Festival of Yule
The Festival of Yule is held within the month of December between the 20th and 23rd. This festival has lasted for centuries and is thought to have begun with the Norse religions. The Norse word “lul”, which translates as “wheel” in English, is thought to bethe original wordof which the festival’s name is derived.
The Festival of Yule is also known as the Winter Solstice and upholds several different rituals and symbolic rites that are still in practice today. The celebration may begin within a three-day period in December, depending upon the current year of the Gregorian calendar. It is the darkest day of the year, readying itself for the darker half of existence to make way for the light. It is the rebirth of the sun (or Son) that originally was the Oak King, Sun King, Giver of Life whom would warm the frozen world as the days become longer. One of the symbolic gesture centers around the evergreen.
It is an ancient tradition within the Festival of Yule thatchildren were led hometo home with apples and oranges infused with clove that were lain within the arms of evergreen boughs and wheat with flour. Since an evergreen never fades, it lives on forever; the evergreen boughs represent immortality to the Norse, Celts and others who celebrate this holiday. Since immortality is represented, the evergreen also symbolizes the everlasting Divine.
The evergreen, or pine tree, is also represented by the Yule log, which is one of the primary aspects of the Festival of Yule, or Solstice festival. The log is gathered from the homeowner’s land or received as a gift. Within the fireplace it is decorated with the traditional greens, covered in cider or ale and sprinkled with flour and then lit with a piece of the previous year’s Yule log. The log burns and smolders for twelve days before being extinguished by ritual. This is more of the symbolism of bringing the light out of the darkness.
At Christmastime much of the world over the Christmas tree is traditionally decorated. This is borne from part of the Festival of Yule. It is a very ancient ritual and also shows us the surviving rebirth of the Sun/Son. The Sun has survived the wheel of the year. Some celebrants make hoops for Yuletide constructed of evergreen branches to show us theof the Yearas nature never dying
Evergreen boughs over the doorway alsofend off evilin the form of witchery, ghosts and spirits. The green is a reminder to us all that the Sun will regain its strength to flourish with light in the upcoming spring. These ideals go as far back in time as the Vikings’ show of reverence of Balder, their sun god all the way forward to the Middle Age Germanic and Scandinavian peoples.
There are many other symbolic objects within the Festival of Yule that show how important light over darkness is to humankind. We are also consistently shown that the upcoming spring is the life force to be celebrated.for you now and forever, the day breaks, and the shadows flee away.”
