After Samhain comes the next part of the Celtic year – the winter solstice. At this time the Celts celebrated Yule, which falls on 21 December. In the dark days it was hard to believe that the sun and life would return. Yule celebrates the lengthening days that begin at this time. Light returns to our lives – surely something worth celebrating. We celebrate Christmas at this time. Yule and Christmas are very close. Let's take a look together. Perhaps this year you will celebrate Christmas a little differently.
Yule and Christmas hand in hand
As is often the case, new cultures take over the customs of old ones, so that people more easily accept a new religion or adapt to a new culture. That is what happened with Christian Christmas. Christians linked the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ with this very festival. They also adopted Celtic traditions such as hanging mistletoe, the traditional wreath, the Christmas tree and giving presents.
Light the fireplace – not only for a cosy atmosphere
We are not saying this just so you won't be cold – burning wood is one of the Celtic traditions. Each kind of wood symbolises something different. Oak, for example, is a symbol of strength and understanding. Pine cleanses the house, and birch twigs bring fertility to couples longing for a child. So choose your wood carefully according to what you wish for.
Evergreens will decorate and protect your home
Plants that live even in the cold months, when the rest of nature sleeps, are a symbol of eternal life. The Celts decorated their homes with them, especially doors and windows. They chose plants carefully according to their properties: some plants have protective power, others healing power. Like them, you can decorate with mistletoe, holly, yew, pine or ivy.
Mistletoe and holly
The druids revered mistletoe for its magical power. They believed this unusual plant lives between two worlds and can therefore heal and protect. The white berries on its branches symbolise male fertility – hence the tradition of kissing under hanging mistletoe. On the other hand, holly was used for its prickly leaves, which ward off evil spirits. Its red berries symbolise female blood, so together with mistletoe they represent sacred marriage and rebirth.
Ivy, yew and pine
These evergreens were also used to decorate homes. Ivy, growing in spirals, is a symbol of immortality and resurrection. Regeneration and rebirth are represented by the beautiful but poisonous yew. Pine branches bring healing and joy to your home. You can arrange branches of yew and pine in clay pots and add trailing ivy, or make a natural garland from them and hang it around the door.
Make a traditional wreath
Make a wreath from evergreens. You can use various kinds of conifer twigs, leaves or red rosehips to make it as rich as possible. You can also make an original wreath from holly leaves and mistletoe twigs, which complement each other perfectly. Hang the wreath on the door or lay it on the table and decorate it with candles. The wreath also appears in Christian customs, where it is known as the Advent wreath.
The Christmas tree – a symbol of the festival for centuries
Yes, this symbol is not a modern tradition either. The Celts decorated firs. In ancient Rome, temple priests decorated pines brought into the temples to honour a sacred goddess. Both trees are symbols of life and rebirth. Pagan families brought small trees into their homes so that the tree spirits could warm themselves there. They hung food and treats on the branches so the spirits could eat. Instead of traditional ornaments, try decorating your tree with red apples, nuts and other food you find at home. You will honour the old traditions and have an original decoration too.
Candles and a solstice ritual
Yule is the festival of the coming of light, so candles must not be missing from your altar. The colours of Yule are red, green and gold. Red and gold candles can also be used for a simple solstice ritual. How?
- Place two red candles on the altar with a gold candle between them. Put a spoon and a ribbon beside them.
- Light the red candles and speak this incantation into the flame:
- In humility and balance I bless myself and those closest to me. I am ready to receive love, health and happiness, and through the power of my thought to pass this energy on to all who need it. So be it.
- Light the gold candle and speak into the flame: I give love, health and abundance. Love, health and abundance together flow through everyone and everything. So be it!
- Take the spoon and wrap the ribbon around it. Let the candles burn down in the presence of the spoon. Then put it in a place of honour in your kitchen. Whenever you need to recharge with this energy, use the spoon. Next year you can renew the spell.
If you would like to try a simpler ritual, we have one for you. You need paper, a pencil, a notebook or diary, and a fireplace or fire pit. Write your wish on a piece of paper and put it in the diary, which you then burn in the fire.
You can try this ritual with your family members too and share pleasant and perhaps even fun moments together.
Protect yourself from danger, the Celts advise
The Celts believed remarkable things happen during the following 12 nights. Witches fly through the air and demons rise from the earth. Dried herbs such as wild thyme protected them from witches, and they stuffed their beds with straw for protection against earth demons. In reality this refers to cosmic and earth radiation, which can have a harmful effect on our bodies. So we too should protect ourselves.
Yule is about hope and faith that light will defeat darkness, and about celebrating new life. It is a time we should spend with our family and friends, sharing love and understanding with others.
