Yule Celebrations & the Origins of Christmas
Christmas is the time that we spend with our families and friends, but the usual traditions we all enjoy come from long-ago Pagan traditions.
Yule marks the beginning of the winter solstice. The winter solstice is the longest night of the year, and it celebrates the return of the sun. Lighting candles, lights on the tree, and stars represent the return of the light. After the winter solstice the days start to get longer and brighter, which is why we celebrate. Yule is traditionally celebrated by the Germanic peoples; they call it Midwinter.
The Christian holiday Christmas is heavily influenced by yule and the traditions surrounding it. Now, this holiday has become a representation of the characters, traditions, and symbols associated with Christianity.
During this time, we set our wishes into the universe for the new year. One way many witches do this is by making a yule log.
The yule log is one of many traditions that many Pagans participate in. The yule log is made up of the bark of a tree (or at times, a cake). The log is adorned with red, white, green candles, pine cones, mistletoe, pine, and evergreen. At times, cinnamon sticks and dried oranges can also be used if your intentions are to bring abundance into your life. The log is usually set in an altar or a centerpiece on the dining table. On the night of the winter solstice, the candles are burned to release the intended wishes into the universe.
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