Hello lovelies,
I'm not to familiar with yule or it's traditions so I'm looking for some insight. It's my first year celebrating. I'm super excited. Any tips or lore?
In the past I have celebrated a few Yule's myself, or with my family. I do have several pieces of information regarding the holiday:
Yule/Winter solstice is celebrated on the day of the winter solsitic ( 20th, 21st, or 22nd ), or for some all three day's. Other names are: Mean Geimhridh, Alban, Arthuan, or Modranicht ( mother night ). Meaning of the word yule- yule means "wheel" ( scandinavian derivation); solstice means "The sun stands still". Primary ritual focus: Rebirth and renewal, "saining" or "blessing" in the ritual form, burning of the yule log. ----(Book of shadow's by Silver RavenWolf)
Yule is home to a couple of stories and tradition's depedning on what you practice. One story if that of the battle of the Oak and Holly king ( the Oak king win's ), another is of the Stage and the wolf, Festival of the Dark God and the Goddess giving birth to the God. Regardless, Yule is a time of celebration, rebirth, renewel and the changing of the seasons.
The Yule log ( a log with three holes for candles ), is much like the Christmas tree. Some traditions would have you put up a tree and decorate it with sweet's inviting the fay ( fariries and Fair-folk ) into the warmth of your home and away from the cold of the winter, other's that the first stranger to walk into the home would bring gift's. Everyone does it differently. Yule is also a festival "holiday" which means FOOD! Meet's, berries, nut's and pasteries are big for the feasting. Two year's ago I celebrated with my family and I made, pulled pork, home-made bread, a lovely fruit salad, and a desert of walnut's covered in syrup. Wether you are solitary or not, it's in my opinion a time of family.
Hopefully that helped you, if you have any question's my mailbox is alway's open, and the internet is your friend. Look thing's up, do research, you'd be surprised what you can learn.
If you can, get a copy of Llewellyns Sabbath Essentials, they have a whole book dedicated to Yule, the name of ways, new ways, spells, rituals, divination, and celebrations around this time.
Yule is basically Christmas, same basic decorations, the holiday is celebrated on the longest night of the year, we keep the house lit and celebrate the returning of the sun. Historically pagans would wassail trees [bless them by throwing a spiced wine on trees] and there would be a Yule log/fire burning through the night.
There are other holidays depending on your path, like Saturnalia which is a celebration to the God Saturn [again, party and merriment, but it went on for about a week I think] there's also the Borse 12 days of Yule [cant remember what they call their celebration] each day is dedicated to a different deity and is celebrated in specific ways [mostly drinking] so research for yourself what you wish to do.
Personally I decorate my house, decorate a tree [my topper is this old timey santa that's holding fruit, I call him my Holly King though] I also redecorate my altar for the winter. If I'm having friends over we do a pot luck and a gift exchange, if it's just my family it's a nice meal [last year I made beef Wellington, before that it was duck, before that was a meatloaf wrapped in bacon] we try to stay up all night and greet the sun with a ritual [but I'm almost 30 now so I can't stay up all night anymore lol, so I set my alarm to get up early]
