The Story Behind Yule and the Yuletide Season
Are you familiar with the tradition of the Yule log? Or perhaps you like to “troll the ancient yuletide carols”? Yule is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world—celebrated on the solstice. Learn more about this centuries-old festival and its traditions (including the Yule log cake!).
What Is Yule?
Today, “Yule” and “Yuletide” are largely synonymous with “Christmas” and “Christmastide,” but the meaning behind them is quite different from that of the Christian holiday.
“Yule” comes from Old English geol, which shares a history with the equivalent word from Old Norse jól. Both these words referred to a midwinter festival centered around the winter solstice, which traditionally marked the halfway point of the winter season. After the solstice—the shortest day of the year—the days again begin to grow longer, so it’s thought that Yule was a celebration of the reappearance of the Sun and the fertile land’s rebirth.
The celebration of Yule is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world. Ancient people were hunters and spent most of their time outdoors. The seasons and weather played a significant part in their lives. The customs and traditions associated with it vary widely. Most commonly, the celebration consisted of a hearty feast and general revelry, which included wassailing (caroling), drinking, and dancing.
Later, when Christianity came to the British Isles, Christians adopted aspects of the pagan festival into a celebration of the birth of Christ. As Christianity began to spread in the 4th century, the Christmas feast day was set on December 25 by Pope Julius I to align with the Roman pagan holiday Dies natalis solis invicti, “the birthday of … Click here to read the rest of this article Source: almanac.com
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