Prayer: Celebration: Create an ornament that embodies a wish you would like to see come true in the next year. Making and designing the bread is a fun family activity, and best done in a group. At some point during the rest of the day, find a piece of wood to serve as your Yule log. Fire and iron were also believed to drive away malicious spirits, and one could carry fire or iron through the house with prayers for Þórr’s aid. By Jenn Campus. Dec 24th – Óðinn and Frau Holda You are the nurturers, the defenders, the guardians of life itself. Yule and Christmas became associated after the Christianization of Norway. pieces of toast dipped in wassail, left in the tree’s branches. Yule was a pagan festival that followed the midwinter solstice (usually around 21st December) and celebrated the return of the sun as the days slowly started to get longer again. They saved a piece of the log to protect the home during the coming year, and to light next year’s fire. Read 7 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. – Cat: Sacred to Freyja, independence, silence, beauty, ferocity Yule is celebrated each year sometime around December 20-22. Today, honor Njorðr and the Germanic goddess Nerthus. On the third day of Yule my true love gave to me, Three closed relays Regardless, the Álfar (elves) have maintained an association with the Yule season from pre-Christian times to the present, and many supernatural beings were thought to roam the earth during this time of year. It’s a hot mulled drink that was traditionally drunk on 12th night, but was also drank throughout the 12 days of Yule in England. He is a tattoo artist, with a focus on devotional tattoos for polytheists, and is the author of Playing With Fire: An Exploration of Loki Laufeyjarson through Asphodel Press. Bless us with your strength this Yule, knowing that every time of darkness must come to an end. For Pagans and Wiccans, it's often celebrated as Yule, but there are literally dozens of ways you can enjoy the season. Hail Lofn, lady of forbidden love, may you bless my home with compassion var twt = document.createElement('script'); In the evening, have a party or feast while wearing your animal masks. Recipes, Activities, Folklore, and Ritual to help you and your family celebrate. -Hávamál 127-. window.twtWidget = { Hail to the hidden folk who often wander into the realms of men. The 2nd set of 3 days – The Mother Goddess is honored for fertility and all your coming endeavors. Celebration: Tell them that you are offering sustenance in gratitude for all of the times the women in your life (be they physical or spiritual) sustained you. Yule is the modern version of the Old English words ġēol or ġēohol and ġēola or ġēoli, with the former indicating the 12-day festival of "Yule" (later: "Christmastide") and the latter indicating the month of "Yule", whereby ǣrra ġēola referred to the period before the Yule festival (December) and æftera ġēola referred to the period after Yule (January). We honor you, greatest of the seiðonar, and ask for your blessings and vision as we begin our journey into a new year. Tonight, call upon Freyja to aid you in divination for the New Year. The 3rd set … I hope you enjoy the next 12 days. Food Services at the University of Toronto oversees more than 30 food locations across the St. George campus and runs programs like Veggie Mondays, cultural events, environmental initiatives and campus Meal Plans. In response to that question, the following is a 12-day celebration I created for my own family that modern Heathens can celebrate during the Yule season. Making leaf bread is an Icelandic Christmas tradition, and its snowflake-like designs make it an appropriate offering to Kári and the spirits of winter. May you balance Loki’s unpredictability in my life with your constancy. The form created by the metal is examined to determine the future. Hail Vár, witness of oaths, may you remind my household of its obligations Gefjon: Practice giving and receiving, generosity, gratitude, acceptance For my gift of life I give you gratitude. Decorate the tree and leave them as an offering to the animals and nature spirits. Celebration: If you have a fruit bearing tree at your home, you can wassail your own tree and pray for it’s fruitfulness in the next year. Hail Gefjon, granter of gifts, may I receive the gifts in life I most need, and grant them as well Aside from decorating your Yule log, you can also make a dessert Yule log to enjoy in the evening. Today, December 20th is Mother’s Night, the official beginning of the celebration of Yule. 10. And yes, it’s the origin for the Christian “12 Days of Christmas”. Hail Snotra, courteous lady, may my home always have the means to extend hospitality to those in need Today you can honor Skadi and Ullr. You might consider singing a loud, rowdy song for Þórr at midnight, assuring a fresh start in the household. I cringe when I see people counting down from December 1st, or when I see commercials making reference to the 12 days of Christmas and start their holiday specials on December 14 and begin counting down to December 25. Burn your paper and the herbs in the Yule fire while praying for Sunna’s blessing. Hail Sif, lady of harvest. Yule is a 12-day period of reflection and celebration that begins at the winter solstice and continues through the end of the calendar year (December 31st). May we have the blessings of your favor and live alongside you in friendship. Hail Sigyn, loyal wife of Loki, lady of victory. Tonight you will be honoring Freyr and the Álfar. Today, spiritually and physically cleanse your house. In Germanic Neopagan sects, Yule is celebrated by gathering with friends and family, feasting, and gift giving. Spinner of the clouds, great seer, fierce guardian of home and hearth, please bless my home this Yule, that it may be filled with love, frith, and warmth. May you bless our house with your abundance and your passion, so that we may achieve all of our goals in the coming year with dignity and honor. Sorry to quit the 12 days of Yule videos like this. This is a good time to toast the victories of those present, and to share those things you want to accomplish so that you can help support one another in the days to come. We do know that the celebration of Yule wasn’t always twelve days long. The Twelve Days of Yule book. Lofn: Practicing tolerance and compassion, aiding misunderstood groups or people, experiencing love in unconventional ways Dec 26th – Kári and his kin In Latin America, Christians hand out presents on January 6, which they celebrate as Three Kings Day, instead of December 25. During the 1st 3 days – The virgin Maiden Goddess is honored as your guide for moving forward into the new year, to set you on the right and positive path. There are modern Heathens who associate them with their male ancestors (just as the Dísir are associated with female ancestors), while others may see them as powerful nature spirits (the lines between land spirits and spirits of the dead who were buried in the ground could often be blurry). ), this guide includes: *Activities for each of the 12 days *Recipes *Prayers *Folklore/ History *Rituals *Crafts *Traditions All activities are family friendly but also great for individuals. If you enjoyed please leave a like. You can decorate it with flowers, pine, auspicious herbs, carvings of sun wheels, etc (bear in mind you will be burning this log, so don’t add anything to it that could be toxic or make an unpleasant smell). The Yule log was a large oak log, decorated with sprigs of fir, holly, or yew. Your people were feared and admired by the ancestors, back when they lived in a life and death dance with winter. This celebration was so important in ancient times that it was converted by the Christians to the 12 Days of Christmas. Today you will honor Freyja in her aspect as seiðkona and seer as you ask for auspices regarding the coming year. For most Pagans of any denomination, Yule is a high holy season. Though your light has descended into the underworld, we await your return after the darkness of fimbulvetr has left the earth. The word Wassail is ultimately derived from the Anglo-Saxon greeting wes þú hál meaning “be you hale”. – Raven: Odin’s messengers, magic, communication, devours the dead and unneeded For Celtic pagans, Yule is the time when the Sun God Lugh is reborn in human form to rejoin his beloved wife Eriu. Hey guys, thanks so much for watching. Prayer: Ask for Oski’s blessing upon your wish in exchange for the offerings you will be leaving out for him tonight. max: 10 Dec. 26 to Dec 29. This year I have seen many people inquiring about holiday traditions they can practice during the 12 days of Yule (a question which I have asked as well). The ancient festival was a 12 daylong celebration beginning on the eve of the Winter Solstice (known to most Pagans as Yule) and ending at the new calendar year. In the old days, oaths would have been sworn upon Freyr’s boar (the origin of our new year’s resolutions). Other traditions, such as mistletoe, and even decorating trees, have roots in Scandinavia’s Yule as well. Updated June 25, 2019. Cook a pork dinner tonight in Freyr’s honor. The frozen earth sleeps and dreams of the return of your warm embrace. As you offer the food, thank the feminine powers in your life for all of the things they have given you. – Mink: Playfulness, adaptability, quick thinking Hail Fulla, guardian of Frigg’s wealth, may you bless my home with abundance – Deer: Freyr as sacrificial king, authority, defense, self-sacrifice Sága: History, storytelling, writing, study, studying one’s ancestry and work with the ancestors. The Wiccan belief system also celebrates Yule during the Winter Solstice, and in England, Druids will gather at Stonehenge to watch the sun rise together. Dec 27th – Skaði and Ullr Mother’s Night was an Anglo Saxon tradition which was described briefly by the English Medieval historian Bede, taking place on Christmas Eve. }; According to Constantine Porphyrogenitus in his book De cerimonii aulae Byzantiae, the Goths of his Varangian Guard performed a dance for him on the 9th day of Christmas, where two of the Goth’s dressed in masks and animal skins shouting Toúl, Toúl! It would be a great addition to any family. © Copyright 2021 | All Rights Reserved | University of Toronto, Do you use our Eco-2-Go containers in the dining halls? Dec 21st – Sunna and Máni May the days ahead be filled with your frith and may the earth care for me as a mother. Today, honor Loki as the Lord of Misrule, and his loyal wife Sigyn. document.body.lastChild.appendChild(twt); The person to find the coin receives a blessing of wealth for the next year and should keep it as a good luck charm. Gná: Practicing good communication, listening for messages, being a messenger for spiritual forces It was said that Frau Holda would punish the lazy and reward the productive. Hail Odin, Yule Father, wish granter, lord of mystery and magic. I honor you today and ask that this Yule season and into the new year I would be blessed with your kindness and prosperity. Fulla: Wealth, abundance, caring for one’s resources, defending the resources of others This was a time when the two holidays began blending together. Syn: Protection, protection of self or others, spiritual and physical warding, practicing caution Yule is a 12 day holiday, it begins on “Mothers Night” (December 21st) and ends 12 days later on “Yule Night” (January 1st). 8. I am just way to busy to get the videos made for you guys. For most Pagans of any denomination, Yule is a high holy season. Celebration: I am deeply drawn to the lore of European history and mythology and so I spent the last several years finding ways to celebrate the full 12 days with my family. May I never forget the respect that ice and snow deserve. twt.type = 'text/javascript'; 5. 229 College St, 2nd Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5T1R4, Email: mealplan@utoronto.ca – Rabbit: Caution, fertility, swiftness, abundance Ullr is the son of Sif and the stepson of Þórr, who is associated with yew trees, archery, hunting, and skiing. Animal guising seems to have been a part of European Yule traditions. You are the shadow that glides silently through the trees, hunting like a she-wolf for your prey. A Guide to Celebrating the 12 Days of Yule (Heathen-style! Tonight, make food that your female ancestors made or enjoyed. While I have drawn in part from traditional European customs, this is in no way a reconstructionist effort and is mostly a fun way to honor the gods and wights during the holiest time on the Heathen calendar. Prayer: The sillier, the better. In the Norse text Heimskringla: The Saga of Hakon the Good talks about it once lasting for three days, or as long as the ale lasted. Some modern Heathens identify Balder as a solar figure, who like the rising and setting sun also descends into the underworld and is reborn after Ragnarök. When midnight strikes on New Year’s Eve, banging pots and pans and basically creating a cacophony was a traditional way to drive away the last of the lingering spirits of Yule, who could cause trouble in the coming year if they didn’t return to their proper place. Copyright at 2017. Hail Eir, Frigg’s own physician, may you bless my home with health and the means to heal Hail Nerthus, mother earth, Lady of peace and plenty. If you wish to honor your male ancestors tonight, bring out their pictures and make them an altar just as you did on Mother’s Night. Jól (pronounced yoh-l) was the span of time between the Winter Solstice and the Jólbalót (“Yule Sacrifice”), originally on January 12th. – Snake/Dragon: Secret knowledge, underworld mysteries, transformation Yule is still celebrated today in certain communities. Sign up here! This celebration was so important in ancient times that it was converted by the Christians to the 12 Days of Christmas. Eir: Healing, self-healing (physical, mental, and spiritual), herbalism, caring for the health of others. Hail to Nanna, Balder’s faithful consort, lady of powerful love. Before having your dinner, leave some of the stew and leaf bread outside as an offering to Kári and his family, maybe adding a little chilled vodka or peppermint schnapps. The festivals are observed from sunset to sunset – Dec. 20 to Dec. 23. Here are examples of things you may want to focus on in the coming year depending on which handmaiden speaks up: 1. And other cultures give gifts all 12 days. Hail Njorðr, generous Lord of the shipyard, father of Freyr and Freyja. Hail Iðunn, Lady of devotion which is the immortality of the gods. Today Balder, Óðinn’s dying and resurrecting son, and his wife Nanna can be honored. The Asatru Folk Assembly in the U.S. celebrated for 12 days, beginning on the Winter Solstice. Celebration: According to Snorri, Balder’s faithful wife Nanna died of grief and was also laid on the pyre before it was burned and cast out to sea. Take the ornaments to a tree in your backyard or out in nature. Hail Skaði, lady of the show shoes, giantess of the winter, wild woman of the forest. In either case, mistletoe is a plant associated with Balder, as well as being a plant that is thought to have solar associations.Tonight, light candles in your house in honor of Balder and Nanna, petitioning them to fill your home with light and hope. Here is a traditional wassailing song you can sing: Old apple tree we wassail thee The Twelve Days of Christmas, also known as Twelvetide, is a festive Christian season celebrating the Nativity of Jesus.In some Western ecclesiastical traditions, "Christmas Day" is considered the "First Day of Christmas" and the Twelve Days are 25 December to 5 January, inclusive, with 6 January being a "thirteenth day" in some traditions and languages. Don’t forget to share a piece with Máni, who is keeping his longest vigil of the year tonight. Yule is a Germanic Winter festival which was celebrated on the Winter solstice and ran for approximately 2 months. Small bits of led or tin are melted and then dropped into water. 11. She is associated with winter and one of her bynames is the “snowshoe goddess”. Honor to you and your descendants, who fill the world with their frozen beauty. Wake up just before the rising of the sun, and greet Sunna as she makes her ascent. Yule is the Pagan celebration of the Winter Solstice. Take the ashes you saved from your Yule log and sprinkle them across the doorways for protection. Happy Yule!