was originally an entire tree! Many of these ingredients are thought to have protective properties. The origins of Yule are a bit of a mystery. Do you get magazine subscriptions? So before you start putting up Yule decorations, take a stroll through a forest or even a nearby park. If you haven't worn it, used it, played with it, listened to it or eaten it in the past year, pitch it. It is a time for giving thanks and for gathering with family and friends. It also brings the spirit of renewal and revitalization that pushes us toward the New Year. Once you've completed the smudging, sit back and enjoy the positive energy that comes with having a clean physical space. The highlight of the day (and this IS a big day) is gathering with friends and creating a solstice spiral for friends to walk. After all, who can focus when they're constantly having to step over piles of unused junk? If you have multiple levels, continue up and down stairs as needed. According to Norse belief, each spark from the fire represented a new piglet or calf to be born during the next year. Similarly, some Wiccans project a parallel ever-shifting nature onto the masculine deity. Clean baseboards and other woodwork. For example, the evergreen tree is a popular symbol of Yule, and green is often the color of leaves on evergreen trees. Focus on this time of new beginnings with your In fact, for me, Yule is always a time for introspection to sit back and reflect and consider what I want the next year to look like. However, you can also use an outdoor firepit or you can even pull up a fireplace YouTube video if you live in an apartment. Perform this ritual to celebrate the return of the sun. Learn Wicca to gain a sense of purpose, inner peace, and so much more. Decorate the home with ribbons and garlands, and the Yule Tree. Bring in a Yule tree and decorate it with dried fruit, cinnamon sticks, strings of popcorn, and other low-cost options. The midwinter feast usually lasted 12 days. What Channel Does Celebrity Big Brother Come On. After the prayer, its time to start the celebration! We do so with no expectation of reward or celebration, but simply because it needs to be done. They have more meaning when you make the gift yourself or the gift can be used in magickal practice. From this point Christmas continued to overtake Yule, although some vestiges of the original celebration remain. December 25 was nine months after March 25, the date of the vernal equinox and a date linked to the conception of Jesus (celebrated as the Feast of the Annunciation). When it comes to savory foods, meals with pork or boar meat are customary. Try some or even all of these ideas obviously, space may be a limiting factor for some, but use what calls to you most. Yule is one of the oldest winter solstice festivals, with origins among the ancient Norse thousands of years ago. Box 520 | Dublin, NH 03444. On the other hand, some people celebrate Yuletide for twelve days starting on the shortest day of the year. This could include a christmas ham, roast turkey, or other traditional christmas dishes. Leave an offering that feels right to you. There are many other fun and festive activities that you can do to celebrate the holiday season. Other possible explanations include the fact that many Christmas traditions originated in Ireland and Scotland. How will you change yourself, and maintain your spirit throughout the cold months? For example, the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is thought to have been written in the 1700s. There is limited evidence that this festival was celebrated before the mid-4th century. Yuleis the time of year when Pagans around the world celebrate the Winter Solstice. In the story of the birth of the Sun God, you can see why Yuletide represents the return of light after a long winter. With Friday being April 14, aka 4-14, there are loads of Milwaukee Day doings, including a party at the Harley-Davidson Museum, 400 W. Canal St., from 3 to 7 p.m. Learn Religions. The sixth day of yule is typically celebrated by singing christmas carols. There are many traditions that are associated with Yule. Candles can also be a good source of fire for Winter Solstice rituals. Yule is celebrated on the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year. According to the saga of King Haakon Haraldsson (also known as Haakon I Adalsteinsfostre or Haakon the Good) of Norway, who ruled in the 10th century, the Norse Yule celebration and Christian Christmas celebration were merged during his reign. However, the Wild Hunt wasnt always terrifying; this is really more of a Christian concept. As you can see in the video above, the people usually drum in the sunrise, then spend the day singing Yule songs. Sort your belongings so they're in a place you can find them later, in a way that makes sense to you AND your family members. This tradition originated in Norway, where people would put a large ash log onto the hearth on the night of the Winter Solstice to celebrate the return of the sun. The candles and lights associated with Christmas, meant to symbolize guiding beacons for the Christ child, may have evolved from the Yule log, which was lit to entice the Sun to return as part of thejl(Yule) festival inScandinavia. In the most direct terms, it is still a festival that honors the cycle of nature and the Wheel of the Year. The Yule season is full of magic, much of it focusing on rebirth and renewal, as the sun makes its way back to the earth. Your article about the yule log repeats a debunked theory about the date of Christmas. You'll also need a fire, so if you can do this ritual outside, that's even better. Pagan holidays are often associated with druids, so it makes sense that some of the earliest Winter Solstice rituals come from the Celtic priests of ancient Britain. Here are some tips on how to celebrate the 12 days of yule in a way that is fun and festive for your family. The upcoming winter solstice is a great time to reflect on the past year and start thinking about what you would like for next year. or "Happy Holidays!". Each member of the family should be responsible for their own belongings. I love learning about the old traditions and ways. Later, when Christianity came to the British Isles, Christians adoptedaspects of the pagan festival into a celebration of the birth of Christ. On this 4th day is the time when social rules were turned upside down, gifts were exchanged, and disguises were worn. Once you have gathered your supplies, its time to start celebrating! A Spotify playlist of Yule songs would be a great introduction. I love the YULE LOG,it helps my home to be Peaceful and Joyful this time of year. I love doing money spells during the Winter Solstice. I am so interested in non religious centered culture and traditions. 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