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Yule Traditions and History

Yule, sometimes pronounced "you all" or "jol" is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and the longest night of the year. Yule in Old Norse means "Feast" or "Wheel". In the old Almanacs, the symbol of a wheel was used to mark Yuletide. The idea behind this is that the year turns like a wheel, The Great Wheel of the Zodiac, The Wheel of Life, of which the spokes are the old ritual occasions. Yule celebrates the death and re-birth of the Sun God and the beginning of longer days, which in some traditions marks the Pagan New Year. And from time immemorial, Yule has been a time of peace and charity. In Norway, work had to be reduced to a minimum, and no wheels were to be turned, for that would show impatience with the great wheel in the sky, the sun. As part of this time-- called Julafred, or Peace of Christmas--neither bird, beast nor fish is trapped, shot or netted.

Winter Solstice happens when your hemisphere is leaning farthest away from the sun, and therefore the daylight is the shortest and the sun has its lowest arc in the sky. When it is Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun is directly overhead at noon only along the Tropic of Capricorn. Astrologically, Winter Solstice arrives when the Sun enters the sign of Capricorn, and Saturn, the ruler of Capricorn, was also supposed to be the ruler of the far off Golden age of the past when the world was happy and fruitful. Winter Solstice for 2006 will occur at 4:25pm PST on December 21.

Yule has many pagan elements and more pagan history in its foundation and pagan rites than Christianity. Yule has been celebrated since the beginning of time in the Northern Hemisphere. Many of the cultures located in the Northern Hemisphere celebrate Yule, all with a common theme, the birth of a God by the Goddess. Most of these Gods are associated with the Sun or with death and re-birth. Many Pagan Gods have Yule as their birth date: Ra, Cronos, Lugh, Mirthra, Odin, for example. The Roman God Mirthra plays a most important role in the preservation of Yule, and its other name, Christmas. Approximately in the year 312, Constantine, Emperor of Rome, declared Rome Christian. This was not done because Constantine was Christian (he was not baptized until 337), but because Rome was declining. Constantine saw moral fortitude and the ability to self organize in Christian religion, which Rome lacked. To attempt to persuade his fellow Pagan Romans, he choose Mirthra's birthday (Yule) as the same as Jesus' birthday, and just let human nature take its course. All armor and shields were painted with Christian symbols, and after many hard fought battles, of which he won, he told the populace that the Christian God granted Rome these Victories. In Rome, whoever controlled the Army controlled Rome. So did the Christians steal Yule, or did they preserve it for us?

It is important to understand that while historical facts and data are important, they are not necessary to enjoy the Sabbat. If one believes that Yule is a celebration of the coming of light, warmth, and the birth of (insert god of your choice) that whether we call it Christmas, Yule or the Winter Solstice is unimportant. Yule is the one Sabbat that allows us to celebrate with other faiths without compromising our own. There are many pagan/pre-Christian customs that are still part of the Christmas celebration. The giving of gifts was first founded in Rome to celebrate Saturn's Festival. The use of jingle balls is and Old Norse custom to drive away the evil spirits, in a time and place where night was longer than day. The Yule log is actually an indoor equivalent of the outdoor bonfire of Midwinter Eve. There used to be an old custom of saving a piece of the Yule log, 'for luck' to kindle the next year's blaze. The wreath, the complete circle, represents the Wheel of the Year. Yule trees historically were Fir, Evergreen or Pine. Evergreens were cherished at this time of year as a natural symbol of rebirth and life amid winter whiteness. Holly was particularly prized to decorate doors, windows and fireplaces because of its prickliness -- to either ward off or snag and capture evil spirits before they could enter and harm a household. Sort of like flypaper for faeries!

It should be noted that while Yule is considered a primarily Christian holiday, it does not do anyone any good to declare their theft. Rather we should be thankful that they have done such a great job of preserving it for us, and relish the fact that you know, and understand, why they decorate the tree, give gifts, and use bells. It might make Yule at the homestead easier on those families of mixed religion philosophies. So when someone wishes you a "Merry Christmas", don't tell them "I am not a Christian" or get all defensive and superior, but rather say, "A blessed Yule to you also", and know that Jesus wasn't a bad guy, but rather in a very elite group of Gods, who all celebrate their birthday on Yule.

Yule Traditions and History

At Yule, the Goddess shows her Life-in-Death aspect. At this season, she is the leprous-white lady, Queen of the cold darkness, yet, this is her moment of giving birth to the child of Promise, the Son-Lover who will refertilize her and bring back light and warmth to her kingdom. Yule marks the vanquishing of the Holly King, God of the waning year, by the Oak King, God of the waxing year. Old mumming plays, which still exist in some places as part of the Yuletide festivities, are linked with the rebirth of the Sun. Saint George in shining armor, comes to do battle with the dark faced 'Turkish Knight'. Saint George is the Sun, slaying the powers of darkness. However, the victor immediately proclaims that he has slain his brother. Dark and Light, winter and summer are complementary to each other. So on comes the mysterious 'Doctor' with his magical bottle who revives the slain man. There is much rejoicing and all ends well. Another version of the Oak/Holly King theme, is the ritual hunting and killing of a Wren. The Wren, little King of the Waning Year, is killed by the Robin Redbreast, King of the Waxing Year. The Robin finds the Wren hiding in an ivy or holly bush.

According to the Bardic Tradition, the Winter Solstice was called 'Alban Arthan' by the Druids. It was then that the Chief Druid cut the sacred mistletoe from the Oak. Lamps burning all night at Midwinter, survive in Ireland and elsewhere, as the single candle burning in the window at Christmas Eve, lit by the youngest in the house - a symbol of mircocosmic welcome to the Marcosm.

The Romans celebrated the Winter Solstice with a festival called Saturnalia. At this time of the year, the Romans decked their houses with boughs of evergreen trees and bushes. People gave each other presents, and all normal business was suspended and social distinctions were forgotten. Servants and slaves were given a feast by their masters who waited the tables. The Pagan Saxons celebrated the feast of Yule with plenty of ale and blazing fires, of which our Yule log is the last relic.

The Winter Solstice rebirth and the Goddess' part in it, were portrayed in ancient Egypt by a ritual in which Isis circled the shrine of Osiris seven times, to represent her mourning for him and her wanderings in search of the scattered parts of his body. For the festival, people decorated the outside of their houses with oil-lamps that burned all night. At midnight, the priests emerged from an inner shrine crying, "The Virgin has brought forth! The light is waxing!" and showed the image of a baby to the worshippers.

Japan has celebrated Christmas since at least the 1930s and especially since World War II as a precursor to New Year celebrations. On Christmas Eve lovers treat each other to lavish gifts and children await Uncle Chimney. And there's no problem cooking that big dinner. Parents have been known to wait for hours lined up outside the local Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise to buy a bucket of chicken for their eager children.

Zaire, Rumania, and Poland share a common Yuletide bond -- folk plays performed in villages around Christmas time. These performances all dramatize various aspects of the Christmas nativity story, complete with caricatures of Herod and his soldiers, the ever-popular tax collectors, the Wise Men, shepherds, sheep, camels, donkey, Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus.

Jamaica, as well as several other Caribbean islands and some African countries, favor such Christmas festivities as masquerade performances and parties. In Sierra Leone groups of school children march about town with their "devils" and stop at various points to present brief 12 to 15 minute performances, highlighted with devil dances. In Venezuela, "devils" of a different kind fill the streets shortly after midnight on Christmas Eve. Hundreds of rollerskating teens fan out about their about towns for an hour or so, finally making their way to church and a special early morning Christmas mass.

In the Zulu homelands, Zimbabwe, and Peru the Christmas celebration overlaps the festivities associated with the summer harvest and the pre-Christian rituals of the native people. Leafy greens, young corn, fresh fruit, and ice cream often accompany to the roast, which is prepared whole on a spit when the feast is a village affair.

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