Taking Back the Yule

As the winter holidays approach, there is some confusion among Asatru/Heathens on how to celebrate the Yuletide. The immediate response is to dig in one's heels against an obvious Christian Holiday - or is it?

Other the other side of the issue, the Christians are bemoaning the pagan practices of the holiday and urging people to "put Christ back in Christmas." The real secret is that Christ never belonged there in the first place. This holiday is the Yuletide, and its roots belong to Heathen traditions. Extract the baby in the manger and what's left is all the old heathen practices of our Norse ancestors.

The root of the word "Yule" come from the Old Norse "hjol" or wheel. It begins at Winter Solstice when the wheel of the year turns and the days grow longer and continues for twelve days until New Year's Eve. Most of the Yule traditions are family-oriented, and the celebrations do not require any officiating clergy, although this could be an option. Here are the traditional details of the Yuletide.

Winter Solstice Eve is known as Modhranict or "Mother Night." Modhranict is a time when Frigg, the All-Mother is honored. At sundown, the decorated Yule log is carried into the house with great ceremony. The mother or lady of the house as the protectress of the home lights the Yule log. Then she goes to the doors and windows of the house and decorates them with greenery (usually holly), and says prayers of protection against evil.

On Winter Solstice day or Yule Morning, the family will gather to salute the Yule Morning with a song for good fortune and blessings of the new year, which technically starts on this day. During the remainder of the Yuletide, a time of rest is ordered and only necessary work is performed.

Three days after Modhranict is Jollnir's Day. On this day Odin under the name of Jollnir (wheel-man) comes in a blue hood and robes (sometimes red with blue trim) to grant wishes. This may be where the "Santa" tradition comes from. A person can be dressed up to play Jollnir for the children.

On the night of the twelth day or "Twelfth night" or New Year's Eve, there is a great feast in honor of Freyr, the god of bounty. This is the night when Old Odin (Father Time?) represented by the oldest man present yields his seat Hidskjalf temporarily to the young Freyr (Baby New Year?), represented by a young man of warrior age. A boar (Pig?) is roasted and served at the feast. This may be the origin of serving the Boar's Head at Yuletide. Of course the sagas recall this is how Freyr was able to spy Gerd, the fair giantess. The mind of reason yields to the passion of love and the night is a time of great jolliness.

With certain modifications to adapt to modern times these traditions can be remembered and practiced during the Yuletide. Even today, in Sweden the usual holiday greeting is "God Jul!" which translates directly as "Good Yule!" During the holidays when you are greeted with a friendly "Merry Christmas!" do not respond with confusion, hostility, or defensiveness, but rather smile knowingly and say: "Good Yule."

This is our time, our holiday, and it's time to take it back again.