What is Yule and how does it differ from Christmas?
Yule is an ancient Germanic midwinter festival associated with the god Odin (or Woden). Christmas is the Christian celebration of the birth of Christ. Why is Christmas called Yule? For the Vikings, Germanic tribes, and other peoples of pre-Christian Europe, this celebration was actually meant to honor the winter solstice.
What is the difference between Yule and Christmas?
Christmas vs Yule. The main difference between Christian Christmas and pagan Yule is the date they occur. Christmas is celebrated on December 25 in the Western world. Yule is held on one of the four days between December 20 and January 2. These two dates are separated by less than three weeks, but they are worlds apart regarding their religious ...
How do Pagans celebrate Yule?
Pagans in the Northern Hemisphere celebrate Yule for 12 days and centers around the rebirth of the sun, symbolized in the days getting longer after the solstice. What makes a log a yule log? For others cultures, the Yule log is defined as a log-shape chocolate cake enjoyed as a Christmas dessert .
Why do we celebrate Yule, the winter solstice?
Why Celebrate the Winter Solstice? Winter Solstice, or Yule, celebrations focus on the promise of the coming light. So why do we celebrate it? Because Yule is a time of hope and understanding that the world is darkest just before the light. It’s a lovely reminder that if we hold on, light and joy are on their way to us once again.
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What does Yule mean slang?
the Christmas seasonChristmas or the Christmas season.
What does Yule do?
Yule is a pagan celebration of the winter solstice, which marks the longest night of the year and therefore the return of the sun. On this day, the earth's axis tilts away from the sun in the Northern Hemisphere and the sun reaches its greatest distance from the equatorial plane.
Why does Yule mean Christmas?
The word yule develops from the geōl, an Old English word referring to Christmas. Going further back, yule is related to the Old Norse jōl, the name of the pagan winter feast and also another word later applied to Christmas.
What is Yule and how do you celebrate it?
Odin was celebrated during Yule as well. Yule celebrations included bonfires, decorating with holly, mistletoe, and the boughs of evergreen trees, ritual sacrifices, feasts, and gift-giving.
What do pagans do for Yule?
Pagan families would bring a live tree into the home so the wood spirits would have a place to keep warm in the cold winter months - food and treats were hung on the branches for the spirits to eat. This is the festival of light out of darkness and the tradition of lighting candles is ever popular.
Who is the god of Yule?
Scholars have connected the original celebrations of Yule to the Wild Hunt, the god Odin, and the pagan Anglo-Saxon Mōdraniht ("Mothers' Night").
What do pagans call Christmas?
Pagans celebrate Yule, a holiday that takes place during the Winter Solstice, usually just a few days before Christians celebrate Christmas. The two holidays have similarities since Christmas is rooted in both the Germanic Yule, as well as the Roman Saturnalia.
What religion is Yule?
The Pagan celebration of Winter Solstice (also known as Yule) is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world.
Do pagans give gifts Yule?
The pagans may have given gifts at the Yule celebration as well. Christianity later took over much of Europe, and the Christians, like the Romans, learned that the best way to truly conquer was not to divide, but to incorporate.
What should I do for Yule?
Here are some customary ways to celebrate the solstice—you might notice that some resemble beloved Christmas traditions.Build a Yule Altar. ... Make an Evergreen Yule Wreath. ... Burn a Yule Log. ... Decorate a Yule Tree. ... Exchange Nature-Based Gifts. ... Give Back to Nature. ... Celebrate in Candlelight. ... Set up a Meditation Space.
How did Yule become Christmas?
tradition with great pomp. Yule comes from the old Norse jól and Old English géohol which was a season of hunting after the harvest was done. This fell in what we now call December so it eventually became associated with the Christmas Holiday.
What do you eat in Yule?
Sweets flavored with nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, or peppermint work out perfectly for Yule. Other classic sweet treats for Yule include traditional holiday cookies like shortbread, snowball, caraway, or ginger snaps. Pears and oranges are also a nice touch to a dessert at Yule.
Why do Christians celebrate Yule?
Although some people think Christians cannot celebrate Yule, it is definitely not an anti-Christian festival. It is also not an exclusively Pagan celebration. Yule is a time of celebrating nature and seasonal change, so Christians can celebrate Yule.
What do you eat in Yule?
Sweets flavored with nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, or peppermint work out perfectly for Yule. Other classic sweet treats for Yule include traditional holiday cookies like shortbread, snowball, caraway, or ginger snaps. Pears and oranges are also a nice touch to a dessert at Yule.
What is the meaning of the word "yule"?
Yule was the name of a winter festival that occurred in December and January on the German lunar calendar. In the fourth century, the church decided to celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ at that time with a 12-day feast, often called Epiphany or the Feast of the Nativity. They planned the feast to correspond with the pagan holiday, the feast of Sol Invictus, which celebrated the winter solstice and the gradually lengthening days of increased sunlight. Over time, these feasts merged to become the holiday we now know as Christmas. In today’s language, Yule is simply the feast celebrating the birth of Christ; Yuletide is the Christmas season. While many aspects of the story of Jesus’ birth are celebrated at the Yule season, remnants of the original feasts and celebrations also show up in many Christmas carols and traditions.
What is the meaning of the yule log?
In today’s language, Yule is simply the feast celebrating the birth of Christ; Yuletide is the Christmas season. While many aspects of the story of Jesus’ birth are celebrated at the Yule season, remnants of the original feasts and celebrations also show up in many Christmas carols and traditions. The yule log was a huge log that was part ...
What is a yule log?
The yule log was a huge log that was part of European Christmas celebrations for centuries. The yule log was lit on Christmas Day and burned for the following Twelve Days of Christmas. A remainder of the yule log was kept to light the next year’s log.
What does the line "Troll the Ancient Yuletide Carol" mean?
The Christmas classic “Deck the Halls” contains the line “Troll the ancient yuletide carol” (to troll is to sing in a joyful or celebratory manner). Another line in the song says, “See the blazing yule before us.” We sing those lyrics, but often don’t know what they mean, since we never hear the word yule at any other time of year. So what does yule mean, and why is it a part of the Christmas tradition?
What is the name of the pagan holiday that celebrated the winter solstice?
They planned the feast to correspond with the pagan holiday, the feast of Sol Invictus, which celebrated the winter solstice and the gradually lengthening days of increased sunlight. Over time, these feasts merged to become the holiday we now know as Christmas.
Yule Meaning
The word “yule” is a Scandinavian word passed down from generation to generation and it literally means “ parties .” Others say it refers specifically to the winter “ festival ” celebrated by the Vikings.
What Does Yule Have to Do with Christianity?
When missionaries went to convert the Vikings, they looked for a way to introduce Christ. They knew that scripture teaches that God has set eternity in people’s hearts ( Ecclesiastes 3:11 ). In other words, mankind is born with a God-given awareness.
Jesus Came as the Light of the World into Our Darkness
The prophet Isaiah wrote, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light” ( Isaiah 9:1 ). The Vikings got weary of the long dark days. Who could blame them? As soon as the winter solstice came they knew they had turned a corner towards longer days of sunlight. With the turning, their celebrations began.
Jesus Came as the Perfect Sacrificial Lamb
Every pagan religion seems to have a sacrifice to appease the gods. During Yule celebrations, the Vikings sacrificed a variety of animals to appease their god, Odin. They had a concept of God but not the true Jehovah, God. Jesus came as the perfect sacrificial lamb to appease the wrath of Jehovah, God.
What is the meaning of the word "yule"?
The word yule can be used as another name for Christmas, the Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus. However, yule can also refer to the celebration of the Winter Solstice that’s observed in some Pagan traditions. Like the word Christmas, yule can also be used to refer to the Christmas season— Christmastime.
How is yule used in real life?
Yule is often used as an old-fashioned word for Christmas , but it can also refer to the celebration of the Winter Solstice.
Where does yule come from?
The first records of the word yule come from before 900. It comes from Old English geōl, meaning “Christmas day” or “ Christmastide ” (a word for the period from Christmas Eve to related feast days in early January). This term is related to the Old Norse jōl, the name of the Pagan winter feast lasting 12 days whose name was later applied to Christmas. (Though yuletide has the same ending as Christmastide, yuletide is typically used to refer to the general season of Christmastime, as opposed to a specific period starting on Christmas Eve.)
What is the name of the Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus?
The word yule can be used as another name for Christmas, the Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
What does Yule mean?
The word Yule (Old Norse: Jól) is actually plural, and it literally means parties. The word is therefore not referring to one single party or one event, but to several Yule celebrations that most likely took place between the winter solstice and the Yule Sacrifice (Old Norse: Jólablót).
What does the word "yule" mean?
The word Yule (Old Norse: Jól) is actually plural, and it literally means parties. The word is therefore not referring to one single party or one event, but to several Yule celebrations that most likely took place between the winter solstice and the Yule Sacrifice (Old Norse: Jólablót).
What is the celebration of Yule?
The first theory describes Yule or Jól (pronounciation: “yoh-l”) as a celebration for the return of the sun. The second theory talks about Yule as a midwinter party for the dead. The third theory describes Yule as a fertility feast, where people would sacrifice animals to the Gods, in the hopes of getting a good harvest in the coming year. Since Yule is about several parties and not just one, all three theories could, in theory, be true.
When is Yule celebrated?
According to the researcher Andreas Nordberg (2006, Jul, disting och förkyrklig tideräkning), to make up for the 11 days that were lost with the lunar calendar, the Nordic people may have used a leap year every third year, by inserting a 13th month around the time of the summer solstice.
Why is Christmas called Yule in Scandinavia?
It could have been because it made it easier, to convince the pagans to become Christians since the winter celebration with plenty of food and mead continued.
Why is Yule celebrated on the winter solstice?
It is not totally ridiculous to think that Yule is held at winter solstice to celebrate the return of the sun. After all, it is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and having a festival to celebrate the return of the sun would make perfect sense.
How long has the Yule been held?
There is no exact date for when Yule was held for the first time, but archaeological evidence seems to indicate that the worship of the sun goes back at least 7,000 years. Solvognen – Trundholm Mose, Odsherre, in Denmark. The sun cross can often be seen carved onto many of the runestones throughout Scandinavia.
What is Yule celebrated for?
In most forms of Wicca, this holiday is celebrated at the winter solstice as the rebirth of the Great horned hunter god, who is viewed as the newborn solstice sun.
What is the origin of Yule?
Scholars have connected the original celebrations of Yule to the Wild Hunt, the god Odin , and the pagan Anglo-Saxon Mōdraniht . Later departing from its pagan roots, Yule underwent Christianised reformulation, resulting in the term Christmastide.
What is the Yule tradition?
The events of Yule are generally held to have centered on midwinter (although specific dating is a matter of debate), with feasting, drinking, and sacrifice ( blót ). Scholar Rudolf Simek says the pagan Yule feast "had a pronounced religious character" and that "it is uncertain whether the Germanic Yule feast still had a function in the cult of the dead and in the veneration of the ancestors, a function which the mid-winter sacrifice certainly held for the West European Stone and Bronze Ages ." The traditions of the Yule log, Yule goat, Yule boar ( Sonargöltr, still reflected in the Christmas ham ), Yule singing, and others possibly have connections to pre-Christian Yule customs, which Simek says "indicates the significance of the feast in pre-Christian times."
How did Haakon plan to celebrate Yule?
Haakon planned that when he had solidly established himself and held power over the whole country, he would then "have the gospel preached". According to the saga, the result was that his popularity caused many to allow themselves to be baptized, and some people stopped making sacrifices. Haakon spent most of this time in Trondheim. When Haakon believed that he wielded enough power, he requested a bishop and other priests from England, and they came to Norway. On their arrival, "Haakon made it known that he would have the gospel preached in the whole country." The saga continues, describing the different reactions of various regional things.
How long does Yule last?
Groups such as the Asatru Folk Assembly in the US, through influence from the neo-Druid and Wiccan Wheel of the Year, celebrate Yule from the date of the winter solstice and lasting 12 days.
What is the Yule festival?
Yule is an indigenous winter festival celebrated by the Germanic peoples. The earliest references to it are in the form of month names, where the Yule-tide period lasts somewhere around two months, falling along the end of the modern calendar year between what is now mid-November and early January.
How is Yule celebrated in Neopaganism?
In Germanic Neopagan sects, Yule is celebrated with gatherings that often involve a meal and gift giving.
What is the meaning of yule?
Happy Yule and enjoy your holiday! Yule is a traditional holiday holding roots in various northern European traditions, particularly that of the pre-Christian Germanic peoples. When the days grew colder and the nights grew longer, people of ancient times would light candles ...
What is the significance of the Yule Tree?
Yule Tree: An Important Pagan Symbol. The Yule Tree was also another important symbol in pagan tradition. Originally, it represented the Tree of Life or the World Tree among early pagans. In ancient times it was decorated with gifts people wanted to receive from the gods.
Why did the ancients include elves in the Yule celebrations?
By including elves in the Yule celebrations, the ancients believed they were assuring the elves assistance in the coercion of the Sun to return. Gingerbread was considered to be a specialty bread during this time since ginger had not been available until the Crusaders brought it back in the 11th century.
What are the activities of Yule?
Activities of Yule: Carolling ~ Wassailing the Trees ~ Burning the Yule Log ~ Decorating the Yule Tree ~ Exchanging Gifts ~ Kissing under the Mistletoe
What does Wassail mean?
Wassail derives from the Old English words waes hael, which means “be well”, “ be hale” or “good health”.
What is the drink of wassailing?
It is a strong drink, usually a mixture of ale, honey and spices or mulled apple cider. When pagans went into the forest to fell the great oak for the Yule log, they would anoint the tree with wassail and bedeck them with wassail-soaked cakes, thus the ritual of wassailing was born.
Why do elves come to Yule?
Elves first became associated with Yule because the ancients knew that the Spirits that created the Sun inhabited the land of Elves.
What Is Yule?
The festival was at one point connected to the Norse god Odin, who is also called the Yule father. Notably, stories about the god describe him as having a long beard — which is potentially what inspired old Saint Nick’s appearance.
What is the meaning of Yule in Wiccan?
Wiccan Holidays – Yule. Yule, otherwise known as the Winter Solstice, is a pagan holiday that marks the longest night of the year. Since the night hours will only get shorter after that point, Yuletide represents the rebirth of the Sun God. In essence, it is the symbolic end of the cold and dark winter and the return of light.
What do people sing in the Yule festival?
As you can see in this video, the people usually drum in the sunrise, then spend the day singing Wicca Yule songs. If you want to join the carolers, ask someone who’s been to the local Yuletide festival which songs they usually sing. Don’t be surprised if you hear some familiar tunes. There are several cheeky pagan versions of established wintertime classics, such as Dancing in the Wiccan Wonderland.
How to make holly water for Yule?
For example, you could make holly water by soaking holly leaves in spring water under a full moon. Or if you want to keep it low-key, just prepare a festive dinner for your loved ones!
What does the wheel represent in Wicca?
In essence, the Wheel represents the cycle of birth that is perpetually repeated year after year. Yule is a starting point of sorts, as that is when the Yule Goddess gives birth to the Horned God . At the same time, the Triple Goddess restarts her own cycle, this time in her maiden form. The other Wiccan festivals are thought to represent various points in the courtship of these two deities.
How long do you have to smolder a Yule log?
Some people believe that the Yule log must smolder for twelve days and nights to bring happiness and abundance into the following twelve months. But you don’t have to incorporate that custom if you don’t want to. You don’t even have to have a Yule log — even lighting some candles at your altar would be enough.
How many days does Yuletide last?
So some people deem it appropriate to celebrate during the period between these two holidays. On the other hand, some people celebrate Yuletide for twelve days starting on the shortest day of the year. But really, there’s no manual stating when you have to start your celebration.
and What Is Yule’s Connection to Winter Solstice?
What Does Yule Mean?
- Before we can understand what Yule is about, we need to look at the meaning of the word. Yule, or Jul as we still call it in Scandinavia, is a word that has been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. The word Yule (Old Norse: Jól) is actually plural, and it literally means parties. The word is therefore not referring to one single party or one event, but to severa…
What Is The Celebration of Yule?
- There are three main theories about Yule (Danish/Norwegian/Swedish: Jul / Old Norse: Jól). The first theory describes Yule or Jól (pronounciation: “yoh-l”) as a celebration for the return of the sun. The second theory talks about Yule as a midwinter party for the dead. The third theory describes Yule as a fertility feast, where people would sacrifi...
Yule Is A Germanic Tradition
- Yule is not as many people might think just a Scandinavian celebration, but it is, in fact, in its origin Germanic. The pagan Gods and Goddesses that are often associated with the Vikings and Scandinavia today, has a broader origin. Tribes in Northern Germany and Northern Poland did also consist of people who followed the Nordic Gods. The Slavic peoples to the east also have their o…
Yule – A Ritual For The Sun
- It is not totally ridiculous to think that Yule is held at winter solstice to celebrate the return of the sun. After all, it is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and having a festival to celebrate the return of the sun would make perfect sense. However, while the sun was important to the people of the North, they were not obsessed with the sun. As some Mayan shaman cuttin…
More Sources About Yule
- Before I dig further into the meat of this article about Yule, it is important to understand where the sources are from. The people who lived in Scandinavia prior to the Christification did not write their traditions down on paper, but instead their, religion, stories, and traditions were passed down orally from the parents to their children. There are many sources available today, that describes …
When Is Yule celebrated?
- According to the researcher Andreas Nordberg (2006, Jul, disting och förkyrklig tideräkning), to make up for the 11 days that were lost with the lunar calendar, the Nordic people may have used a leap year every third year, by inserting a 13th month around the time of the summer solstice. The 13th month would be added if the new moon of the second Yule month emerged 11 days or les…
Why Is Christmas called Yule in Scandinavia?
- When Scandinavia changed from being small clans and nations of pagans to mostly Christians, the old name Yule (Old Norse: Jól) remained. There are no sources that explain why the old name for Yule was kept as the name for Christmas. It could have been because it made it easier, to convince the pagans to become Christians since the winter celebration with plenty of food and …