5 Ways To Celebrate Yule

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

The winter solstice, Yule, is a time of great power. A celebration, the shortest day and the longest night. When the depths of darkness has reached, its peak and nature promises the return of light and rebirth. From this moment on, the sun begins to wax, and the days slowly grow longer.

Yule and christmas are closely intertwined, sharing many traditions. If you listen closely, you will hear the sounds of ancient pagan songs in todays christmas carols. And like our ancestors, we still celebrate with gatherings, lights, feasting and music. It is a time of joy, reflection and setting new intentions.

There are many ways to bring the magic of Yule into your life. Here are our top five ways to make the most of this sacred time of year:

1. Take a winter solstice walk

Gather your friends and family and set out on a refreshing solstice walk. Pack some warming soup and crusty rolls and enjoy time together. If you are not driving, you could even take a flask of warm spiced apple cider (wassail) and have a sing-along during your walk. Gather gifts from nature, fallen branches, berries, and clippings of evergreens to decorate your home. Look for a yule log, a good dry piece of fallen wood.

2. Make a yule wreath

Fill your wreath with evergreens that represent everlasting life. Try including holly to honour the holly king, who rules during the darkest half of the year. Or mistletoe, revered by the druids as a healer and protector. Mistletoe is believed to live between worlds and is neither of earth nor sky. Ivy, too, is a symbol of resurrection and immortality, reminding us that rebirth is on the horizon. And last but not least, pine the symbol of birth, abundance and fertility.

3. Set up an altar

Choose an area in your home where you can relax, reminisce and plan for the coming seasons to situate your altar. If using an altar cloth, colours of the season, greens, golds, reds and silvers are ideal. Once you have the base of your altar ready, you can begin layering it with items that speak to you. Below is a printable list of decoration ideas (click on the picture to print).

Don’t forget to include candles; after all, this is a celebration of light. Remember to have fun when decorating your altar. It should be personal to you and, with the onset of a new year, should encourage feelings of rebirth and abundance.

4. Burn a yule log

As with setting up an altar, this can be a personal practice. You may choose to simply burn a log on an open fire while sitting and reminiscing over the year past. Or you may wish to decorate your log before it is placed on the fire. This can be done a few days before and used as a table centrepiece, to enjoy and muse upon. Popular decorations for a yule log include:

• holly
• berries
• pine cones and needles
• ivy
• mistletoe
• cinnamon sticks
• feathers
• natural ribbons, such as paper and raffia

You can use whatever log is to hand or choose a particular type of wood since different woods are associated with different properties. For example, pine is believed to bring prosperity; birch denotes fertility; while oak symbolises strength and wisdom.

Burning the yule log with friends and family is a wonderful way to gather. Before you burn the log, have everyone write a wish for the coming year and either insert it into the ribbons or push it into a nook on the log. There is no need to share the wish with others but think about it as you watch the log burn, surrounded by those you love.

5. Feast

The winter solstice is synonymous with feasting and merriment when people celebrate the end of the darkness and the coming of the light. So why not invite your friends and family to join you in a night of feasting and festivities? Cook a batch of warming root vegetable stew to serve around a yule log bonfire. Or invite people for a potluck dinner and spend time with those you care for.

Whatever you choose, enjoy this special time of year, a magical time to gather with friends and family. To see out the old and invite in the new, surround yourself with light and celebrate the coming seasons. And please remember to tag us @surrender_to_happiness on Instagram with your yule celebration pictures. For information on imbolc, click here. Finally, for help setting your new intentions, why not look at our all-purpose crystal grid?

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