To my Pagan Friends?

Question

Every year my house celebrates the Winter Solstice (we're Christian and so it's not a religious thing)
We celebrate because that means the days are going to start getting longer - gotta be happy with that!
Anyway, was wondering, do you have a specific way to celebrate. Are there traditional foods?

Answer 1

Celebrating the Winter Solstice, Yule as many call it would have similar foods that traditionally are served at Christmas, because Christmas traditions tended to stem from Yule. It is a feasting time, giving thanks for abundance in hopes that the Spring will come and be filled with abundance again.

Any food or drink that you feel helps to represent the Light, whether that is the Sun, a Sun God or Jesus being a Light unto the world would be a great addition to your celebration.

Happy Holidays!

Answer 2

While Winter Solstice (or Yule) celebrations vary from Neo-Pagan community to Neo-Pagan community, there are certain frequently encountered elements:

In some way, the Sun is reborn symbolically or ritually. Winter Solstice is a time to celebrate the sacredness of Night (the longest one of the year) as well as Sunlight (for the days now start getting longer). The Sun's rebirth is a key theme of most Yule rituals. The Wiccan Mysteries most closely linked to the Winter Solstice are the Mysteries of Birth, the Mysteries of Night, and the Mysteries of Hope's Survival.

Three sacred plants are of particular importance at Yule: the holly, the oak, and the mistletoe. These also have symbolic significance in terms of the Solstice's place in the larger process of the Wheel of the Year.

As far as traditional foods, it is more a tradition of food in general--but particularly foods associated with winter, such as pickled or preserved vegetables from the summer, or winter root vegetables.

Other traditions include the burning of the Yule log, which, like mistletoe and holly, have now become diffused into the Christian celebrations of this time of year as well.

By the way, your question asks about Pagan traditions in a respectable, rational way, an appropriate tone for a person of one faith to use when asking questions about another. On Yahoo Answers such questions appropriately asked are rare, so thank you.

Answer 3

In a pagan household, all food is traditional. LOL

Mostly decorations - candles to "draw back" the sun. Wreaths that reflect the constant circle of "life death and rebirth", a tree, which not only represents the source of our heat during the cold winter months, and which we honor with the Yule log, but also the evergreen, another symbol of the cycle of life and death and the promise of rebirth in the spring.

We have the holly - the story of the Holly King and the Oak King, one of the stories of the season. We have ornaments that reflect the season - snowflakes and pine cones.

There is lots of symbolism at this time of year in the natural decorations we put into our homes.

And food. One of the biggest items in pagan traditions is the draw of the conversation and good times round the table. Good food, good drink, not matter what it is.

Answer 4

Yule is predominately considered an Asatru holiday (Norse) as it was sacred to both Odin and Freya. Usually the meal would consist of boiled pork during the blot (ceremony).

As a Wiccan we usually have a pot luck dinner and circle. We turn the Wheel of the Year. And we either light a Yule log or, in the case of my tradition, we light a red, white, and green candle that are on our Yule log. The candles are allowed to burn down to nothing except we keep a small piece of the white candle to light the candles next Yule.

Blessed Be )O(

Answer 5

Actually most of the traditional christmas celebrations, with the exception of church services are pagan to begin with. The tree, the gifts, the dinner, the mistle toe...it's all part of the Yule celebration. The Yule log is the only major difference. Normally part of the previous year's log is saved to light the fire, but nowadays, most folks just drill holes ina small log and put tealights or votives in it.

Answer 6

Yes (though I celebrate Yule as the name of the Winter Solstice).

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/yulerecipes/Yule_Recipes.htm

I plan on making the pork roast, chestnut stuffing and Stollen for my sweetie this year - even if it is a 'Christmas' Stollen. ;-)

)O(

Answer 7

Spike the Egg Nogg

Answer 8

I miss the monkey, but anyway; yes we do. We eat lots of candy, I used to spend the day in a drunken stupor; then later in life wacked out of my head on heavy drugs; but now it's just candy day. The moderating effect of my fiance has given me a new perspective and a desire to continue living, it's a funny old world; things can turn on a dime! I hope You have some candy too former Mav.

Answer 9

darn, I was wanting to know the answer too, but it doesn't look like there are to many pagans on today. :(

Answer 10

Thumbs up! I like this question.