![]() ![]() Yule, and the tradition of the Yule log, is all about honoring light in a time of darkness: in other words, about hope and looking forward.Īlternatively, bake something new this holiday season! Nowadays, Yule logs are more commonly known as a traditional Christmas dessert, kind of like a giant chocolate Swiss roll. ![]() Take a few moments to admire the fire, reflect on the year to come, and write in a journal (if you use one) or do a five-minute meditation. Make yourself a warming cocktail or pour yourself a glass of mulled red wine in lieu of mead. Treat yourself to a Yule log –– or Yule tree! If you have a fireplace, throw a few logs on the fire and break out your coziest blanket. Once the Yule log was ready, the father of the household would add mead, oil, or salt to the log before burning as an offering to placate any spirits, then scatter the ashes from the fire around the family home for protection. To celebrate the days getting longer again, Norse celebrants would light a fire on the hearth with a "Yule log," an extra-large log of firewood. The Norse believed, at the time, that the sun was a "wheel of fire" and, on the winter solstice, it rolled back to the earth. No, it's not just a delicious dessert –– Yule logs are a tradition that originated in Norway centuries ago. You might even celebrate some of them already! The Yule Log ![]() As a result, many traditional Yule customs continue today, albeit in new forms. Today, it's celebrated in Western countries by pagans, Wiccans, and modern witches. Even today, winter solstice rituals are still celebrated across the world in many countries and cultures –– and you can celebrate it too, if the spirit moves you! Yule TraditionsĬonsidered the " return of the sun," Yule started as a pre-Christian pagan holiday. Whether it's known as Yule, the solstice, or the longest night of the year, this change in seasons has been celebrated by pagans, Christians, and other religious practitioners for centuries. (For the northern hemisphere, anyway in the southern hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs in June and the summer solstice in December!) After the 21st, the solar year starts a new cycle, so the sun rises earlier and sets later right up until the summer solstice in June. It's that time of year –– not simply the holiday season, but the official start of the winter season! Monday, December 21 marks this year's winter solstice, also known as the first day of winter and the shortest day of the year. ![]()
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