Preparing for Yule

How does one prepare for a holiday with their family when they follow a different religion than the rest of their family? First off I think you follow your heart. I guess it's easier for me being Pagan when my family is mostly Agnostic or Atheist. I can jump on the commercial Christmas bandwagon for my grandchildren but still hold true to what I believe the Yule holiday is all about. When having little children you must have a tree. Our Yule tree went up this past weekend. While most people will be celebrating the birth of Jesus (whom historians believe was not actually born in December) I'll be celebrating the rebirth of the Sun. Similar enough. I'm looking forward to making a Yule log to decorate my altar. One that can be used year after year (since I don't have a fireplace to burn the Yule log as was traditionally done.) I helped my Grandson make Yule gifts for his teachers and other grandparents this past weekend. I've made small Yule gifts for my friends in my spiritual circle (my spiritual family.) I'm hoping to pass down some traditions to my grandson of the way I celebrate. My daughter is open to this which pleases me immensely.

I found the following in a Christian website christiananswers.net and thought it was interesting:

Why do many Christians celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December, if that is not when he was born?

The date was chosen by the Roman Catholic Church. Because Rome dominated most of the “Christian” world for centuries, the date became tradition throughout most of Christendom.

The original significance of December 25 is that it was a well-known festival day celebrating the annual return of the sun. December 21 is the winter solstice (shortest day of the year and thus a key date on the calendar), and December 25 is the first day that ancients could clearly note that the days were definitely getting longer and the sunlight was returning.

So, why was December 25 chosen to remember Jesus Christ’s birth with a mass (or Communion supper)? Since no one knows the day of his birth, the Roman Catholic Church felt free to chose this date. The Church wished to replace the pagan festival with a Christian holy day (holiday). The psychology was that is easier to take away an unholy (but traditional) festival from the population, when you can replace it with a good one. Otherwise, the Church would have left a void where there was a long-standing tradition, and risked producing a discontented population and a rapid return to the old ways.

Some of us are now returning to the old ways. Yule Blessings to All.

Emerald Storm