Christmas Roots and Yule

• Posted by Jay Mischa (Lady Jayden) Hampton December 27, 2009 - 1,103 views

  Christmas-Yule 
   
  
  It may come to a shock to you but many Pagans get just as excited for Christmas as Christians. Though usually it is called by a different title, Yule from the (Angelo-Saxon word Yula, meaning "Wheel of the Year"). It usually comes around the 21st because it is the Winter Solstice being celebrated, seedtime of the year, the longest night and the shortest day and according to the tradition also the birth of the Sun King or Sun God. Infact the history of the holiday can be rooted to Old Pagan (the Old Religion). 
  
  History 
  Been a tradition in the West that Mary bore the Child Jesus on the 25th day, but it was undecided what month untill 320 CE when the Catholic Fathers in Rome decided to make it December to co-opt the Mithraic celebration of Romans, Yule Fecival of Saxons, and Midwinter revels of the Celts. 
  
  There was never much pretense that the date was accurate. Actually, if you follow the telling of modern New Testiments as historical evidence it could be concluded that Jesus was born in the Springtime. For sheppards did not ten flocks "dark night of our souls" but in the spring where the weather is nicer adn the days are short. 
  
  Eastern half of church continued to reject December 25th preferring a movable date fixed by their astrologer according to the moon. 
  
  By 529 CE it became a civic holiday except for cooks, bakers or any others contributing to the holiday. 
  
  Fun Facts 
  -John Calvin and other leaders of the Reformation abhorred the holiday. 
  -Puritins refused to acknowledge it. To them there was no day of the year that can be holier than the Sabbat. 
  -Made illegal for a time in Boston. 
  - Chrismas in the Middle-Ages was not 1 day but 12 from December 25th- January 6th 
  -Christmas and Christanity took time to adopt around the world. Ireland- 5th century, England & Switserland- 7th, Germany- 8th, Slavic Lands- 9th and 10th. Yule however, was celebrated long befor the world heard of Jesus. 
  - Yule is also known as Winter Solstic, Modranacht, and Alban Arthan. (Various stories on each and their roots. ) 
  -Was the original New Year in the hunter-gater cycle. 
  
  Tradition roots and Meanings 
  Many traditions where watered down for Christian Celebrations for Pagans are more predominately strong on celebrations, festivities, and sexuality. Many do not understand their orgins. Also some evolved over time bc of technology. The folowing is many such traditions: 
  
  Birth of Jesus Christ- Many God's birth, death and ressurection was/ is close to the dates settled for Jesus, many predating him. (Oedipus, Theseus, Hercules, Perseus, Jason, Dionysus, Apollo, Mithra, Horus, & even Arthur) 
  Christmas tree and Christmas Lights- ( Also the Chocolate Yule log) Yule Log- Bringing it in and wishing on it. And Lighting it from the remains of last yers log. As time grew so did it after a while it became a tree with candles on it for safety reasons, then the light bulbs were invented and strings of lights came along, and later fake trees came. The tree combined the Yule log and Holly. That is the reason why it had to be an Evergreen tree. It had been custom to decorate the tree around this time to celebrate the new birth and that around this time the Divinity was believed to dwell in the trees. The yule log supposidly protected the house from fire or lightening all year long. 
  Christmas songs and Poems- Riddles- Posed and answered 
  Nightly traditions such as Christmas Mass- Magick and Rituals practiced 
  Christmas Ham- Wild Boars- Sacrificed and consumed with large quantaties of liqour 
  Door to Door Carroling and Dolls- Corn Dollies- carried house to house while Carroling house to house. Doll often represented a Goddess such as Brigid. Later it became a popular gift for girls. 
  Mistletoe- Fertility Rites- Girls Standing under Mistletoe were subject to a bit more than a kiss. 
  Ground Hog- Diviniations- casted for spring 
  Nativity Set- Mother Nature, Father Time, and Baby Sungod (or the Oak King in some traditions) . There are many Mythos concerning the Goddess becoming the Great Mother and once again Giving Birth. (Every Pagan holiday is one chapter of the story of the Goddess, God, and Baby God. Each holiday is a representation of each chapter. All 8 major holidays are known as the Wheel of the Year) 
  
  Sources 
  Here are sources. And some wording was phrased from these sources. Each of these sources have further details then what I have offered. 
  
  1.http://www.ucc.ie/students/socs/fecc/yule.html Which actually takes from the book 8 Sabbatts of Witchcraft by Mike Nichols. ( I paraphrased a lot from this source, but many of similar things are in the many resources I also include.) 
  2. http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/yulelog.asp Article called the Yule log. About some Yule log traditions, and the modern dessert Yule log. 
  3. http://www.candlegrove.com/yule.html Speaks about ancient origins for Yule and Holly. 
  4.http://www.life123.com/holidays/christmas/yule-log/story-of-the-yule-log.shtml Speaks of the Crossover of the Yule log. 
  5. http://www.beyondweird.com/Wicca/ssbos-b.html Good resourc about some rituals including the Corn Dolly. 
  6. http://www.ladybridget.com/mp/wiccar.html Modern Yule Carrols 
  7. http://members.tripod.com/~Willow_Firesong/YulCarls/index.htm Amaizing sorce on various Yule Carrols. Both old and new!! 
  8. Witches' Craft by Bruce K. Wilborn Good resource for historical facts. 
  9. Progressive Witchcraft by Janet Farrar & Gavin Bone Great source on some of the Pagan Mythos surrounding the holiday and the other in the Wheel of the Year. Als great source for other names and traditions for this holiday. 
  10. Encyclopedia of Wicca & Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi Source describing more reasoning behind the Evergreen Tree or Christmas Tree. (found under Winter Solstice not Yule) 
  11. The Witch Book- Enclyopedia of Witchcraft, Wicca, and Neo-paganism by Raymond Buckland Good source about the Christmas tree and the Oak King. (found under Winter Solstice not Yule)