21/06/2025
Update from the Crossroads - 21 June 2025
Good Afternoon, Everyone, Welcome to the Crossroads
Today we celebrate - YULE
Yule is an ancient winter festival with roots in pre-Christian traditions, particularly those of Germanic, Norse, and Celtic cultures. It's traditionally celebrated around the winter solstice (usually December 21st or 22nd), marking the shortest day and the longest night of the year. This time of year, was seen as a turning point, when the sun's return was anticipated, symbolizing hope and renewal.
The word "Yule" itself comes from Old English geol or Old Norse jól, which referred to a midwinter festival. Over time, many of Yule’s customs and symbols blended into Christmas celebrations, particularly in European countries.
Some of the key traditions associated with Yule include:
• Yule Log: A large log that would be burned throughout the night to bring warmth and light. Ashes from the Yule log were sometimes kept for good luck or used in rituals.
• Yule Tree: The decorating of evergreens, such as holly or mistletoe, symbolized life during winter's cold. The modern Christmas tree has roots in this tradition.
• Gift Giving: Exchanging gifts was part of the Yule festival, representing generosity and the strengthening of bonds between people.
• Feasts and Merrymaking: Yule was a time of celebration with feasts, drinking, singing, and honouring gods, spirits, and ancestors.
• Yule Goat: In Scandinavian traditions, the Yule Goat was a figure associated with both the winter festival and the figure of Santa Claus, with origins in the Norse god Thor’s chariot, which was said to be drawn by goats.
Yule, as a holiday, has been absorbed into many modern Christmas customs, but it also continues to be celebrated by neopagan groups, particularly those practicing Wicca or other forms of modern witchcraft, who see it as a celebration of the rebirth of the sun
