Yule for Beginners
If you’ve experienced at least
one Christmas in your life, you’ve probably heard the word ‘Yuletide’. But have
you ever wondered where that word comes from, and how it came to be linked to
Christmas?
On or around the 21st
December is the longest night of the year, or the Winter Solstice. And on that
day, Wiccans and Pagans are celebrating Yule. In Wicca, the Winter Solstice is
regarded as the depth of darkness for the year, and after it, we know that the
darkness will start to fade and the light will begin to return to the world.
This is an important message to remember always, not just at Yule: even when it
feels like the darkness is suffocating you, the light will always return.
Some Pagans would call Yule the
Sun’s birthday, as this is when, in Pagan mythology, the Sun God is reborn!
Remember that at Samhain He was wandering the world of the dead, and now He is
back and stronger than ever.
Many Pagans also believe in twin
brothers named the Holly King and the Oak King (some believe in them literally,
and others prefer to regard them as a metaphor). The Holly King reigns over the
latter half of the year, the darker half, and the Oak King takes over the
beginning of the year, as the light returns. This concept could be why holly is
so closely connected to Christmas time.
Paganism is closely linked to the
earth, so it’s no surprise that at the time of Yule, we like to bring the
outside in, and the tradition of bringing evergreen into the home started with
ancient Pagans. Mistletoe is regarded as being a healer and protector, and
holly is said to ward off unwelcome spirits. Ivy is a symbol of rebirth,
immortality, and resurrection, as is the yew tree. And pine is used to bring
healing and joy to the home, and it’s often burned to invite purification as
well.
For centuries, Pagans have used
evergreens to make wreaths, which were either hung up, or laid flat with
candles – and that later became the Christian Advent Wreath. Ancient Pagans
also started the concept of a beautifully decorated tree, although their trees
were decorated with food, and were said to be a warm home for woodland sprites
through the cold time of Yule. Which is actually really sweet, and makes me
want to cry…
Since this Sabbat is all about
the return of light, it should come as no surprise that candles are burning
everywhere thanks to Pagans. Typically, we use red, green, and gold ones, as
they are the colours of the season!
There are many other Pagan
traditions that creep into our modern celebrations today, including the giving
and receiving of gifts, the concept of a Yule log (although the traditional one
is less chocolatey, more literal log-gy), and many more.
I’ve mentioned in a previous post that Christians and Pagans historically got on well, and so it’s no
surprise that so many traditions overlap so closely. I hope that this post has
been informative, and has given you a new perspective on why we do so many of
the things that we do at that time of year.
Have a lovely day,
and blessed be.
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