A Happy Winter Solstice to you all

December 21st, Winter Solstice (or Yule) marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. To the ancients, it appeared as if the Sun and Moon stopped in their flight across the sky—it is about rejoicing at the Sun’s rebirth, and the Goddess of light.

The Sun’s representation as the male divinity, or celestial ruler, predates Christianity. As with other rituals and celebrations, the Church felt that by assimilating this holiday into the Christian beliefs, it would help convert those who still followed the Olde Way (Paganism), which is the main reason why christianity became so big.

Fire and candles are important to many pagan holidays, but especially so for the Winter Solstice, as the God of most modern Pagan traditions is associated with the Sun. The Winter Solstice is a time of feasting and celebration. In distant times, the winter would have meant lean months when subsistence meant surviving on the last of the crops and meat harvested during the fall. To partake from this larder in honor of the run of the sun was to reaffirm the faith in God and Goddess to return light and warmth to the world.

Part of the celebrations meant trees were decorated with bright ornaments, a tradition going back to ancient Germanic peoples, who held the oak and the fir tree as sacred. The Yule Log, candles and mistletoe are all originally symbols of the Pagan celebration of Winter Solstice.

Pagan holidays have influenced many Christian traditions, including Halloween and Easter. Yule, or the Winter Solstice, is considered by many to be the reason Christmas is celebrated in December.

Additionally, many of the Pagan traditions have been adopted to celebrate Christmas, burning a Yule log, hanging mistletoe, lighting Advent candles and decorating trees etc.

By lighting a fire, the ancients were acknowledging the return of the sun, warmth and light, which was marked by the lengthening of days and the promise of the coming spring. In Pagan belief, for good luck, the Log should be lit on the first try and must burn for twelve hours.

The “kissing bush” (mistletoe) actually was one of a group of evergreens such as holly, rosemary, pine and yew. Since these and other coniferous plants flourished during the winter months, they became symbols that life continued its cycle even in the coldest and shortest of days.

As with most belief systems, the use of candles by the ancients symbolized light, focused the spirit and marked the belief that those beings of light, warmth and new life, God and Goddess, would again turn the Great Wheel and the spring would come again.

Enjoy your winter festivities.