Joyous Yule! Today is December 21, Mid-Winter, the
Solstice, the start of Saturnalia, the rebirth of
Baldur the Norse Sun god, the return of the Egyptian Sun god Ra, the shortest day of the year. Tomorrow the Sun returns!
The word Yule, from the Norse word Jul, wheel,
refers to the Norse goddess Frigga who sat at her spinning wheel weaving the
fates. The Christmas wreath, a wheel, symbolizes the cycle of the seasons and
the continuity of life in many cultures and religions.
The decision to establish December 25 as
the "official" date of Christ's birth was made by Pope Julius I in
the fourth century AD, hoping to replace the pagan celebration with the
Christian one, since this date coincided with celebrations of Winter Solstice
with the Return of the Sun Gods occurring throughout the world.
So why is Yule not on the 25th? At one time it was, but the earth wobbles on
its axis, with the date precessing, moving forward. The solstice now comes 3 days earlier than it
did relative to our calendars. In a little
under 26 thousand years the dates will be the same again.
For many thousands of years this day has
been celebrated with emblems of eternal life (palm leaves in ancient Egypt
welcoming back Ra, the holly and berry in England, and of course what is now
called a “Christmas Tree”) and of the return of the Sun (fire, candles, the
Yule log).
The Christmas tree has its origins in
the practice of bringing a live tree into the home so the wood spirits would
have a place to keep warm during the cold winter months. Bells were hung in the limbs so you could
tell when an appreciative spirit was present. Food and treats were hung on the
branches for the spirits to eat. The
German name was tannenbum (fir tree). It
was the Germans who brought the custom to this country.
Most of our current customs date back to
before recorded time. They all mean the
same thing – the Sun is returning!
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