Yule + a Playlist
Words by: Maggie Laubscher | Music by: Abby Yemm
Let there be light, Nellies, for today marks the winter solstice and all the symbolism it brings. Yule, the Pagan celebration of the winter solstice, is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world. It marks both the solstice and the beginning of the Yuletide, a celebration that runs through New Year’s Day.
Officially the first day of winter, the solstice technically occurs when the North Pole is tilted 23.5 degrees away from the sun. It results in the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere, meaning we get daylight for longer.
A literal return of the light -- it’s perhaps never been more needed than this year. After a long, dark year, today’s winter solstice marks the arrival of a new season and with it longer days, a new presidency, a new year, a pandemic vaccine, and hope. Yule represents leaving the old year behind and starting anew.
Yule involves many rituals and blessings, all centered around light and hope. Celtic priests would cut mistletoe from oak trees and give it as a blessing, as the mistletoe’s fruit represented life in the midst of dark winter. Single logs -- coined the Yule log -- would be lit for 12 days because the Celts believed the sun stood still for 12 days in winter. By keeping the log lit, the hope was to conquer darkness, ward off dark spirits, and bring luck for the new year. Many people hold vigil as a way of making certain that the sun will rise again and the sun will cease standing still.
Celebrations take place in all corners of the world, though Yule began in Europe. Stonehenge is a celebrated venue of festivities even today. The Druids religious order believed Stonehenge was a center of spiritualism. Every year on the winter solstice, people gather at Stonehenge to dance, chant, and sing until sunrise.
So, happy Yule, Nellies. We wish you all the luck and sunlight in the coming year. We are ready for the return of the light and have these traditions in mind today...
Cleansing
Yule is a time to reset and renew. It’s a fresh start, and a deep clean goes hand in hand with that. Many people sweep their floors, clean their homes with sacred smoke, and perform rituals to rid the home of bad energy collected during the year. Getting a fresh haircut and taking long baths are also a welcome part of the season.
Fire
Whether it’s lighting a log or a candle, the symbolism of fire is central to Yule. It represents light in its fiercest, simplest form. Some also dance around bonfires in celebration.
Intentions
Tying in with both the fire and cleansing rituals, another tradition is the writing of intentions. People write their goals, hopes, and concerns for the coming year and burn them symbolically in a fire.
Divination
Keeping the focus on what’s to come, Tarot readings and other divination practices are favored during Yule. People use the rituals to gain insight about the coming year and to set corresponding goals.
