Yesterday (December 22nd) was of course the winter solstice - the shortest day
and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, when the sun shines
directly over the tropic of Capricorn.

Because the earth is tilted on its axis as it rotates aroud the sun, the
Northern Hemisphere receives less direct sunlight in winter but more in summer
as the earth's orbit orbit brings the Northern Hemisphere closest to the sun and
the seasons are reversed.

At the winter solstice, the sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its
noontime elevation appears the same for several days before and after the
solstice. Hence the origin of the word "solstice" from the Latin "solstitium",
sol being “sun” and stitium meaning “a stoppage.”

The Pagan Festival of Yule
--------------------------
Yule is an ancient celebration of the winter solstice, the year's
shortest day when the sun ceases its southern journey and begins its
return north. Yule is a Nordic word meaning wheel. The Celtic name
for this solstice is Alban Arthuran. The winter solstice was
celebrated throughout the ancient pagan world and included Greek and
Roman festivals. The sun provided light and warmed the earth; its
gradual disappearance each fall caused great concern. Each year our
ancestors worried that maybe this year the sun would not return.
Consequently their solstice celebrations used lots of lights in an
attempt to lure back the Sun.

Yule also celebrates the death and rebirth of the sun god(s). Ancient
Celts believed that the Goddess lived forever, but the sun god was
annually born at Yule. He matured during the winter and spring,
became her lover and mated with her during the fullness of the
growing season, then grew old and frail as the crops matured and were
harvested. At Yule the Goddess gave birth to his son, the new sun
king, after the old king died, and so the annual cycle began again.

Later, the Druids believed that the Oak King ruled during the waxing
year. At Yule he battled and overcame the Holly King who ruled during
the waning year. At Litha, the summer solstice, the two kings battled
again with the returned Holly King emerging as victor until the next
Yule.

An older Irish explanation for the change of seasons beginning at the
solstices involved the robin and wren. At Yule, the robin, a symbol
of the waxing year, killed the wren, a symbol of the waning year.
According to Edain McCoy in her book Witta: An Irish Tradition, at
one time each Irish family killed at least one wren at Yule.

Whatever tradition is honored and remembered at Yule, it is clear
that a major change of season begins with the return of the sun,
although obviously longer days and the return of moderate
temperatures are not noticed until Imbolc or Candlemas.

Modern Yule Rituals
-------------------
Modern Pagans can celebrate a hearty traditional Yule without
compromise because it is their ancient pagan holiday. Anyone who
celebrated Christmas as a child knows the basic pagan Yule customs.
These are preserved as the secular Christmas traditions and include
the burning of lights and the bringing of evergreen decorations into
our homes. Green fir, pine, or holly represent living plant life
preserved during the dark season that began at Samhain. Their
presence in our homes visually expresses a hope and longing for the
regreening of nature in spring. You celebrate a traditional pagan
Yule when you place candles in the windows, decorate a "Christmas"
tree with lights, use decorations of holly and mistletoe,
sing "secular" seasonal songs, feast with friends, and give gifts to
loved ones. All these customs originated with Yule celebrations that
predated Christianity.

A more specific pagan custom is to burn white, red, and black candles
which symbolize the maiden, mother, and crone aspects of the Triple
Goddess. White and red are still major Christmas colors. Sing "Deck
the Halls" or other "old English" carols that describe joyous
celebrations and express good feelings toward all of mankind.

Coven rituals can include a reenactment of the death of the old Sun
King and his rebirth, or the victory of the Oak King over the Holly
King. Light a new yule log, an old French phallic symbol, using the
remnants of last year's Yule log as kindling. Exchange small
anonymous gifts among coven members, and of course, follow the ritual
with a sumptuous feast.

Yule and Christmas
------------------
The Saturnalia honored the Roman god Saturn and was the new year's
festival held at the winter solstice in pre-Christian Rome. Gifts
were exchanged in honor of those who had died during the previous
year. Determining which day the actual solstice occurred was
difficult because the day length varied by less than one minute
between December 16 and December 26 and mechanical clocks were yet to
be invented. The Roman emperor Aurelian decided by decree in 273 C.
E. that December 25 would be the day of the Saturnalia. This was also
the birthday of Mithra, a Persian savior god, whose anti-female cult
greatly influenced early Christianity. Later, in the 4th century
C.E., the Christian leaders decided to celebrate the birth of Christ
on this date. This did not mean that they believed that Jesus was
born on December 25. Rather, they chose to celebrate Christ's birth
at this time to redirect the people away from pagan celebrations.
Later generations of Christians were unaware that the officially
chosen date for the celebration of Christ's birth was not the actual
date. Despite the historical inaccuracy, Christ fit the profile that
other sun/son gods had who were honored at this time of year.

The Sun's Cycle Through the Year
--------------------------------
Our ancestors' explanation for the disappearance of the sun each
fall, followed by its reappearance after the Solstice, was as
follows.

It seems that an immortal goddess gave birth to a new sun god at the
last Solstice. As the infant sun god slowly grew in size and
strength, the sun returned north and the days slowly became longer
and warmer.

By the time spring arrived and the plants bloomed and the leaves
appeared, the young sun god had grown into a strong young man who was
ready for a mate. His mother, the goddess, noticed that he was no
longer a child but rather a handsome man who now attracted her
attention. The goddess and sun god then mutually selected each other
as partners. The year continued to progress into the long warm summer
days. The goddess and sun god consummated their marriage and she
became pregnant again.

The summer season gradually turned into fall with its shorter days.
This occurred because the sun god had exhausted his energy in heating
and lighting the earth so that the crops would grow. After the
harvest there was nothing left for the sun god to do but grow old and
die. Slowly he retreated south, providing less warmth and daylight.
The immortal goddess, however, fondly remembered her time with him
when he was in his full summer vigor. At Yule the goddess rebirths
the sun god and the cycle continues.

Adapted, and reproduced with permission, from an article at
http://www.ladywoods.org/yule.htm by Merlyn