Sabbats/Holidays and Esbats > Yule

Yule - What does it mean to you?

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Tirya:
Discussion starter time. When you think of "Yule", what does it mean to you? What comes to mind? How do you celebrate, and why?

bluefire:
Great question, Tir.

I'm getting more comfortable using the term Christmas again.  I was kind of hedgey about that for awhile.  But the season has multiple layers of meaning for me. 

Above all else, it is a celebration of the solstice.  In the darkest time of the year, we find comfort and joy.  We decorate, we sing, we gather with friends and family.  I can't imagine the dark expanse of winter without that effort to find happiness by taking exteme measures like putting trees in the house and putting pretty things on them.  To me, it's like the whole world slows waaaaay down to see how we will fill the void.

Christmas day itself at my house is really really fun.  The kids spend Christmas Eve night, we do stockings, then breakfast, then wrapped presents, then games, movies, food, and drink the rest of the day.

Wolfsrain:

--- Quote from: bluefire on November 24, 2010, 06:59:35 PM ---Above all else, it is a celebration of the solstice.  In the darkest time of the year, we find comfort and joy.  We decorate, we sing, we gather with friends and family.  I can't imagine the dark expanse of winter without that effort to find happiness by taking exteme measures like putting trees in the house and putting pretty things on them.  To me, it's like the whole world slows waaaaay down to see how we will fill the void.

--- End quote ---

BF, that was really beautiful.

Truthfully and I guess personally because there are some who would disagree, I don't see a huge difference between Christmas and Yule. Putting "secular" aside, I think every kid should get to experience Santa. If you have the right mind set it's equally a shared and inner celebration of so many things.

I see the season as an incredible time for love and I really appreciate the giving part. Giving of self to spend time with loved ones, giving to those who can't give back, giving gifts that make someone's new year all that much more special. Christmas at home is kinda simple, though I admit Christmas Eve has changed at my grandma's since my psycho auntie decided that her life goal was to produce her own mini football team. Christmas Eve was most special to me. My memories of it are so...perfect compared to how it is now. I remember thinking the snow sparkled as if all the tree lights and stars came together and said "let's live here." Snow was the main thing for me...it was magic to me. I honestly think my feelings towards the holiday and what it means for me still stems from what I felt as a kid. The whole evening was magic and oddly my favorite parts about it little revolved around Santa (though 4 am wake up call was still a must.) Laying under my grandma's Christmas tree and feeling the ornaments that looked like gingerbread men with their gritty glitter in my hands -that was magic to me too. Falling asleep under the coffee table after dinner waiting for grandma to tell me the cookies and chocolates were out on the table. I guess I just want to recreate those feelings always. Christmas day is like a whole other world for me. It's about food and presents at my house and running on no sleep. Maybe it's the simplicity of what we do...

Oh boy...rambled. Apologies are in the box by the door, please take one as you exit the thread
 :2scared:

Fox:
For me, it isn't a day, but rather a season and something of a state of mind.  From the time the decorations are up, until they come down after the first of the year, is span of the season.  It doesn't last long, but it is full of beautiful things, family, love, presents, sparkly and twinkly things, snuggles in front of the fireplace waiting for the kids to be asleep enough to sneak upstairs and drag down the Santa gifts.  It may be somewhat dark, cold and gloomy outside and the trees bare and snapping in the bitter wind, but it is warm and bright inside, with lots of food (usually too much) and laughter.

earthmuffin:
I must be rather literal because to me Yule is mostly about the shortest day of the year. I get a little warm, cozy hopeful feeling when I realize that the days are no longer getting shorter but are going to get longer once again after Yule. So Yule is about hope and anticipation of the warmth and sunlight to come.

So far, the only Yule tradition that I have really adopted is to make traditional Swedish peppakakor in the shape of suns for Yule and invite friends over to share them and to give them small gifts. 

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