Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice, or Yule as it’s also known, is one of the oldest winter celebrations and has been celebrated for thousands of years, all around the world, in a wide variety of traditions and rituals.

The Norsemen saw the sun as a wheel that changed the seasons, and in mid-winter they would light bonfires, tell stories and drink sweet ale. Now, the wheel represents the year of sabbats for wiccans, and Yule is deeply rooted in that cycle.

Throughout history, bonfires have been an integral part of the Winter Solstice celebrations as many believed bonfires would work at protecting by keeping dark spirits away. Others thought that firelight would guide the sun back to the sky.

In many traditions, Yule kicks of the wiccan new year. It falls on the shortest day, and during Winter Solstice, darkness reaches its peak, giving the longest night. It usually occurs on the 21st of December, but it varies depending on location, and on the daily rotation of the Earth. This year it falls on the 21st at, I think, about 3.58pm in the UK. It’s the sabbat where the Goddess gives birth to the Sun King and this fire festival is strongly linked with fertility and the continuation of life. It’s the time to reflect on the past year, and to think about what you hope for the next. It’s a fresh start. A chance to begin again. Cleansing your home will dust away the negativity of the previous year.

Oaks have been seen as sacred and the mistletoe is a symbol of life. Yule logs were set alight at one end, and it was believed by the Norse that each spark represented a piglet or calf to be born during the next year. Fire festivals, celebrating the rebirth of the Sun, held on the Winter's Solstice can be found throughout the ancient world. In fact, many pagan customs are still followed today, and are used in the Christian celebrations of Christmas.