Yule-Tide Season

Many celebrate Christmas on December 25. They put of a Christmas Tree, decorate their homes with candles and boughs of Holly....but does anyone know why these are symbols of the season? Believe it or not, the symbols of the season do not origionate with Christmas - but with Yule, which has been celebrated far longer.

Yule is the celebration of the Winter Solstice, when the dark half of the year gives way to the light. Beginning the next morning the sun hangs a little lower in the sky, therefore warming the land just a bit more. This year the solstice occurs on December 22. This is the longest night of the year, but over the next days the nights begin to shorten and the days to lengthen.

In ancient times, living in the dark half of the year must have been near torture. Living with the cold (without insulation), limited food resources, and being confined to a small space generally overflowing with family and livestock. It shouldn't be surprising, then, that the ancient peoples = who marked the passage of time by way of the sun and moon = would celebrate the dawning of the end of this risky time. No doubt conservation of food stores was also the way of life during the first half of winter. After such a time of illness and boredom, it should also not surprise, that they mark this day/night, with sacrifices, bon-fires and emerging from their homes to mingle with neighbors and grand feasts.

Darkness rules up to this day. For the ancient peoples, who lacked sufficient lighting systems, they would have to deal with only about 6 or 7 hours of daylight. The myths of the time, focused much of the evils on the night = also not surprising as falling temps would no doubt increase the rates of sickness and death. So, the Yule celebrations would also celebrate the light of the Sun and Sun Gods fighting and conquering the Moon and Moon Gods. The Oak King is a gain victorious (aka The Sun King) defeating the Holly King, thus allowing the warming of the land and strengthening of the Sun.