The pagan celebration of the winter solstice is known as Yule, and it’s one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world.
It simultaneously celebrates the shortest day of the year, midwinter, the return of the Sun, and a festival of rebirth.
This year, it occurs from December 21, 2021, to January 1, 2022.
Yule marks the point at which the Sun begins to return to and when the days begin to lengthen again.
But the winter solstice is the darkest day of the year, so Yule is both a time of reflection and celebration.
This festival has been on the calendar for centuries.
The druids would give mistletoe, which commonly grows on oak trees, as a blessing to symbolize life.
The Yule log also dates back to this time.
The Celts thought the Sun stood still for 12 days during the darkest time of the year, and they would light logs to keep away evil and welcome in good fortune.
If you think all this sounds kind of familiar, that’s because when Christianity spread throughout Europe, many pagan winter solstice traditions were incorporated into Christmas celebrations.
As the outside world is at its darkest and the nights at their longest, Yule is a time to bring in new visions and ideas, make resolutions for the year ahead.
One of the ways to celebrate is having a Yule feast.
Feasting has always been a winter solstice tradition, with people gathering together to celebrate life in the darkness, connect with others, and feel safe.
Serve up a traditional feast, or just make your favorite foods.
Yule has its roots in the old-Nordic word 'iul' or the Anglo-Saxon 'hweol', both meaning 'wheel', which points to the ever turning year and natures cycle of life, death and rebirth.
The lunar calendar leaves about 12 days left over each year and the thirteenth day signifies the start of the new cycle.
So the twelve nights of Yule were considered neither part of the old year, nor part of the new year.
These days are when the veil between the worlds is thin, a time when the gods walk the earth and people may see the elves or other spirits that live around us.
Yule begins on Mother Night or 'Módraniht' (December 20th) and ends 12 days later on 'Yule Night' (1st January) also known as Twelfth Night.
Most pre-Christian mystery cults celebrated the Mother Goddess and the Mother night, the longest night of the year.
Nature is now sleeping and the newborn Solstice Sun is the gift of the Mother Goddess to the world which then prepares for the bright and warmth of the coming spring.
At this time we celebrate the beginning of the new year.
Fire festivals, celebrating the rebirth of the Sun, held on the Winter's Solstice can be found throughout the ancient world. The Roman festival of Saturnalia was held on the winter solstice, boughs of evergreen trees and bushes would decorate the house, gifts where exchanged and normal business was suspended.
The Persian Mithraists held December 25th as sacred to the birth of their Sun God, Mithras, and celebrated it as a victory of light over darkness. In Sweden, December 13th was sacred to the Goddess Lucina, Shining One, and was a celebration of the return of the light.
On Yule itself, around the 21st, bonfires were lit to honour Odin and Thor.
Many people have heard of the 12 Days of Christmas, but did you know that there is an older tradition known as the 13 Days of Yule?
"The 13 Days of Yule" was sung in Scotland as far back as the early 1800's, to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas. Yule was originally a Pagan feast that lasted for 12-13 days.
Eventually it came to represent the midwinter season of December and January. Later it became synonymous with Christmas.
The song is rather long, so here’s the short break-down:
Day 1: A Papingoe (some say this is a parrot or a peacock)
Day 2: Three Partridges
Day 3: Three Plovers (a game bird)
Day 4: A Grey Goose
Day 5: Three Starlings
Day 6: Three Goldspinks
Day 7: A Brown Bull
Day 8: Three Merry Ducks-a-laying
Day 9: Three Swans A-Merry Swimming
Day 10: An Arabian Baboon (!)
Day 11: Three Hinds (Hounds) Merry Hunting
Day 12: Three Maids Merry Dancing
Day 13: Three Stalks of Corn
Here are the words to the 13 Days of Yule original long version.
The Thirteen Days of Yule
The King sent his Lady on the first Yule day,
A papingoe*, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the second Yule day,
Two partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the third Yule day,
Three plovers**, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the fourth Yule day,
A goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the fifth Yule day,
Three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the sixth Yule day,
Three goldspinks, three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the seventh Yule day,
A bull that was brown,
Three goldspinks, three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the eighth Yule day,
Three ducks a-merry laying, a bull that was brown,
Three goldspinks, three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the ninth Yule day,
Three swans a-merry swimming, three ducks a-merry laying,
A bull that was brown,
Three goldspinks, three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the tenth Yule day,
An Arabian baboon,
Three swans a-merry swimming, three ducks a-merry laying,
A bull that was brown,
Three goldspinks, three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the eleventh Yule day,
Three hinds a-merry hunting, an Arabian baboon,
Three swans a-merry swimming, three ducks a-merry laying,
A bull that was brown,
Three goldspinks, three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the twelfth Yule day,
Three maids a-merry dancing, three hinds a-merry hunting,
An Arabian baboon,
Three swans a-merry swimming, three ducks a-merry laying,
A bull that was brown,
Three goldspinks, three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the thirteenth Yule day,
Three stalks o merry corn, three maids a-merry dancing,
Three hinds a-merry hunting, an Arabian baboon,
Three swans a-merry swimming, three ducks a-merry laying,
A bull that was brown,
Three goldspinks, three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
Wow! That’s a lot of animals! Hope you enjoyed that. Whether you celebrate Yule or some other holiday, you make the season yours – there are plenty of traditions for us all.
