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Yule marks the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year where we celebrate the return of the sun.The long winter days and nights are finally starting to shift. A little more sunlight each day and the cold nights will start to grow shorter, as the warmer days grow longer. This was important to the ancient people, it was a celebration of surviving another harsh winter. The Solstice marks another of the great cross quarters. On all other cross quarter sabbats great bonfires were built, but because of the harsh wet winters of the Northern Latitude, the fire was held indoors. This is thought to be the origin of the Yule Log. The yule Log was traditionally a very large log of Oak (a symbol of the Oak King). The Yule Log was decorated with the traditional colors of white, red, and green, and placed in the hearth. Traditionally the Yule log was placed at the very bottom of the hearth, and more wood was placed on top. The yule log would hold it's warmth and ember, as the fire was kept going for up to twelve days. It was considered very bad luck and an Omen for the fire to go out too soon. Pieces of the yule log were often kept afterwards as a good luck piece. In many places, bits of the yule log were kept in the home to ward off bad luck and lightning, also to use in kindling the next year's fire. The festivities of Yule are related to the return of the Sun King, and the newly born solar year via the Goddess. Decorating the home with evergreens and mistletoe dates back about four thousand years. The evergreen was special this time of the year because it never lost it's branches in the harsh winter. The Evergreen was thought to have the power to overcome death and darkness. the mistletoe has long been sacred to the Celtic people. The Druids would harvest the sacred plant (with the proper tool), and distribute the sacred herb. The mistletoe is thought to have been a symbol of "peace". You could not come to someone's home, pass under the mistletoe, and not come in peace. That is why it is hung in doorways. Mistletoe is also thought to have magical properties and protect the home through the coming year. Last years mistletoe is burned in this year's yule fire and a new sprig of mistletoe is hung. This is a time of new beginnings and a time to look forward to the coming year. |
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