It was celebrated on December 17th, growing into a week long celebration (December 17th to the 23rd) involving feasting, gifting and games. Saturnalia is Roman in origin, introduced around 217 BC in honor of Saturn, the God of Time.
A time of magic, to burn the Yule Log and dance in firelight.Note too, the reindeer-herding tribal people of Northern Europe and Siberia!.Tree lights and tree decorations – Northern Germanic peoples tied fruit and attached candles to evergreen tree branches, in honor of the god Woden.The tradition of cutting down boughs of evergreen trees (like pine), mistletoe and holly branches for the home, what we now have as a Christmas Tree,.A Yule Log – Yule was celebrated by fire, and.The 12 Days of Christmas sung by the choir,.Yule originated way before what we now know as Christmas, hailing from the Norse people of Scandinavia (who invaded central Europe, and spread these beliefs to Celtic people). The Yule Festival lasts for twelve days – between December 21st (the Winter Solstice) through to January 1st (Yule Night). Yule is a festival of fire in the midst of winter (there are eight fire festivals in total in the Wheel of the Year), but this one seems particularly special, lighting a fire – or giant log – usually an oak log to burn through the night as a symbol of hope and warmth.Įvergreen trees (that remain green throughout the year, and this bleak, cold time) make the green hue popular, signifying faith that nature will prevail also t he colours of Yule red, white and green come from the holly tree, and from snow. Yule Tide conjours the sentiments – Tidings of Joy!īut why the word Yule? Where does it come from and why a Yule Log – literally a wooden log to burn or in cake form! But symbolically we all need times of hope – and joy! Yule: 12 Days… We can work in hibernation, cosy by our fire, radiator or with warm homes, and entertainment on tap. These days, the ‘bleak mid-winter’ isn’t quite so hard to bear. In those days their lives depended on a decent crop, food and sustenence, so it really was all about the momentum of time, and having faith that those abundant times were on their way. Symbolically, in ancient traditions and among people of old, this was seen as the rebirth of the sun god, that promised the return of the light, warmth, and eventually fertile fields once again to be harvested. You can read more about Winter Solstice, here. Just to clarify, Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year (and therefore the shortest day, with the least sunlight), the time when the Sun moves into the Capricorn zodiac sign. Andy Williams sang it best – “ It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year …”īut what is the difference between Yule, Saturnalia, and Christmas? Here I’ve gather together some information and what I’ve found about this time of year, which in a nutshell all goes back to the magical moment, Winter Solstice…
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