Many people love Christmas and for excellent reasons. However, we know it was stolen from pagans who celebrated the winter solstice. Was it? So, what is Yuletide?

An Overall Look Of Yuletide

Jól is the old Norse word for Yule; in Old English, they called it géohol. It signified the hunting season after the harvest time was over. It would happen in December. But Yule itself is an ancient tradition and celebration of the winter solstice going back thousands of years among the Norse and Germanic people.

Yule was stolen during the Christianisation of the Germanic and Norse people. Christmas happens at the heart of Yuletide to ensure that people observe the religious holiday celebrating the birth of their saviour. Christianisation was quite strict back in those times, and appropriating Pagan holidays would solidify a conversion.

The traditions of decorating a coniferous tree, log cake, most enormous log in the fireplace, carol singing, and eating meat while gathering are all Yuletide traditions. Whether you eat it as a cake or burn a natural log in the fireplace, it is a Yule log. Those traditions go back nearly two millennia, and all of them come from one of the oldest festivals in the world.

The word Yule itself speaks of the twelve-day-long festival, while the word Yuletide itself, which refers to the festival, was first used in the Middle Ages in 1475. Now, Yule represents the winter solstice day, while Yuletide represents the twelve-day festival.

Is It True That Yuletide Happens On The Day Of The Winter Solstice?

The set date of Yuletide is unknown to this day. Because Yuletide comes from a Norse saga and has a story to it, it is harder to say. A three-day feast in the saga starts on ‘Midwinter Night.’ Meanwhile, the winter solstice itself happens approximately a month later.

According to scholars, Yuletide celebrations would fall on the full moon of the second Yule month. This would mean January, as Yule stands for winter. That is if we follow the Early Germanic calendar. It would then range from January 5th to January 21st in our Gregorian calendar.

It is important to note that Pagan traditions—not religions—can differ from Norse and Germanic history due to travelling and word-of-mouth spreading. People move places, countries, villages, traditions adapt. In other words, Yuletide can vary considerably as it was a festival and not a religious practice.

What Are The Traditions Of Yuletide And Christmas Tree?

The Christmas tree originated from the Yule tree but first started as branches. Germanic people would take branches from coniferous trees and decorate them in their houses to bring a festive flare during Yuletide.

Often, the branches would have decorations of fruits and natural ornaments that the people would make. As years went by, more decorations were added. There would also be decorations outside to bring a festive ambience for the Yuletide festival.

The Yule feast, including the meat served, comes from Yuletide and the Norse saga. A wild boar would be sacrificed, and later on, it made its way into Christmas as the ham. It is directly linked to the Wild Hunt connected to Odin. It has a morbid connotation to supernatural activities increasing and ‘draugar,’ which are undead beings who walk the Earth.

The Yule log that we burn in the hearth is also a tradition. Usually, Scandinavians and Germanic people would reserve the biggest or most appealing log to burn during Yuletide. They would then keep some of the ashes or bark from that log for the next winter and start their fire with the new log with the pieces they kept from the prior Yuletide.

But Now Yuletide Is Celebrated During The Winter Solstice

Yuletide moved over time to coincide with what we know as the winter solstice today. Our calendars changed over millennia, as did Yuletide and Christmas, but one thing didn’t change: how Christianity appropriated all the traditions from Yuletide to fit their agenda.

In more contemporary Pagan traditions, many people try to observe the traditions of Germanic people, while others will follow Norse customs. Sharing a meal and gift-giving goes back to ancient traditions. Most of everything we know of Christmas is traditions borrowed from Yuletide.

Wicca is one of the very few Pagan religions, or more like a witch religion. Their ‘Yule’ coincides with the winter solstice as we know it. To them, it signifies the rebirth of the Great Horned Hunter God. He is the newborn solstice sun. The traditions vary with each participant in the religion, as a solitary witch or with a coven.

What is important to remember is that winter is a magnificent season. It is a season of reflection, looking within, and letting go. It is the most crucial moment of the year to stay cozy and reflect on our year and what we want for others and ourselves. Yuletide celebrates winter and what it brings: comfort and a little something for ourselves.

So, I wish you the Happiest Yuletide and Merry Creepmas!
The OCD Vampire