How to Celebrate Yule

While Yule is sometimes used as another word for Christmas, historically it referred to the Winter Solstice holiday that has been celebrated by pagans for millennia. It is still one of the eight sabats celebrated by many modern pagans and since it falls so close to several of our culture's other major holidays, it's one of the most widely celebrated. At this point, it's challenging to pick apart exactly which traditions are derived from Yule specifically, but it's not to late to create a meaningful celebration of the season.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Celebrating Yule

1. Decorate with evergreens. They stay green throughout the winter when so many other things seem dead. Conifers are a natural symbol of life during Yule celebrations. Decorate a tree or, if you prefer not to cut one down, collect some discarded pine branches to create wreaths or garlands to hang in your home.

2. Spend time with loved ones. In the middle of the winter when so many activities seem to grind to a halt and anything that involves leaving home just doesn't seem that appealing, it's a great time to gather inside with friends and family to appreciate each other's company.

3. Enjoy the weather. Sure, this might not be as easy as celebrating the Summer Solstice, but every time of year has its own natural charms. Get outside for at least a little while to go sledding or have a snowball fight (or, if you don't have snow, maybe just to go for a short hike).

4. Give gifts. Gifting is not necessarily a traditional Yule celebration, but in this season when Christians, Jews and even many atheists and agnostics are exchanging presents, it can be hard not to go along with the flow. Whether you will celebrate Yule in this way is, of course, a personal decision but it can be fun--especially for children. Not celebrating Christmas doesn't mean that you have to miss out on that fun.

5. Eat, drink and be merry. Cooking and feasting are definitely important aspects of a traditional Yule celebration.

6. Have a fire. A Yule log is a single large log that is traditionally burned on Yule. If you can't have a fire in your home, consider alternatives like a Yule log candle holder or log-shaped cake.

7. Stay up all night. Since it's the solstice, the night is the longest one of the year. A traditional story surrounding this event is that the sun is reborn on the next morning, after which it will grow bigger and stronger until the next summer. In some cultures, it was traditional to stay up through the night to make sure that the sun would come up again in the morning. If you choose to celebrate in this way, this is a great time to use your long-burning Yule log, eat, drink and exchange gifts with loved ones as you while away the long, dark night. In the morning, go out to watch the sun rise.

Tips & Warnings

• The Yule season is a great time to help out the less fortunate, since it can be an especially tough time for people in difficult circumstances. Consider doing some volunteer work or donate to a holiday charity.
• Gift giving can definitely get out of hand when it becomes less about the fun of sharing and more about the expectation of getting lots of stuff. If you do choose to exchange gifts, consider setting a price limit on the items you will purchase or trying to make handmade gifts for as many recipients as possible.