On December 21 (or 22nd some years) we encounter the longest night of the year and the shortest day of the year. After that, the days grow longer until the Summer solstice. In various spiritual and pagan traditions, this seasonal cross-quarter is also known as Yule and is celebrated as a holiday.
In modern times, we typically celebrate Christmas, but long, long ago, Yule was celebrated by the Ancient Celts and various other Pagan religions. Perhaps one of the oldest winter celebrations in the entire world, ancient hunters and gatherers would mark their years based on the different seasons. And each seasonal cross-quarter, including the equinoxes and solstices, was thought to have spiritual significance.
According to Almanac.com, Yule comes from the old English word ‘Geol’ which is the equivalent of the old Norse word, jol. Both of which referred to the winter festivals that took place in celebration of the halfway point of winter.
Long before Christianity, the Ancient Celts and ancient British pagans would celebrate Yule, but when Christianity and…
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