Hello to all! The next 3 days, we will be focusing and learning about different Winter and other Holiday Celebrations.
Today we will be learning about Winter Solstice and Yule.
Imagine in ancient times how terrifying it was for people when suddenly the sunlight became scarce. That is what prompted the celebrations of the Winter Solstice and Yule. Although both are somewhat related, the Winter Solstice focuses on a single day where Yule is more of a "season."
Winter Solstice has been seen as a significant time of the year in many cultures and is acknowledged by festivals and rituals. It Marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. It holds many mystical celebrations in anticipation of the sun's return.
Stonehenge in England has a huge gathering with people gathering at dawn to witness the magical occurrence of the sun rising through the mystical stones. People can actually go right up to the stones!
In Scandinavia, Winter Solstice is celebrated on December 13th (the solstice of the old calendar) with St. Lucia Day. Young women wear white robes, a red sash and a wreath with candles on their heads.
Shab-e Yalda is a Winter Solstice Celebration in Iran where family gather to read poetry and feast through the longest night of the year. Summer fruits like watermelon are eaten as legend has it that eating summer fruits will protect you from winter illness.
Vancouver in Canada has a Winter Solstice Lantern Festival. Festival goers can attend the Labyrinth of Light, a maze of 600 candles.
Food eaten for Winter Solstice are comfort foods such as chicken and dumplings or roasts but in areas where it is warmer then, winter salads are typically served.
Yule is a traditional holiday holding roots in Northern European traditions, particularly with the Germanic Peoples.
When the days grew colder and the nights longer, people of ancient times would light candles and gather round fires to lure back the sun.
Evergreens were cut and brought indoors to symbolize life, rebirth and renewal. They were thought to have power over death because the green remained.
Because of their strength, they were believed to encourage the Sun's return.
Holly, because of it's prickiness, was thought to capture or ward off evil spirts from entering a home.
Misltetoe was thought to bring fertility to the household.
Druids would harvest the mistletoe from sacred oak trees and maidens would gather underneath to catch the falling branches without them hitting the ground. If the branches hit the ground it was believed their sacred energy would go back into the earth.
The custom of burning a Yule log began with ancient Scandinavians who burned a huge log to honor their God, Thor. In order to keep the fire burning, a huge Oak tree was cut down and brought into the home where the tree was placed in the fireplace trunk first and the last remnants set aside to burn with the next year's fire. It was also believed that the longer the log burned, the sooner the sun would return.
Gingerbread and Wassail are food and drink associated with Yule.
Yule in 2021 will begin on December 21st and End on January 1st.
Do you celebrate the Winter Solstice or the Yule season? Has anyone been to Stonehenge on the Winter Solstice?
Today we will be learning about Winter Solstice and Yule.
Imagine in ancient times how terrifying it was for people when suddenly the sunlight became scarce. That is what prompted the celebrations of the Winter Solstice and Yule. Although both are somewhat related, the Winter Solstice focuses on a single day where Yule is more of a "season."
Winter Solstice has been seen as a significant time of the year in many cultures and is acknowledged by festivals and rituals. It Marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. It holds many mystical celebrations in anticipation of the sun's return.
Stonehenge in England has a huge gathering with people gathering at dawn to witness the magical occurrence of the sun rising through the mystical stones. People can actually go right up to the stones!
In Scandinavia, Winter Solstice is celebrated on December 13th (the solstice of the old calendar) with St. Lucia Day. Young women wear white robes, a red sash and a wreath with candles on their heads.
Shab-e Yalda is a Winter Solstice Celebration in Iran where family gather to read poetry and feast through the longest night of the year. Summer fruits like watermelon are eaten as legend has it that eating summer fruits will protect you from winter illness.
Vancouver in Canada has a Winter Solstice Lantern Festival. Festival goers can attend the Labyrinth of Light, a maze of 600 candles.
Food eaten for Winter Solstice are comfort foods such as chicken and dumplings or roasts but in areas where it is warmer then, winter salads are typically served.
Yule is a traditional holiday holding roots in Northern European traditions, particularly with the Germanic Peoples.
When the days grew colder and the nights longer, people of ancient times would light candles and gather round fires to lure back the sun.
Evergreens were cut and brought indoors to symbolize life, rebirth and renewal. They were thought to have power over death because the green remained.
Because of their strength, they were believed to encourage the Sun's return.
Holly, because of it's prickiness, was thought to capture or ward off evil spirts from entering a home.
Misltetoe was thought to bring fertility to the household.
Druids would harvest the mistletoe from sacred oak trees and maidens would gather underneath to catch the falling branches without them hitting the ground. If the branches hit the ground it was believed their sacred energy would go back into the earth.
The custom of burning a Yule log began with ancient Scandinavians who burned a huge log to honor their God, Thor. In order to keep the fire burning, a huge Oak tree was cut down and brought into the home where the tree was placed in the fireplace trunk first and the last remnants set aside to burn with the next year's fire. It was also believed that the longer the log burned, the sooner the sun would return.
Gingerbread and Wassail are food and drink associated with Yule.
Yule in 2021 will begin on December 21st and End on January 1st.
Do you celebrate the Winter Solstice or the Yule season? Has anyone been to Stonehenge on the Winter Solstice?
