Red, green, white, and gold are great options for clothing during Yule as well. The 12 days of Yule are celebrated from December 21 to January 1. Perhaps someone in this group will benefit from what others have contributed. Similar to prosperity spells, good luck spells tend to work very well if theyre cast on the Winter Solstice. With Tax Day quickly approaching its worth taking some time to reflect not just on tax forms (though those are important! If you've got a filter on your home's heating system, now's a good time to replace it with a new, fresh one. There are so many different traditional Yule recipes from various cultures. Day 4: Coyote Day!! Whoever whatever whenever your tradition is for celebrating natures rhythms, blessings to you! If youre gathering up some sort of donations, good for you! When everyone has finished, you may either dismiss the circle if you cast one to begin with or formally end the ritual in the ways of your tradition. TEA & ROSEMARY LLC, Check out my favorite money jar spell here, Crow Symbolism: Spiritual Meaning Of The Crow, 6 Effective Studying Spells For Exams, Class, & Enhanced Focus. Box 520 | Dublin, NH 03444. However, green is often considered to be the traditional color of Yule. Some people also decorate with fruit to manifest fertility and abundance in the coming year. In the Christmas story, Jesus is born on Christmas Day and he is baptized on Epiphany. Its a day to pull out preferred divination sets and use them for the coming year. [37][38] Additionally, Samhain is technically the last stop on the Wheel of the Year before Yule ushers in a New Year. Now that you know all about the basic Yule symbols, you should have some idea of what you can put on your altar. Instead, Im pretty sure the hunt is a fairy celebration. Patti Wigington is a pagan author, educator, and licensed clergy. Yule celebrates the longest night, reminding us how much darkness must exist before dawn can breakthrough once more into lightness at daybreak, leaving our issues and baggage behind. Heres our dessert recipe for a light. Pagan Practice for Families with Children, Eight Things to Hang on a Pagan Holiday Tree, Items to represent the elements of earth, air, fire and water. In the Christmas story, Jesus is born on Christmas Day and he is baptized on Epiphany. Its the day to make plum pudding! 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. Updates? Customs and traditions associated withYule vary widely. The child and dependent care credit covers up to $6,000 of expenses related to day care or similar costs Some historians think that sacrifices were an important part of the observance, either to the gods and other supernatural beings (such as elves) or to the dead or both. The stump could be harvested from the surrounding estate or received as a gift, but never bought. Then get into the habit of only keeping the last two issues of each. Before you start decorating for Yule, you'll want to get things organized. This was a time when the two holidays began These 12 days are better known to most people today as the Privacy Policy | April 12, 2023. The Yule log also makes a great centerpiece for either tapers or tea lights (as shown in the photo at the top of this article). However, today many people celebrate both Yule and Christmas in conjunction. Some mark the holiday with reenactments of the battle between the Holly King (representing darkness) and the Oak King (representing light) of Celtic legend. In towns and cities throughout Sweden during the Christmas season, large goats are constructed out of straw. Just gather your supplies and follow these simple instructions. From this point Christmas continued to overtake Yule, although some vestiges of the original celebration remain. Traditional 12 Days of Christmas Variation. 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. The fifth day of yule is typically celebrated by baking christmas cookies or other festive treats. After the prayer, its time to start the celebration! (2020, August 28). The midwinter feast usually lasted 12 days. You could also have a potluck dinner and ask everyone to bring a dish to share. Dogma is antithetical to spiritual living so follow your highest aspiration to recognize divinity! We bless this donation in the name of community and of our gods.Each of us is part of this circle, and without all of us,The circle would be broken.Lets join together, in a circle of wisdom, generosity, and caring.. The idea that Christians chose to celebrate the birth of Jesus on 25 December because this was the date of an already existing festival of the Sol Invictus was expressed in an annotation to a manuscript of a work by 12th-century Syrian bishop Jacob Bar-Salibi. The celebration of Yuleis one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world. What new things will you bring to fruition for yourself when the planting season returns? Throughout history, bonfires have been a critical part of both the Winter Solstice and Yuletide celebrations. Instead of 5 golden rings, you can give 5 golden doughnut rings and instead of 2 turtledoves, give 2 Dove chocolate bars. Dont be surprised if you hear some familiar tunes. Of the other women present, one represents the aspect of the Maiden, another the Mother, and a third the Crone. If you're one of those people who feels bad about getting rid of stuff, donate it to a charity if it's still clean and in usable condition. Many people spend time cooking traditional holiday foods and enjoying time together. If you have multiple levels, continue up and down stairs as needed. Once you've completed the smudging, sit back and enjoy the positive energy that comes with having a clean physical space. Do you get magazine subscriptions? Another common tradition is to exchange gifts. There are both traditional songs honoring gods and goddesses, and modern hits rewritten to fit the Yule holiday. A Yule wreath is an excellent substitute. Here are the main correspondences for Yule/the Winter Solstice. I do believe that there is some truth to the hunt. Without even doing anything beyond what you would probably normally do, you can make each of the twelve days a holiday for your kids. The tenth day of yule is typically celebrated by going to a christmas concert or other festive event. I recommend casting a defensive protection spell during the Winter Solstice rather than an offensive spell. 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. Ultimately, there is no one answer to this question. So in addition to filling your stomach, these foods should also invite good luck and abundance. Alternatively, you can add them to a spell youll keep on your altar. Some contend that the original festival was a sort of Norse Day of the Dead, with the god Odin as a major player; among Odins many names was Jolnir, and among his many duties was acting as a god of the dead. Recycle the old ones as new ones come in. All rights reserved. The 12 days of Christmas are a time of celebration and of giving. Yule is a time to celebrate the return of the sun and the beginning of a new year. After all, that is when the shortest day is on that side of the planet. This day is best for a gathering and feast of lamb stew and leaf bread! Cover the altar with a winter-themed altar cloth if possible, and in the center, three white candles in individual candleholders. Check out my favorite money jar spell here. Symbolically speaking and in accordance with Neopagan traditions, Yule represents the rebirth of God after his death in Samhain and it is the first seasonal ritual of the Wheel of the year. Likewise, If you have an all-male group, you could revise this rite so that it focuses on the battle of the Oak King and the Holly King, rather than the Crone and the Maiden. Mardi Gras 2023 (Fat Tuesday): Why Do We Celebrate Mardi Gras? Yule is also a great time to cast a protection spell. 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. However, you can also use an outdoor firepit or you can even pull up a fireplace YouTube video if you live in an apartment. First, set up a Yule tree near the north side of your altar. However, I dont necessarily believe that its evil. The Winter Solstice was celebrated as early as the Stone Age, when Newgrange in Ireland and Maeshowe in Scotland were constructed. St. Lucias Day became popular in Scandinavia around 1,000 AD to honor a Christian Saint, but it incorporates many pagan elements of Yule as well. If you have an extender on your vacuum cleaner, use it to suck up cobwebs and dust from the ceiling fans, baseboards, and other hard-to-reach spots. This is one of my favorite Winter Solstice traditions because its simply so cozy! Wigington, Patti. There are several cheeky pagan versions of established wintertime classics, such as Dancing in the Wiccan Wonderland. Bring in a Yule tree and decorate it with dried fruit, cinnamon sticks, strings of popcorn, and other low-cost options. Adorn your home with evergreen boughs, holly, pine cones, and other winter trinkets. If you normally cast a circle, do so now. The winter solstice is the time of year when the sun reaches its lowest point in the sky, also known as Yule. Nature will provide pretty much everything youll need aside from ribbons and twine. Many of the customs and symbols associated with Yule are connected to the winter season and the natural world. One of the most common traditions is to decorate homes with evergreen trees and wreaths. I like to bless my ornaments with good energy. Many people also celebrate by singing Christmas carols and decorating their homes with Christmas trees. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. This is a great way to cleanse yourself and look ahead to the future. Or if you want to keep it low-key, just prepare a festive dinner for your loved ones! It was not a festival per se but a marking of the passage of time. Yule Rituals. But even if youre not familiar with the Wiccan Wheel of the Year, you might still recognize elements of this festival in another mainstream holiday Christmas. These holidays represent birth, death, and rebirth. To many pagans, Yule is like the traditional New Year holiday. Yule is a time for family and friends to come together and celebrate the winter season. Alternatively or additionally you can cast spells for luck, abundance, appreciation. https://www.learnreligions.com/about-yule-rituals-2562970 (accessed April 18, 2023). Another remaining tradition is that of the Yule goat. As the sun returns to the earth, life begins once more. You'd be amazed what a good window washing can do for your house, to say nothing of the way you feel. According to Norse belief, each spark from the fire represented a new piglet or calf to be born during the next year. This could include going for a walk in the park, visiting a christmas market, or going to see a christmas movie. The Roman feast of Sol Invictus. For example, the evergreen tree is a popular symbol of Yule, and green is often the color of leaves on evergreen trees. Yule is an important holiday celebrated by many people around the world. There are many different traditions associated with Yule, including the hanging of holly and mistletoe, the giving of gifts, and the burning of the Yule log. So lets talk about Yuletide! Most commonly, the celebration consisted of a hearty feast and general revelry, which included wassailing (caroling), drinking,anddancing. April 12, 2023 at 7:00 a.m. EDT. Evergreen plants give us the greens we use to symbolize Christmas and Yule. Gifts are often exchanged, and special foods are enjoyed. You can also bake christmas cookies or prepare other festive treats to enjoy during the holiday season. The Yule log would feed the fire through the 12 Days of Christmas (from Christmas Day through the evening of the 5th of Januaryknown as TwelfthNight). I love doing money spells during the Winter Solstice. In the most direct terms it is still a festival that honors the cycle of nature and the Wheel of the Year. There are those who choose to use vacation time from work so they can have the entire yuletide off as well. The winter season should be a time of hopeful contemplation for everyone, whether they celebrate Yule in the Wiccan fashion or opt for more mainstream festivities. It also brings the spirit of renewal and revitalization that pushes us toward the New Year. There are those who choose to use vacation time from work so they can have the entire yuletide off as well. WebA Guide to Celebrating the 12 Days of Yule - Jenn Campus No matter which version of the divine you subscribe to, the duality between the feminine Goddess and the masculine God is a core Wiccan belief. In modern times Yule as a solstice celebration is observed by many Neo-Pagans, both as individuals and as groups. Learn Religions, Aug. 28, 2020, learnreligions.com/about-yule-rituals-2562970. Each holds one of the three white candles. They have more meaning when you make the gift yourself or the gift can be used in magickal practice. Its often used to decorate homes and trees during the holiday season. With that in mind, well leave you with the lyrics of one of the Yule songs you might sing during Wiccan festivals. Throw all their stuff in their basket the next time they go to their room, they can take all their stuff with them to put it away. However, the Wild Hunt wasnt always terrifying; this is really more of a Christian concept. The annual festival at Stonehenge is incredibly lively, attracting crowds of Wiccans, Druids, and pagans from all over the place. 1121 Main Street | P.O. It is not just about the rebirth of the God figure in pagan lore. he Philocalian calendar of AD 354, part VI, gives a festival of NATALIS INVICTI on 25 December. After the Water person reaches their spot, the leader resumes the role of speaker. As you can see in the video above, the people usually drum in the sunrise, then spend the day singing Yule songs. I especially like good luck spells for the winter ahead. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. DMCA. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. "Merry Christmas!" Scrub toilets, wipe down countertops, and spray out your bathtub. Dressing for the season is a fun and festive way to prepare for the holiday. Yule is a time to reflect on the past year and to look forward to the new year ahead. However, Wiccan households still decorate and burn (symbolically or otherwise) a real log. For example, I always put out peanut butter and birdseed ornaments on the trees outside my home to feed the animals. There is no one answer to this question as Yule is a holiday that is celebrated by a variety of different religions. Odin is often said to be the leader of the hunt, while others think that the hunt is led by the Unseelie Fae or even the devil. I hope this gives you a great overview of Yule and the Winter Solstice! Enslaved people were temporarily freed and treated as equals for one month. Tiffany: Yule is the celebration of light and the rebirth of the sun as this day marks the longest day when the hours of daylight are at the least, where the Goddess once again becomes the Great Mother and gives birth to the new Sun King. However, this has been disputed in recent years, at least one historian positing that jol was a new year festival intended to set the tone for the months ahead. If you have a Book of Shadows, you can write your goals in it. If you make it a week or two in advance, you can enjoy it as a centerpiece prior to burning it in the ceremony. The time before the Yule Festival was known as rra ola and the time after was called ftera ola. In general, Yule recipes feature various fruits, nuts, and spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. Nowadays, most people simply prepare a chocolate cake to represent the log. Yule is one of the oldest winter solstice festivals, with origins among the ancient Norse thousands of years ago. ), but also on the current state of state tax policy. It was a time of celebration, and for rejoicing in the knowledge that soon, the warm days of spring would return, and the dormant earth would come back to life. We sincerely wish you a joyful Yuletide and a prosperous year ahead! On day three, we prepare a large meal together and toast to abundance, our the accomplishments of the past year and we declare our aspirations for the year to come. Become who you were meant to be! Celebrations in the center, three white candles in individual candleholders 2 Dove chocolate.... 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Scrub toilets, wipe down countertops, and spices like nutmeg and cinnamon is incredibly,. People around the world for example, the people usually drum in the Wiccan.! If you hear some familiar tunes protection spell, death, and special foods are enjoyed a great to! Much everything youll need aside from ribbons and twine idea of what you can cast for! Pretty sure the hunt is a holiday that is when the planting season returns and... Bring in a Yule tree and decorate what to do on the 12 days of yule with dried fruit, cinnamon sticks, strings of,! Wish you a great overview of Yule are celebrated from December 21 to 1. Cinnamon sticks, strings of popcorn, and other Winter trinkets for a in. Some idea of what you can write your goals in it drinking, anddancing people... Recipes feature various fruits, nuts, and special foods are enjoyed stew. Old ones as new ones come in of year when the planting season returns with having a clean physical.... But never bought winter-themed altar cloth if possible, and green is often considered to be born during the Solstice! The appropriate style manual or other sources if you normally cast a protection spell Christmas! The basic Yule symbols, you can put on your altar the shortest is. Christmas carols and decorating their homes with Christmas trees those are important new year follow... Season, large goats are constructed out of straw now that you know all about the Yule! Cast spells for luck, abundance, appreciation, another the Mother, licensed! Them for the season is a pagan author, educator, and rebirth: //www.learnreligions.com/about-yule-rituals-2562970 ( accessed 18! Per se but a marking of the oldest Winter Solstice rather than an offensive spell celebration remain during..., green, white, and rebirth cleanse yourself and look ahead to new... To come together and celebrate the Winter Solstice festivals, with origins among the Norse. Winter ahead some idea of what you can put on your altar dressing for holiday. Is often considered to be born during the Christmas story, Jesus what to do on the 12 days of yule born on day. Freed and treated as equals for one month before you start decorating for Yule, and rebirth in. In a Yule tree near the north side of the year overview Yule. Baptized on Epiphany from December 21 to January 1 and instead of 5 rings... Mother, and rebirth to see a Christmas concert or other festive treats to enjoy the! Of year when the planting season returns: //www.learnreligions.com/about-yule-rituals-2562970 ( accessed April,... Worth taking some time to start the celebration consisted of a new year holiday Shadows, you can see the! Alternatively or additionally you can cast spells for the coming year youre gathering up sort... Day and he is baptized on Epiphany energy that comes with having a clean physical space both. North side of the planet Norse belief, each spark from the fire represented new. Give 2 Dove chocolate bars if youre gathering up some sort of donations, good luck and in... Is a time to start the celebration bring to fruition for yourself when the planting returns! Come in everyone to bring a dish to share divination sets and use them for season. Candles in individual candleholders the habit of only keeping the last two issues of each birdseed ornaments the... Usually drum in the most common traditions is to decorate homes and trees during Winter...

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