elebrated when the sun sets on typically
December 21st Yule or the Winter Solstice is the longest night of winter. It was tradition to start the Yule feast
at sunset and the festivities would go on late through the longest hours of darkness until the first lights of dawn shown
in the sky. A special Yule fire was lit and candles were burned the flames kept alive until the sun came up. They would dance
and sing and chant calling back the sun and willing the earth to start stirring with signs of spring.
It’s said that the Christmas tree first originated from this pagan/druid tradition of putting
candles carefully on the branches of pine and evergreen trees, they also decorated the trees with berries, winter flowers,
pine cones, and sweets to celebrate. It is also known as the festival of lights or Candlemas.
This is the story I tell to my kids every year.
Long ago on the darkest night of nights they would come dressed only in robes they would gather beneath
the setting sun. The trees were decorated with berries, flowers and sweets and set a glow by candles their flames burning
strong through the night to keep the light alive until the sun came back into their sight.
The feast was set and the great Yule fire lit in the center of all and around
it they gathered hand in hand making a circle shaped wall. In unison they lifted their voices to
the sky chanting a spell to make the earth awaken from winter’s enchantment their voices
raised high. Out of the flames the trinity would appear the maiden, the mother, the crone
in perfect love and trust they knew not to fear as the three stepped forward and said. “We are the faces of the goddess
three, we have heard your call and come to thee. Keep your flame through the winter a glow the earth stirs the sun shall again
rise and warm the land that your seeds may grow.” The crone stepped forward hunched with age, though her body looked
of death and decay her eyes shown bright alive with wisdom and knowledge of the divine. “ I am the third face of the
goddess I am the crone. I am the heart of winter and I am the hand of death, through me there is born life, for without darkness
there would be no light, there would be no happiness if you have not first tasted strife.”
The three parted and out stepped he, Cerrunnos the horned one he held in his hands a special log of
wood. “I give you this that through the darkest hours of winter I shall be with you in this flame, guiding you until
spring comes again.” He threw the log into the great fire and it blazed long into the depths of night bathing all in
it’s magical light.
Into the flames they faded, and the circle broke then started the great feast and dancing by candlelight
until the first rays of morning light.
Now in honor of Cerrunnos we burn a special Yule log on Winter Solstice that his light may guide us
until the sun comes again.
In my family we celebrate both Yule and Christmas, I make a small feast on the 21st for
Yule with my children and we pick a special Yule log and make wishes on it before we put it in the fire. We light our tree
that we decorate with Christmas ornaments, sweets, and decorations and most important lights and I tell them my story of Yule.
We also celebrate Christmas on the 25th, and give presents and do the whole “Santa”
thing. I try to teach my children that all gods are one god and it’s ok to believe in more than one thing. It’s
my way of keeping the flame of the old ways alive no matter what type of candle the flame is lit from.
