Yule, which coincides with the winter solstice (December 21–22 in the Northern Hemisphere) is the moment in the year that the night is the longest. After this day the sun will start to return. S U N, not S O N, but you can see where things start to sound familiar. Yule is one of the oldest winter solstice festivals, with origins among the ancient Norse thousands of years ago. It began as a pre-Christian festival originating in Scandinavia, and it is generally agreed that Yule celebrations began as a Norse festival called jol, these traditions were later subsumed, along with other pagan celebrations, into the Christian holiday of Christmas.
Like most winter solstice festivals, themes of light, fire, and feasting are common threads. Some historians think that sacrifices were an important part of the observance, which makes sense, considering that in the harsh climate of northern Europe, most cattle would be slaughtered because they could not be fed during the winter. Meat, therefore, was plentiful for a midwinter feast. “Yule” became a name for Christmas in about the 9th century and the Christmas holiday is still referred to as Yule in the Scots language. According to the saga of King Haakon Haraldsson (Haakon the Good) of Norway, who ruled in the 10th century, the Norse Yule celebration and Christian Christmas celebration were merged during his reign. Haakon became Christian when he visited England, after his return to Norway he enacted a law that Yule should be celebrated at the same time as Christmas. Everyone was required to have ale made from a measure of grain and keep the holiday while the ale lasted or else be subject to a fine. From this point Christmas continued to overtake Yule, although some vestiges of the original celebration remain, such as the Yule log, either decorated and burned during the celebration, or as a log shaped cake.
Another tradition still observed in Scandinavia is that of the Yule goat. In towns and cities throughout Sweden during the Christmas season, large goats are constructed out of straw. The tradition originated in ancient times, as a tribute to the god Thor, who was said to ride in a chariot pulled by goats. In Sweden the goat came to be associated with the Christmas celebration, and the Yule goat is now considered by many to be a companion or counterpart to Santa Claus.
More traditional for Americans, the Yule Ham is a holdover from these ancient practices. Just as the goat was associated with Thor, the boar was associated with Freyr (Fray Er) the God of Peace, Fertility and Sunshine. Pigs and wild boar were sacrificed to Freyr to grant a bountiful harvest or to bless marriages and children.
If you have ever had Wassail or sung “to go a’wassailing” you have stumbled on another century’s old tradition. Wassail translates as "Good Health" as in "I drink to your good health” and is the name of the alcohol punch made with spices and fruit juice that was used to make the toast. If it also contained eggs, milk or cream it was called nog. To go a-wassailing was like trick-or-treat for grown-ups. They would go from house to house and beg for wassail and other treats, like figgy pudding. The tradition originated far before Christianity and was an orchard blessing ritual. The people believed that the fruit trees went into hibernation when the nights grew longer. So, they would gather in the orchards after Mid-winter and make as much noise as they could to wake up the trees.
Mistletoe is another you would recognize. It was greatly revered by the Ancient Druids and the Norse people believed it was magical. It stayed green all year round even though the host tree would drop its leaves and look dead. It drew in nutrients without any roots in the earth. It was always found high up in oak and apple trees. If found in a sacred oak tree, it was cut down with a gold sickle during a special ceremony and caught in a white cloak before it hit the ground. Then the magical mistletoe was divided, and a piece was given to every home in the village to ward off evil for the next year.
The Christmas tree also has its roots in Pre-Christian practices. Plants and trees that remained green all year, such as Pine, Spruce, Holly and Fir had a special meaning for people, many ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows to keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness. They would often prepare for winter by bringing a freshly chopped evergreen inside and cut logs from it whenever they needed more wood for the fire. The idea of decorating this tree comes from Germany in the 16th century when a town decorated a tree for its people.
In modern times Yule as a solstice celebration is observed by many Neo-Pagans, both as individuals and as groups. For Wiccans, Yule is the second sabbat of the Wheel of the Year, marked with rituals to welcome the return of the Sun. Some mark the holiday with reenactments of the battle between the Holly King, who represents darkness and the Oak King, who represents the light in Celtic beliefs. Some endeavor to re-create traditions of the ancient Norse by burning yule logs or with feasts and some stay awake until dawn to observe the cycles of nature and the return of the Sun.
