Yule takes place on or near the Winter Solstice, and many traditions are shared with Christianity and many pre Christian celebrations.

The ancient Romans celebrated the solstice with a feast called Saturnalia.  It was the Romans’ mid-winter knees up, a topsy-turvy holiday of feasting, drinking, singing in the street naked, gambling in public and merry making in general.

According to the god Saturn, during Saturnalia “all things that are serious are barred”.  So while it was a holy day, it was also very much a festive day too. The celebrating went on for 7 days.

The rigid social restrictions of the Romans changed – masters served their slaves during feasts, adults would serve children, and slaves were allowed to gamble. The aristocracy, usually such conservative dressers, would dress in brightly coloured fabrics such as red, purple and gold.

At the oldest temple in Rome, the Temple of Saturn, there would be huge public feasts. A small statue of Saturn would be present. The statue of Saturn in the temple spent most of the year with its feet bound in woollen strips. On the feast day, these bindings of wool were loosened – symbolising that the Romans were ‘cutting loose’ during the Saturnalia. Rowdy participants would spill out onto the street, shouting, “Io Saturnalia!” the way we might greet people with ‘Merry Christmas!’ or ‘Happy New Year!’

Saturnalia was described by first-century AD poet Gaius Valerius Catullus as “the best of times”. It was certainly the most popular holiday in the Roman calendar.

It was celebrated as an important day with gift giving, candle lighting, singing and decorating of houses.

The Yule Tree.  On the eve of the Saturnalia, priests would cut down a pine tree, decorate it and carry it ceremonially to the temple celebrations. Pine trees were an essential part of Goddess groves. People decked their homes with boughs of evergreen trees and bushes in pots. Pines and firs were cherished as a symbol of rebirth and life in the depth of winter.Its branches bring healing and joy to the home, burning it will purify the air.

Evergreens represent everlasting life and were traditionally hung around doorways and windows. Each has a symbolism of its own.

Mistletoe was regarded by the Druids as a very powerful plant and a symbol of the rebirth of the sun. In Medieval England, it was hung in stables to protect the horses from evil and sorcery. It is carefully cut to ensure it never touches the earth. Its magical properties are believed to be connected to the fact that it lives between the worlds, between sky/heaven and earth.The Druids regarded holly as a symbol of fertility and eternal life, thought to have magical powers. Its spiky leaves were believed to trap evil spirits and so offer protection to those in need. Holly is sacred to Holle, the Germanic underworld goddess.

Ivy the symbol of immortality and resurrection, growing in a spiral reminding us of reincarnation and rebirth. Sacred to Osiris, where His death and resurrection was a central theme in Egyptian religion. Sacred also to Dionysys, god of vegetation, blossoming and the Return of Spring.

The Yew, is THE tree of regeneration and rebirth – it sends up new trees from its roots and grows to a very great age. It is deeply connected with the spirit realms and the ancestors. Often used as the central ‘world tree’ in ritual spaces and often planted in graveyards. PLEASE NOTE: all parts of the Yew tree are considered toxic and poisonous to humans, and care should be taken when working with this wood species. Usually, most common reactions include eye, skin, and respiratory irritation, as well as nausea, headache, and cardiac effects. So perhaps it is best to simply leave this evergreen where it belongs: outside.

It was traditional to make wreaths from evergreen – the Wheel of Life as evergreen. These were hung on doors or laid horizontally and decorated with candles – later becoming the Christian Advent Wreath.

This is the festival of light out of darkness, and celebrates light in all its forms, Yule logs, bonfires, fairy lights, lanterns and candles, creating warmth and light as encouragement for the sun to return. A Yule or “Juul” log was the largest log – or even whole tree trunk , it was burned on the hearth in honor of the Scandinavian god, Thor. The log was never allowed to burn completely and was kept as a token of good luck, then used as kindling to start the following year’s log. In other European countries, the Yule log was burned until nothing but ashes remained, which were collected and spread into the fields as fertilizer every night until Twelfth Night, or worn around the neck as a charm. The Yule log was traditionally Oak, however sometimes pine was used. Today not many of us are able to burn a whole log and a good alternative is to light a red candle, other colours for Yule are green, white, yellow and orange.

It would seem that no matter where the origins of these customs, they all merge into a midwinter festival, a time to share with family and friends to enjoy feasting and gift giving and to celebrate the return of the light.  Eat, drink and be merry!

And the wheel turns…