Yule! The Winter Holiday of the Pagan Religion...

This time of year always brings about happiness and joy to all. No matter what religious background you are, families and friends gather to celebrate the most spiritual time of year (for most people, Christmas). Pagans consider this happy time "Yule" or "Yule-tide". There are a few specific events that all Pagans take practice in, but there are tons of ways to celebrate Yule.

The Pagan holiday begins on about December 21st (Winter Solstice). On that day, the earth's axis tilts away from the sun in the Northern Hemisphere, and the sun reaches at its greatest distance from the equatorial plane. Most winter festivals/celebrations are celebrations of LIGHT; so, as a festival of the Sun, the most important part of any Yule celebration is light - candles, bonfires, and more.

Depending on your specific tradtions, there may be slightly different ways of celebrating. But, here are is a common ritual that any Pagan can respectfully follow:

The Yule Log:



"On Yule, the sun stops its decline into the south. For a few days, it seems as though it’s rising in exactly the same place… and then the amazing, the wonderful, the miraculous happens. The light begins to return.
The sun begins its journey back to the north, and once again we are reminded that we have something worth celebrating. In families of all different spiritual paths, the return of the light is celebrated, with Menorahs, Kwanzaa candles, bonfires, and brightly lit Christmas trees. On Yule, many Pagan and Wiccan families celebrate the return of the sun by adding light into their homes. One of our family’s favorite traditions – and one that children can do easily – is to make a Yule log for a family-sized celebration. As Christianity spread through Europe, the tradition became part of Christmas Eve festivities. The father or master of the house would sprinkle the log with libations of mead, oil or salt. Once the log was burned in the hearth, the ashes were scattered about the house to protect the family within from hostile spirits."

Just like Christmas, Yule is a time for celebration, family, and rebirth. Yule and other religious winter holidays have their differences, but one thing can be said for all. This is a time for loving, gathering, celebrating, giving, laughing,  feasting, connecting to the world around us and embracing the light energy. So, I wish to all of you to have a wonderful holiday, and stay close to the ones you love, be humble to those around you, and have fun!