what to do on the 12 days of yulewhat to do on the 12 days of yule

During the Winter Solstice, you can celebrate light (as the days will get lighter from here on out), friendship, health, winter, darkness, and just about anything else youd like. Light a log on one end and let it burn; feast until the log burns itself out. The winter solstice is the time of year when the sun reaches its lowest point in the sky, also known as Yule. Claim: The song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was created as a coded reference to important articles of the Christian faith. 1121 Main Street | P.O. So in addition to filling your stomach, these foods should also invite good luck and abundance. Yule is celebrated on the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year. This is the day for setting up the Yule Tree. [44] The Jewish calendar date of 14 Nisan was believed to be that of the beginning of creation, as well as of the Exodus and so of Passover, and Christians held that the new creation, both the death of Jesus and the beginning of his human life, occurred on the same date, which some put at 25 March in the Julian calendar. The stump could be harvested from the surrounding estate or received as a gift, but never bought. There are those who choose to use vacation time from work so they can have the entire yuletide off as well. By taking some hours during Decembers lead-up period to deep cleanse both mind and house, we can set ourselves up with an open heart without all those old mental clutter holding us back. Learn Wicca to gain a sense of purpose, inner peace, and so much more. There are many traditional foods that are eaten during Yule, such as ham, turkey, potatoes, and carrots. The yule log was lit on Christmas Day and burned for the following Twelve Wigington, Patti. Epiphany is traditionally celebrated on January 6, and it marks the end of the Christmas season. The period has been celebrated since before the middle ages but was updated over time to include prominent figures in Christian history. This can be a fun activity to do with your family or friends. Many churches use white as the color of Christmas. Bring in a Yule tree and decorate it with dried fruit, cinnamon sticks, strings of popcorn, and other low-cost options. ! A Yule tree or wreath may have red and gold ribbons on it as well as decorative lights. A holiday celebration that began in Norway, on the night of the winter solstice it was common to hoist a giant log onto the hearth to celebrate the return of the sun each year. However, this long night is also an opportunity for a cleansing of the soul, just like the New Moon. Cant find a song honoring your chosen deity? Both these words referred to a midwinter festival centered around the winter solstice, which traditionally marked the halfway point of the winter season. he Philocalian calendar of AD 354, part VI, gives a festival of NATALIS INVICTI on 25 December. Eastern Orthodox churches use a different religious calendar, so their 12 days of Christmas start on Jan. 7 and run through the Epiphany on Jan. 19. Since weve already talked about the symbolic meaning of Yuletide, you can probably guess what each of these colors represents. It marks the return of the sun, when the days finally begin to get a little longer. Let us take a few moments to consider what we have given. You can also start wrapping christmas gifts to get ready for the holiday season. Traditional Yule gifts are less commercialized than other holiday gifts. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. A Spotify playlist of Yule songs would be a great introduction. The date varies with location, but it always falls before or after December 21st each year. Some contend that the original festival was a sort of Norse Day of the Dead, with the god Odin as a major player; among Odins many names was Jolnir, and among his many duties was acting as a god of the dead. However, green is often considered to be the traditional color of Yule. Among those who have put forward this view are Louis Duchesne,[50] Thomas J. Talley,[51] David J. Rothenberg,[52] J. Neil Alexander, [53] and Hugh Wybrew.[54]. Symbolically speaking and in accordance with Neopagan traditions, Yule represents the rebirth of God after his death in Samhain and it is the first seasonal ritual of the Wheel of the year. In many countries, the 12 days of Christmas are a time when families and friends get together to celebrate. It has been celebrated for thousands of years by various cultures, with a wide variety of rituals and traditions. Updates? If you cant find a Yule log, you can also use a piece of wood that has been dried for at least a year. What Channel Does Celebrity Big Brother Come On. Yule songs and carols are an entertaining way to celebrate the season. Like red and green, the color gold also summons wealth and prosperity. But if those options arent available to you, you could attach a few candles to the log and burn it symbolically. One of the most important parts of Yule is the food. Yule is one of the oldest pagan winter solstice holidays. Say: May the powers of Earth bless this donation.Earth is the land, the home and the foundation of community.Nurturing and solid, stable and firm, full of endurance and strength,This is the base upon which we build our community.With these powers of Earth, we bless this donation.. Of course, some Wiccans believe that the end-of-the-year festivities should start on Samhain, which is also known as the Witches New Year. This tradition originated in Norway, where people would put a large ash log onto the hearth on the night of the Winter Solstice to celebrate the return of the sun. Even Christmas trees were originally a part of the pagan Yule holiday! It is a time of celebration with close friends and family contact that lasts twelve days and nights. Traditionally, green has been the color most commonly associated with Yule. The High Priestess then says: O Crone, the Wheel has turned once more.It is time for the Maiden to claim what is now hers.As you lie down for the winter, she is born once again. Since the night hours will only get shorter after that point, Yuletide represents the rebirth of the Sun God. As the sun returns to the earth, life begins once more. However, that date tends to move around from year to year. This solstice generally falls on or near the 21st of Dec. Gifts are often exchanged, and special foods are enjoyed. Another common tradition is to exchange gifts. I love learning about the old traditions and ways. Try a different devotional each day, for the next twelve days,to give you food for thought during the holiday season or simply incorporate the ones that resonate with you into your seasonal rituals! Any sort of reflection spell feels good around the Winter Solstice. A remainder of the yule log was kept to light the next years log. If you want to celebrate Yule/the Winter Solstice at home, there are endless ways to do this. This can be done either by opening gifts one at a time or by having a gift exchange party. Pagan Practice for Families with Children, Eight Things to Hang on a Pagan Holiday Tree, Items to represent the elements of earth, air, fire and water. The Winter Solstice was celebrated as early as the Stone Age, when Newgrange in Ireland and Maeshowe in Scotland were constructed. St. Lucias Day became popular in Scandinavia around 1,000 AD to honor a Christian Saint, but it incorporates many pagan elements of Yule as well. Yule is the perfect time to decorate! Place each of the elemental markers in its corresponding location of the circle. Yule is a time to celebrate the return of the sun and the beginning of a new year. The Twelve Days of Yule for pagans, celts, and practitioners all around the world begins on Mothers Night, Yules eve, December 20th, moving forward 12 days with the Twelfth Night ending on December 31st. Similar to the energy that we experience during Christmas, the Winter Solstice reminds us that peace comes from darkness and stillness. Winter is represented by fir, Spring by daffodils, Summer by roses, and Fall by oak leaves. Tonight, light candles in the house to fill the home with light and hope. Although winter is here, life lies dormant beneath the soil. The 12 days of Christmas are also a time for reflection. Candles can also be a good source of fire for Winter Solstice rituals. Finally, the most important part of Yule is the Christmas tree. The 12 days of Yule may have been based on the 12 days of Christmas. On this day offerings are made to the wild birds, animals, and spirits of the woods. If you have multiple levels, continue up and down stairs as needed. Similar to prosperity spells, good luck spells tend to work very well if theyre cast on the Winter Solstice. Firefox doesnt know how to open this address, because one of the following protocols (applewebdata) isnt associated with any program or is not allowed in this context. If nothing else, gathering items associated with Yule is much easier and cheaper than getting Christmas decorations. (2020, August 28). Yule is a time to celebrate the return of the sun and the birth of the new year. Yule became a name for Christmas about the 9th century, and in many languages yule and its cognates are still used to describe that holidayjul in Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish; joulud in Estonian; joulu in Finnish; and jol in Icelandic. The red berries that help wild animals survive the winter give us the reds. Gifts are often exchanged, and special foods are enjoyed. If they were to celebrate in December, they would be doing it on what is the longest day in the Southern Hemisphere. For neopagans, the most serious festivities occur at the beginning of Yule during the first three days. Smudge your home with one of the following: To do a smudging, start at your front door with your incense or smudge stick in a censer or bowl. Schools and businesses were closed so that everyone could celebrate the holiday. Green is also considered to be a lucky color in many cultures. Evergreen plants give us the greens we use to symbolize Christmas and Yule. Use a broom to sweep out any little bits of dirt and grime it's also a symbolic way of sweeping negative energy out of your home. Traditionally a pig or boar would be sacrificed, then a ham would be made for the feast. If you believe in the dark night of the soul, then there truly is no better day! Interestingly, the Yule log was originally an entire tree! In fact, for me, Yule is always a time for introspection to sit back and reflect and consider what I want the next year to look like. Yule is a 12-day holiday, it begins on Mothers Night (December 20th) and ends 12 days later on Yule Night (January 1st). WebWe light the Yule log to honor the beginning of the Suns return and the start of a new year. Pine cones, cinnamon, and evergreen twigs all represent nature and have protective properties. It's a place in our house we try not to think about unless we're using it, but there are few things more impressive than a clean bathroom. Yuletide is the greatest holiday festival of the year. Perform this ritual to celebrate the return of the sun. Fresh oranges and apples should do the trick, but you can also set aside a bowl of various nuts. Pre-Christianity, many believed that the hunt signified good or bad things to come, depending on the sounds you heard from the sky. It is said that the Wild Hunt begins on the Winter Solstice and progresses throughout the Yule feasts. Yuletide is also the perfect time to declutter or redecorate your space and start fresh. So some people deem it appropriate to celebrate during the period between these two holidays. It is thought that the tradition originated in ancient times, perhaps as a tribute to the god Thor, who was said to ride in a chariot pulled by goats. But what is the significance of the Wheel in the Wiccan tradition? For example, you could make holly water by soaking holly leaves in spring water under a full moon. Then get into the habit of only keeping the last two issues of each. Finally, the person holding water begins to walk in a circle, saying: May the powers of Water bless this donation.Cleansing and purifying, washing away ill will,Carrying away with it need, want, and strife.Water is what helps to keep our community whole,With these powers of Water, we bless this donation.. If your mistletoe touches the ground, it will lose its symbolic properties. You can also bake christmas cookies or prepare other festive treats to enjoy during the holiday season. So basically, all these colors invite good luck into the upcoming year. Yule traditions came later; Yule is technically a twelve-day feast, beginning on the Winter Solstice, which centers around the worship of each traditions major deities. If you have an extender on your vacuum cleaner, use it to suck up cobwebs and dust from the ceiling fans, baseboards, and other hard-to-reach spots. They represent the light of the sun and are used to help guide the sun back to us. 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