Yule

by Yvonne Aburrow

At our recent Interfaith Grand River members’ meeting, we were invited to speak about our favourite festivals. My favourite festival is usually the one that’s just about to happen, but if I had to pick just one, it would be Yule.

Yule is an ancient festival marking the winter solstice and was historically celebrated in England, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. It’s celebrated by many Pagans today as one of our eight festivals (Imbolc on 2 February, Spring Equinox on 21 March, Beltane on 1 May, Midsummer on 21 June, Lammas on 1 August, Autumn Equinox on 21 September, Samhain on 1 November, Yule on 21 December). The festivals mark the seasons, solstices and equinoxes. They are also dedicated to various deities. They’re collectively known as the Wheel of the Year. One of the many things I like about the wheel metaphor is that the spokes of the wheel connect us back to the centre, which can represent the Divine. Another is that wheels turn, like the Earth and the seasons.

credit The spirit of Christmas by Michael Kerbow

The traditions of Yule include feasting, dancing, new clothes, getting together with family, telling stories, lighting bonfires, bringing evergreen tree branches into the house (holly, fir trees, mistletoe), Yule logs, and an inversion of the usual hierarchies. Christmas trees are possibly derived from the old custom of bringing branches into the house.

Other Pagan traditions have different names for the winter solstice celebrations. The traditional Welsh name for it is Calan Gaeaf (Gaeaf means winter) and in Cornish it is Kalan Gwav. Tje Druids celebrate Alban Arthan (the light of the bear). The Romans celebrated Saturnalia, which is where we get the idea of the inversion of the usual hierarchies, and also the representation of the old year as an old man. The Roman festivities also included the exchange of gifts.

The main point of the celebration is the return of the light and the lengthening of the days after the solstice. Darkness does not represent evil in Pagan traditions — but the coming of Spring is always welcome after Winter.