Christians refrain from answering this is not for you and I do not want any rude replies we are evil going to hell etc.
Is it just a one day ritual or do you celebrate over many days?
Plese state religion as Wicca Druid etc.
2007-12-09 02:09:10 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
New to this myself, but as I have read The winter Solstice begains Dec 20-23 they go to the beach before sunset chant and dip into the water at the beach for a cleansing.....
after they sit by the fire and talk and tell stories
2007-12-09 07:04:14 · answer #1 · answered by harmonieclark 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Norse Heathen: For me, it starts at Modhranict (Mother Night) or Solstice Eve. The Yule log is brought in and kindled with the need-fire bundle, which contains nine kinds of wood.
Holly is hung at the windows and doors, as well as protection runes, as this is the last night of the Wild Hunt. The most usual prtection rune is the snowflake - actually a bindrune of Hagal and Elkhaz.
An offering bowl of rommigrot or Norn's porridge with fruits and nuts are left out for the landvettir.
On Solstice Morning, a song is sung to greet the new morning.
Various offerings are made until January 1, to mark the 12 days of Yule, which finishes with a big party on New Year's Eve. This festival honors Freyr with a big feast of pork and possibly venison, if available. There are jokes, dancing and games. This is probably the origin of the New Year's Eve party.
As I have always said, most of what the Norse Heathen believe exists behind and under the long-standing traditions of the European people. Strip away the Christian veneer and it's there
2007-12-09 08:10:50 · answer #2 · answered by Robin Runesinger 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I celebrate Yule even though it is technically not of Celtic origin. I am a Scots Celtic Pagan. As is well known, many scots have a strong Norse background as they were invaded numerous times by the vikings intermingling some of their culture along with the local ones. Because of this I have no problem celebrating holidays that are traditionally of Norse origin because my ancestors would likely have celebrated it in a similar way.
My day will start at sundown on the 22nd and end with sundown on the 23rd. I will burn a candle throughout the night. ( I would prefer a yule log and by log i mean big fire, but alas this year I have no where to burn it). There will be much drinking and feasting and merriment to be had. In the afternoon I will devote my day to my newborn daughter. She will be 6 weeks by then.
The day is all about family and community for me, giving gifts, putting up trees and decorations and beginning to prepare for the fire festival on Feb 1.
2007-12-09 05:03:40 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Mine is going to be incredibly hectic this year. I'll do Mother's Night with just me and the kids. Frigga has been GOOD to me lately. I'll most likely do a blot to her from me after the kids go to bed as well. I have personal thanks to give her.
Then on the 22nd I am having a party with my mixed group of pagan friends. My kindred is doing thier ritual on a day I can't go, so I'm throwing a party. We'll do a bit of sumbeling and I'll do a small blot to Freyr. And then the day after that, I load the kids up in the car and head three states over to see my family. We'll celebrate Christmas since my Dad is Christian and my mom is Buddhist and just wants a holiday. hehe. It's all family friends for the rest of the week while I am in town, random celebratins until I come home to see my brother and sister in law who are coming into town and we have another "Christmas" when they come. Somewhere is all of that I want to do a Thorblot because he's been helping me out A LOT lately so I'll make some time.
Ok I'm tired just thinking about it.
elm: to imply that those who have thier own tradition are not real pagans is rather Gardinian of you. Mine is based on archeolgical evidence and 1000 year old texts. I do it the way the ancestors did. Damn I though we Recons were snobs.
2007-12-09 02:19:53 · answer #4 · answered by ~Heathen Princess~ 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I'm a Reconstructionist Norse heathen, so Yule is from the traditions of my ancestors and I pull out *all* the stops. *G*
Historically, the Yule season begins with the Mothersnight vigil, on or around the solstice---making a big deal of the solstice is a bit of a modern borrowing from Wicca, and wasn't really all that important, religiously, to ancient Northern Europeans. Candles or, if possible, a Yule log, are kept burning all night. I hold three blotar; the first to the Disr at sundown, the second to Freyja and Frigga at midnight, and the third to Sunna at dawn.
The ancients referred to their observance of Yule as "drinking" it---as in, "the king will be drinking Yule with his mannerbunde"---and every farmstead was required to brew a set amount of Julbier (a stronger, more richly flavored ale) for the feasts. Shiner and several other small traditional breweries still put out Julbiers this time of year, and I drink some on each of the 12 days of Yule. What a hardship religion can be . . . heh. :-)
The traditional Yule horns are offered to Odin for victory, to Njord for prosperity, and to Freyr for a good year. I'll offer them around the 24th or 25th, which is also when I'll set out the bowl of buttered porridge for the Tomten, and gift the hausvaettir in some way.
On 12th night, the Folk will gather, feast, blot, party, swear oaths, and burn our Yule wreaths. I'll be travelling up to San Antonio for that.
2007-12-09 02:43:02 · answer #5 · answered by Boar's Heart 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I'm Wiccan, and I make a beautiful Yule candle and burn it all night long, since I don't have a fireplace. I do a private ritual, and read some stories to my family. I keep it pretty low key, and we do a lot of "Christmas" things like the tree, carols, gifts, etc., but then we all know that pagans had these first!
2007-12-09 12:57:55 · answer #6 · answered by tawniemarie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my 'church' does a pot luck and ritual for each sabbat, camping when the weather allows. for yule we gather in an area park with a heated shelter, eat, tell stories for the kids, have ritual, and enjoy each other's company. my healing clan has a lot of members in one coven, so we join their yule party, which is pretty much a typical party. everybody focuses on their family or coven for the true sabbat.
except for the two covens that are highly represented in our 'church', we're an ecclectic bunch. we normally do ritual in a wiccan format, but we come from a wide variety of paths. i'm an ecclectic generic pagan, myself.
2007-12-09 06:59:55 · answer #7 · answered by bad tim 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I celebrate Yule via a night of music making with friends. I am wiccan, but I am not at liberty to say which sub-sect or temple I belong to - we have a policy of confidentiality.
2007-12-09 02:21:23 · answer #8 · answered by Mandy 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I will spend it with family members as I always do, and I celebrate Christmas more for the kids than anything else.
The rest of the time I will be cooking for everyone, and meditating preparing myself for the New year, and cleaning my house to also prepare it for the new year.
2007-12-09 02:30:14 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Honestly, I just started studying Wicca, so I don't know what branch I am...
I usually do it for one day and I make sure a candle is lit all day long in middle of a bowl of white rice. It's good luck for me.
2007-12-09 02:25:31 · answer #10 · answered by LoveThroughout_Time 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋