Yule

It is Mother Night, the first night of Yule (Jul)! This is a time to celebrate the cycle of the year, the fact that you've made it this far, and that the days will soon be getting longer! In addition to the traditional feast, what other things can you do on this glorious holiday?

The Winter Solstice brings with it another Yule celebration. Of course, the first night of Yule is Mother Night. People often ask who the "Mother" is in Mother Night. Like most everything else in the Asatru Heathen world, that requires some discussion.

Yule has come up once again. Sorry there wasn't an earlier post for the holiday; but the technical issues that prevented posting have been resolved. The important thing now, though, is the celebration of the Yule holiday.

A Time for Celebrating

In earlier days, the passing of the Winter Solstice meant that you had made it through a good bit of the winter and that spring would be on the way. The days would get longer, and warmer. For people who had to plan ahead really well just to survive the winter, that was a big deal.

I prepare my pork roast with rosemary, honey, and leeks. I'll also prepare a side with apples and walnuts. With a few other dishes, I prepare to celebrate Yule. These old-styled foods are a great way to celebrate That Which Has Passed and looking forward to That Which Will Come to Be. It is Yule.

You've made it to the last night of Yule for this year. By now, you have spent evenings praising the Gods, your ancestors, your spouse/partner/lover, your offspring (real or hoped for), the Elves, and all the things you've eaten or plan to eat. So, what's next?

You have made it to the second night of Yule. It seems like Mother Night gets all the attention, but what about these other nights? Well, they are part of the holiday as well. Here is a suggestion if you don't have other plans.

Different groups have different ways to celebrate the various nights of Yule, so if you have an alternative practice don't be offended. The second night is a good night to think about Those Who Have Gone Before. That's a fancy way of saying ancestors.

The winter solstice brings the start of Yule and, of course, Mother Night. This is a night to celebrate our mother Earth and the all the blessings we have received over the past year. So how does one go about doing that?

The easiest thing to do is to actually write a list of all the good stuff that has happened to you and those you care about. If you try, you can probably find quite a few pleasant events and occurrences. If you are really stumped, write down that you are still breathing and will have the chance for things to get better in the coming year.

I hope you are all having fun getting ready for Yule. If can be stressful for non-Christians to put up with the constant bombardment of Christmas stuff, but knowing what Yule is all about makes it better. You can also take heart in the fact that Yule is not about a shopping feeding frenzy.

This Sunday, December 21, is Mother Night. It is the Winter Solstice and the start of Yule. Depending on your group, this may either be a night of feasting or it might be a simple fair in preparation for the belt-tightening of the Wolf Season (winter).

Lately, several questions have come in about the upcoming Yule. Seeing so many questions on the same subject in such quick succession looks a little like a sign that I need to write something on the subject. So, if you are interested, here are things to know about Yule.

Now, half of this year's Yule celebration is over. It is typical to spend the first half thinking of the things that you have done in the previous year and how those things have gotten you to where you are now. For the second half, it is time to plan for the future.