It's come round again, the time some of us celebrate the Festival of Yuletide, others the Birth of the Sun and, for Christians, the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas is a mixture of both ancient and modern traditions adapted through the ages to meet the needs of the ruling class of the time, be it Roman aristocrat, feudal lord or modern capitalist, ts roots go back into the dawn of the human experience of winter in the Northern hemisphere. People gathering around the fire to keep warm, and feasting to raise their spirits in the cold and dark; and looking forward to the return of the sun and the spring.Some people forget that many of the traditional Judeo-Christian winter holiday activities have their origins in Pagan worship, and this is particular true of Christmas which coincides with Yule.
Although Christians had the goal of spreading their religion across Europe, they were still quite fascinated by many of the customs and ways of the pagans. Clearly they were fascinated enough to pick up a few of those beliefs and traditions and adapt them as part of Christian celebrations!
At the time, all of these different groups shared one big celebration that just happerned to fall around Christmas time – the winter solstice. People living in the northern hemisphere celebrate winter solstice (or the shortest day of the year) smack bang in the middle of December, and this is why Christmas just so happened to fall around the same time as many existing pagan holidays.
Yule is associated with reindeer, mistletoe, pine, holly and the fox. It's colors are red, green, silver and gold. Gold is the color of the god and silver is the color of the goddess. Mithras, the Sun King, the Baby Sun God, Apollo, or the Great Mother can be invited.
The Yule tree has in fact been in traditions thousands of years before it became known as the Christmas tree in the 1840s. Dating back centuries before Jesus Christ, pagan cultures brought evergreen trees, plants, and leaves into their homes upon the arrival of the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, which occurs in the northern hemisphere between December 21st and 22nd. Evergreen trees were seen as a symbol of continual life, especially at the time of the Winter Solstice. Allowing wood spirits to keep warm in the winter months. Bells and trinckets were hung in the limbs to chime when an an appreciative spirit was present, food and treats were hung on the branches for the spirits to eat. Sometimes, these trees were decorated with things that symbolized the person's wishes for the New Year , such as coins, lights and corn, which were meant to bring wealth, sunlight and a bountiful harvest, respectively. A five-pointed star, the pentagram , symbol of the five elements, air, fire, water, earth, and aether (or spirit) was placed atop the tree. Decorating the tree meant looking forward to spring and the fruit it would bring.
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Most ancient cultures in the Northern hemisphere would celebrate the winter solstice in some way, and more often than not this would involve the use of plants, a common symbol of life, fertility and rebirth. Although the specific practices were different in each country and culture, the symbolization was generally the same, to celebrate the return of life at the beginning of winter's decline and to make them think of the spring to come.
Similar belief systems could be found in agricultural pagan societies in Europe.Winter marked a point of sickness from their sun gods, the solstice marked the points of transition after which the deities would start to recover.Evergreen boughs and trees were therefore a common part of winter solstice celebrations.Midwinter houred the dark womb of the mother, who is preparing to give birth to the new child of light. The old sun has died, and the new sun is about to be reborn, The new sun is a male child, and the energies of the male and female are combined at Midwinter.
The winter solstice was a huge part of pagan life. As they were primarily agricultural people, Pagans could stop farming through the winter, and instead devoted themselves to worshipping their various gods and celebrating with those around them. As winter in the northern hemisphere tends to be a dark, cold, and hungry period of time, the winter solstice was celebrated to help keep people entertained and enjoy themselves until the sun rolled around again.e year’s harvest and the chance to enjoy the company of loved ones and rest from toiling the fields.
However these traditions came under fire with the rise of Christianity, the Church desperate to abolish pagan customs. In the third century CE, the decorating of homes with evergreen boughs was strictly prohibited by church authorities and decorating or bringing a tree into ones home to celebrate the holiday was actually frowned upon by by many puritanical Christian denominations for being seen as decadent and dangerously pagan, Oliver Cromwell himself preached against them as ' heathen traditions', until that is in 1841, Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's German husband had a Christmas Tree set up in Windsor Castle. Subsequently increasing their popularity.
Also in addition to the decorated tree, many other Christmas customs have their roots in early Pagan cultures and traditions. Caroling, gift exchanges, and mistletoe all originated from classical Pagan traditions. The mistletoe especially is steeped in pagan ritual, as it was often used by the Celts as a symbol of sexuality, fertility and abundance. Burning the Yule log was done to give strength to the sun, and a wreath served as a symbol of the Wheel of the Year, and the suns passage through the sky. Tradition states that the ashes of a burned Yule log should be saved for a year as a protection amulet, and a piece of this year's log should be kept to start the next years log,
Gift giving comes from the Roman celebration of Saturnalia, which was a weeklong event at the end of the year honouring the god of death. Friends and family members would give each other tokens as expressions of love.
So when you look at a decorated Christmas tree, the star hanging on top, and if you exchange presents, take a moment to reflect on their pagan origins, and what the spirit of this tradition was and is all about. This evening I hope to listen to music and sit by a warm fire, and in the wee hours of the morning will gaze at the moon and stars, contemplate dear departed ones. anyway that's enough of me rambling
In the midst of turbulent times it feels easy to fall into despair, but there is also an abundance of hope if we choose to see it. Stay safe out there, everybody.and enjoy this time in any way that speaks to you.. can. And if you just can’t manage it this year, keep holding on. Seasons greetings, happy Winter Solstice and bright blessings. Heddwch// Peace.
References ;-
Wicca - Vivienne Crowley
Everyday Wicca - Gerina Dunwich,
Celtic Rituals, an authentic guide to anciet Celtic Spirituality - Alexei Kondratiev, New Celtic Publishing
The Pagan Book of Days ; A gude to the festivals, traditions and sacred days of the year - Nigel Pennick
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule
