Here in Northern California, it started earlier this year than any other. Before Samhain, stores were already starting to put out the Christmas stuff and municipalities were already putting out the large garlands and candy-cane banners. The Season had begun with a vengeance!
Don't get me wrong. I love all the trappings of Christmas: the lights, the decorations, the festive trees, good food, the music, etc. I always have. Looking around in the popular culture at this time of year, you would only think that Christians and Jews had winter solstice holidays. What about Pagans?
The Holiday Season can be rough on Pagans. Many of us come from Christian backgrounds, and don廠 want to give up our Christmas traditions. They mean more to us than just their religious connotations; they have become a part of the fabric of our family life.
The good news is: YOU DON'T HAVE TO!
Many (if not most!) of the traditions associated with Christmas actually came from pagan practices. The lights, the decorated tree, the wreath, and even the gift giving have pagan roots. Some Christmas carols are very clearly pagan in origin.
To understand the traditions, we must first know what Sabbats are and what Yule is....
Sabbats are sacred days for Wiccans and Pagans. Most traditions have a yearly 8-Sabbat cycle; we sometimes refer to this as The Wheel of the Year. Four of the Sabbats spring from celestial phenomenon, having to do with the strength of the sun. The other four fall between these celestial events, and are sometimes called the cross-quarters
Yule is one of the four Sabbats that actually springs from a celestial phenomenon; Yule is the longest night of the year (and conversely, the shortest day). The God is represented by the sun which *returns* after this darkest night of the year to again bring warmth and fertility to the land. It is the time when the God of the Waxing Year (sometimes called the Oak King) triumphs over the God of the Waning Year (sometimes called the Holly King). After Yule, the Sun gradually regains its strength, increasing the length of the day until summer solstice.
Yule is one of the most widely celebrated of all the Sabbats. Virtually every culture in the Northern Hemisphere in some way acknowleged the return of the sun at its weakest point. Yule廣 importance to early civilizations is obvious; the nights grow longer and longer and the days grow shorter; trees go dormant and the weather becomes more inhospitable. Winter was a time of stagnation in the eyes of early humans. Mother Earth was barren and unproductive; it was cold; diseases were more common. Looking back it is easy to see why the sun came to be viewed as the Father God who fertilized Mother Earth and made her fruitful and full of life once again. It was imperative that the sun be lured back.
Yule was very important in the Norse and Roman traditions, and it is from these cultures that many of our Christmas traditions come. Yule is actually an old Norse word that literally means *wheel*, and the Sabbat was often referred to as Hweolor-tid (turning time).
Most Christmas/Yule traditions reflect the symbolism of this darkest night, and offer hope in the deepest darkness of the rebirth of the Sun (and ultimately the Earth in the Spring) yet to come.
Here are some Christmas traditions that are actually pagan....
To me, one of the beautiful aspects of the holiday season is the profusion of lights. Homes and businesses are outlined by lights. Some people go to great effort and have illuminated Santas, reindeer, and giant lit trees in their yards.
In stringing our houses with lights, we are engaging in a little sympathetic magick to encourage the Sun back to full strength that our ancestors have been doing for a long time. It is still a custom in Ireland and Norway to leave lights burning all through the house on Yule night to lure the back the Sun and sustain the Goddess who gives birth to Him.
The meaning of lights is not just the magick of hastening the Sun's return; it is also a sign of hope in the dark and cold, a symbol of the Unconquerable Sun to cheer us, and a festival of multiplication of the necessary lights in dark times. Bring the light into your home, and know that the light is returning to the Earth as well!
The smell of pine is what many of us associate with this time of the year.
There are a couple of theories about evergreens and Yule trees...
The Druids venerated evergreen trees as manifestations of deity and as symbols of the universe. To the Celts, these trees were sacred because they did not *die* from year to year as did deciduous trees, therefore they represented the eternal aspect of the Goddess who also never dies. Their lush greenery is symbolic of the hope for the sun廣 return to green the earth once again, and their massive height associated them with eternity.
It was from these beliefs that the custom of decorating Yule trees evolved. The Celtic Druids decorated evergreen trees at Yule with all the images of the things they wished the waxing year to hold for them. Images of items to be used at future Sabbats, fruits for a successful harvest, love charms for happiness, nuts for fertility and coins for wealth adorned the trees.
In the Scandinavian tradition, trees were brought indoors to give a safe winter resting place for the tree elementals.
Another possible origin for the Yule tree is southern Germany. The Saxons, like the Druids, revered trees. Some believe they were the first to place lights (in the form of candles) in the tree itself.
The Wheel of the Year is often symbolized by the wreath. There is ample archeological evidence to support the fact that wreaths have been used in this symbolic way for more than 4000 years. Wreaths came to be used at Christmas through the influence of Scandinavian pagans who hung them at Yule (their New Year).
Mistletoe, also known as the golden bough, was held sacred by both the Celtic Druids and the Norse.
Mistletoe was used by the Druid priesthood in a special ceremony held five days after the New Moon following winter solstice. The Druid priests would cut mistletoe from a holy oak tree with a golden sickle. The branches had to be caught before they touched the ground because it was believed that the magick held within it would return to the earth if it touched it. The priest then divided the branches into many sprigs and distributed them to the people, who hung them over doorways as protection against thunder, lightning and other evils. The folklore, and the magical powers of this plant, blossomed over the centuries. A sprig placed in a baby's cradle would protect the child from faeries. Giving a sprig to the first cow calving after New Year would protect the entire herd. And so forth.
Now for the kissing part... It was, and is, the most common way mistletoe is used. But originally it was an important part of handfasting. Because of mistletoe廣 significance, all legal matters were sealed beneath its boughs. Hence, a couple who kissed beneath it was announcing their intent to be married. They would kiss beneath it again after they were married to further seal their vows.
Evergreens were cherished at this time of year as a natural symbol of rebirth and life amid winter whiteness. But holly was particularly prized to decorate doors, windows and fireplaces because of its prickliness -- to either ward off or snag and capture evil spirits before they could enter and harm a household.
This is another tradition that came from the Celts. The Yule log is traditionally cut from the God-related oak tree, and carved into a small section that can be easily brought indoors. Holes are bored into the wood, and three candles are placed in it. The candle colors can vary: all virgin white, all God red, or 1 each of white, red, and black for the Triple Goddess (Maiden, Mother, and Crone). This ancient verse of unknown origin reflects the importance of the Yule log on the Sabbat:
May the log burn,The custom of giving cookies away at Christmas stems from the Germanic practice of wanting to wish everyone a sweet and prosperous New Year by giving them sweets.
Ginger, used in gingersnaps and to make gingerbread men, was an herb sacred to Apollo and Sol, Greco-Roman sun Gods.
The tradition of Yuletide gift giving comes from Roman pagans who called Yule by the name of Saturnalia, a festival to honor the God Saturn. It was also a New Year廣 festival where gifts were given in honor of loved ones who had died during the previous year.
Music is an important part of Yule, and Christmas carols are yet another idea taken from paganism. Many common Christmas carols contain pagan images that are not so subtle. *Carols* are from an Old French word meaning *joyous songs*, and were also the name of round dances celebrating the rebirth of the Frankish pagan gods.
The English Christmas carol, *Deck the Halls* contains not one Christian religious image. In this carol, we sing of decorating with holly, singing Yuletide carols, dancing (*merry measure*) and telling of pagan myths (*Yuletide treasure*). Look into other Christmas songs for hints on how to adapt them to your Yule rituals. You幢l find you need to make very little changes. Often it will be just a very subtle shift: pagans celebrate the REBIRTH of the SUN; Christians celebrate the BIRTH of the SON.
Later this week I will send along some pagan re-writes of Christmas carols. Some are quite beautiful, and help you reflect on the meaning of the season.
The Norse used bells to herald the dawn after the long, dark night. This custom is still preserved in Lappland.
The modern conception of Santa Claus as an elf, for whom offerings of milk and cookies are left, is possibly a modern continuation of leaving offerings for the Alvar and other nature spirits. The idea of children staying up all night in the hopes of catching a glimpse of Santa Claus may be a remnant of people staying awake to mark the long night and remind the sun to return. (In the latter case it's considered an adequate substitution to leave a candle going all night to light the way for the returning sun.)
Countries around the world have some traditional character who visits at the time of the Winter Solstice, bringing gifts and treats (for good children, at least; they may also bring coal and switches). In America, of course, this is Santa Claus, whose featured place causes such consternation amongst those who understand neither the nature nor the history of this seasonal revel.
Modern Santa Claus is descended from Odin, from whom he gets his magical reindeer as well as his alternate title, Kris Kringle. This term, meaning *Christ of the Wheel*, may once have been a blazing wheel sent rolling down a hill *to drive the cold winter away*. I am not sure where his traditional costume comes from, but it is interesting that Santa Claus has for many years been shown dressed in red, the color of life, death, and rebirth.
Another of his many names is St. Nicholas. As with many saints, Nicholas seems to be an older pagan god that was incorporated into the new faith. Hold Nickar, or Old Nick, was a Danish sea god and king of the nixies or water elementals; St. Nicholas seems to have inherited some of his traits as well as the similar name. Among these are the nickname - if you'll pardon the pun - of *the Sailor*, and power over storms; he is also possessed of a magic cauldron that resurrects the dead, a clearly pagan relic. The saint is supposed to have given away gold coins stuffed into stockings and shoes, and homes around the country still hang up stockings in hopes of receiving his bounty.
In the Netherlands, where children's wooden shoes were set at the end of the bed on Christmas Eve to be filled with coins and sweets, he became known as Sinter Klaas, whose myth was brought to America by early immigrants. Once there, his name became Anglicized into the familiar Santa Claus.
Norway has as its gift-bearer a little gnome or elf, a goat-like creature known as Julebukk or *Christmas Buck*. He harkens back to pagan celebrations in Viking times when a person dressed in a goatskin would burst in upon Yule revelries. During the course of evening the Julebukk would "die" and return to life, echoing the death-and-rebirth of the Sun and the herds.
In Denmark, the bringer of gifts is known as Julemanden. He arrives in a sleigh drawn by reindeer, a sack over his back (sound familiar?). He is assisted with his Yuletide chores by elves known as Julenisse, who are said to live in attics. Children leave out saucers of milk or rice pudding for them and are delighted to find the food gone on Christmas morning.
And what about those reindeer? Deer have always been considered magical creatures, sacred to pagan peoples. From the shaman at Trois Freres to the Gundestrupp Cauldron, the horns of the stag were used to represent the divine male principle. Indeed, the Julebukk mentioned above was sometimes costumed as the Horned Lord. Despite church warnings labelling him as the devil, girls still sought a chance to dance with the figure, no doubt recognizing his role as fertility king.
From ancient horned consort to Santa Claus by way of Thor and Odin; the legend of this wintry king became firmly fixed in America mind over one hundred seventy years ago, when Professor Clement Moore wrote down the tale in a poem that is still going strong: "A Visit from Saint Nicholas", better known as the Night Before Christmas. Here we find the flying reindeer, the fur suit, the white beard, the stockings and gifts; these connect Santa back to Odin, the fur-clad winter wizard riding across the night sky in pursuit of magic reindeer, dispensing boons to his followers below.
So go ahead this year, trim your Yule tree with pride, string your lights, hang a wreath on the door....
And if anyone asks why you are doing these seemingly Christian things, say with a smile, *They are pagan traditions, you know. Why do YOU do them?* ;-)
This info was gathered from many websites and books.
_To Ride a Silver Broomstick_ by Silver RavenWolf, pp. 34.
Share with us your family廣 winter solstice traditions. These can be of Christmas, Hannukah, Yule, etc. How is the symbolism similar to what is lined out above? How is it different?
Research anything in the lesson. Do a web search on Yule, and tell us what you find. Or research any Christmas/Yule traditions (including those listed above or others that you know of). Check any books you have; search the web. Share what you find.
In the previous lesson, Andi/Arachne briefly discussed possibly starting a Book of Shadows. I suggest that you print out all the lessons in this course, as well as pertinent posts by other list members. Hole-punch them, and keep them in a special binder. You can add your thoughts on the lesson as well (whether or not you talk about them on list). As time goes on, you can decide what you want to add to your existing BOS (if you have one) or what you might want to put in your new BOS. If you decide that this path isn't for you, or you don廠 want a formal BOS, you will still have a good reference for the future.
Document Copyright (c) 1997 Jamie Brydone-Jack
This and all related documents can be re-published only as long as no information is changed, credit is given to the author, and is provided or used without cost to others.