Put Some Yule into the Christmas Holiday Season
Little is known about the celebration of Yule. Many people today enjoy using the word “Yule” in a broad sense to describe a wondrous and magical time of the year. Yule is generally regarded as occurring on December 21st or the date for the Winter Solstice (which is the first day of the season of winter and also the shortest day of the year, in relation to the position of the sun).
In languages other than English, Yule is known as Jol or Jul. Many researchers and scholars have disputed the meaning of the name of Yule, but there has never been unanimous agreement on where the name originates. The most commonly accepted belief is that “Yule” comes from an old Nordic word that refers to the wheel. In the Norse language the word for wheel was “Hjol”, and a wheel symbolized a cycle that had come full circle, much as a calendar year begins in January and ends in December.
Traditions from Yule have come to be a part of the Christmas celebration. For example, the lighting of the Yule log is considered to be very important as it symbolizes the “rebirth of the God within the sacred fire of the Mother Goddess.” As the log begins to burn and warm up the room, it is essential to imagine the brilliance of the sun shining inside the log and to think fondly to warmer, sunnier days that are ahead.
Many people celebrate Yule by way of a candlelight ritual. In particular, bayberry candles are used as they represent a desire for good health, joy and prosperity for the coming year. The specific colors that represent Yule are red, gold, green and white.
Besides the Yule log, there are other Yuletide symbols, and these include evergreen trees, holly, wreaths, spinning wheels, and the eight-spoked wheel. The stones for the Yuletide celebration are the garnet, ruby and bloodstone while the ritual oils include ginger, a combination of cedar and pine, myrrh, nutmeg, rosemary, saffron and wintergreen.
A proper Yule meal from ancient times would be composed of all or a combination of these foods- apples, nuts, pears, and cakes made of caraways that were dipped in either a healthy quantity of pork or cider. Ginger tea and hibiscus were commonly consumed.
Why not add a little bit of Yule to your holiday season this year?
