Yule
(yool)
December 21 - January 1
Yule, or Winter Solstice, marks the darkest time of the year. During this sacred Sabbat, the sun actually stops it’s decline and the amount of darkness remains the same, giving us a wonderful time to pause and reflect. Soon, the days will get longer and the sun will return, but for now, we celebrate the resilience of life and the warmth of home.
Log burn, wheel turn, evil spurn, sun return!
Here we go a-wassailing!
Wassail is a warm and delicious Yuletime drink.
Originally used in ceremonies where villagers traveled through their fields and orchards in the middle of winter, they would sing and shout to drive away any spirits that might inhibit the growth of future crops. As part of this, they poured wine and cider on the ground to encourage growth.
That eventually turned into going door to door, singing and drinking to the health of their neighbors, and is what inspired Christmas caroling!
