As the winter holidays approach, families prepare for colder temperatures and decorate their homes. Often, these decorations include colorful lights, Christmas trees, and menorahs. The main holidays celebrated during winter in Utah are Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah, but there are a few other festivals and celebrations that aren’t as widely acknowledged, including a celebration known as Yule.
Yule is one of the oldest winter traditions in the world, but not many people know about it. Yule is a winter festival traditionally celebrated by the Germanic peoples, and it has been traced as far back as the fifth century. In modern times, the names “Yule” and “Yuletide” are used interchangeably with “Christmas” and “Christmastide.” Haakon the Good, a Norwegian king, attempted to convert Norway to Christianity around the 10th century A.D., which contributed to the binding of Yule to Christmas.
Although they occasionally share the same name, Yule and Christmas celebrations are quite different. Held to celebrate the Winter Solstice, Yule is a festival to welcome the reappearance of the Sun and celebrate the fertile land’s rebirth, and it is usually associated with the Nordic deity Odin. Modern Pagans celebrate it from December 21st to January 1st.
Surprisingly, a lot of modern Christmas traditions originated from Yule. Possibly the most notable example of this is the Christmas tree, which was originally called a Yule Tree. It represented the Tree of Life or the World Tree and it would be decorated with gifts people wished to receive from the gods. Another example is mistletoe, which was given as a blessing to symbolize life and served as a peacemaker.
If you want to celebrate Yule, there are a few things you can do. You can light a Yule log, which would traditionally feed the fire through the 12 Days of Christmas, from Christmas day to the 5th of January. Kerry Ward explains that “the Celts thought the Sun stood still for 12 days during the darkest time of the year, and they would light logs to keep away evil and welcome in good fortune—now called the Yule log,” in her article ‘How to Celebrate Yule.’ Some of Yule’s other common traditions include a feast, wassailing (caroling), dancing, and drinking. It’s often a custom to make oaths to the gods, similar to how Americans make New Year’s resolutions today.
Austyn, a community member who requested not to have their full name given, shares how they celebrate Yule. Even though they don’t usually have that much time to spare, they always try to make time to decorate the Yule tree. For them, Yule is about spending time with family and letting go of things that need to be let go. It’s a common tradition for people to light bonfires while they celebrate, but while working with fire it’s important to be in a controlled environment, especially when outside. Anyone can celebrate Yule during their winter celebrations.
