Solitary Yule: How to Celebrate the Winter Solstice
The Yuletide season is upon us! The Winter Solstice arrives when we reach the peak of the darkest time of the year. The earth's axis tilts away from the sun. This is when we experience the longest night and the shortest day of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, this falls between December 20-22. It is often on or recognized on December 21st. In the Southern Hemisphere, it falls between June 21-23. Here are a few ways you can celebrate a Yule or the Winter Solstice as a solitary practitioner (or even with a few others/your household!).
All of the holidays around Winter Solstice are mainly about celebrating the light returning and the hope for the future. The darker Winter months (especially in ancient times) had higher death rates. The land becomes barren and cold, and could be very hard to get through. The solstice was a symbol of hope that this is as dark as it gets. From here out the light of day will start to increase and return again.
Learn about the Winter Solstice and Various Holiday Traditions
Around this time of year there are a lot of different winter holidays. Most of us are familiar with Christmas and Hanukkah, and most pagans will celebrate Yule. Yule comes from Norse origins and traditions. It has since been adopted by many pagan paths! One way to really connect with the holiday is to look up its' origins.
If you don't feel particularly connected with Yule or Norse traditions, you can also look into other winter holidays and festivals that are celebrated around the solstice. To name a few examples: the ancient Egyptians used this time to celebrate the Sun god, Ra. The ancient Greeks celebrated the Feast of Poseidon. The Romans would celebrate Saturnalia and the god of time and agriculture, Saturn. If you have a specific path or are connecting with your ancestors and heritage, see if you can find more information on their history and traditions. It's an amazing way to connect with your ancestors!
Learn about Winter Deities
Another research project you could do around this time of year is to research what deities are most celebrated or honored at this time of year to connect with them. In Norse traditions, Odin was said to visit from Asgard in disguise as "Old Man Winter" to bestow gifts. In my own Greek culture, offerings are given to Demeter to comfort her in her daughter Persephone's absence while she is in the Underworld. Persephone is often also honored at this time with pomegranate seeds and other offerings. As mentioned above, some cultures would celebrate sun or agriculture gods such as Saturn and Ra.
Whether your practice has a cultural focus or a specific pantheon, or you follow an eclectic path and draw from multiple pantheons. This is a great time to learn about the deities traditionally honored at this time and how you can follow tradition and honor them as well.
Decorate with Evergreens
A lot of different cultures decorated with evergreens at this time of year! They were seen as sacred and magickal plants because they did not appear to die during the winter. Evergreens were used all over the world as symbols of immortality, life, and resilience. The types of evergreen plants varied on the culture and traditions, but the symbolism remains the same! Decorating your home, altar or sacred space with evergreens and other symbols of winter is a great way to continue those traditions!
There are many arguments over the true origins of what is now recognized as a Christmas tree. In some areas of Scandinavia, trees were brought indoors to protect woodland spirits. The Druids decorated evergreen trees outside to honor the trees and their immortality. It was considered a bad omen to uproot one of these sacred trees. Many pagans have embraced modern adaptations of these traditions and make a "Yule trees," either indoors or outdoors.
Decorate a Yule Log
One tradition that has since seen many variations over the years, from decorations to cakes, is the Yule log. The original Norse traditions were to decorate the Yule log with evergreens, cinnamon, dried orange slices, and other (burn-safe!) seasonal offerings. It would then be burned in the hearth to welcome the light and protect the home. Some traditions involved every family member bringing a sprig to throw onto the Yule log as a form of divination. If the sprig did not burn, it was a bad omen or a warning for that family member for the year to come.
These days, less of us have functioning fireplaces or adequate fire pits. Modern adaptations of the Yule log have since popped up that are both decorative and symbolic of the same traditions. They are adorned with similar evergreens and wintertime symbols (real or fake, depending on your preference). They are also decorated with candles or candle votives. This symbolizes the burning of the Yule log in a more contained way, and the decorative Yule log can be saved and brought back out year after year with new candles.
Give to those in need
The "season of giving" rings true for pagans as well as those who celebrate the traditional Christmas. If you have clothes, food or money to give, it is a wonderful time to do so. "Those in need" can also include animals who need food or shelter. If you have wildlife near you, setting up access to water or feeders with food (safe for your local wildlife) counts! If you have the home, space and time, adopting or fostering animals is another way to give shelter to an animal in need.
Have a Yuletide Feast
As with most holidays, you can celebrate it with food. You can host a meal for your household, or just make a mini feast for yourself! Traditional foods at this time of year include:
Roasted meats (or vegan roasts as veggie-friendly substitutes)
Stews
Gingerbread
Fruit cakes
Cookies
Dried fruits
Nuts
Apples
Oranges
Mulled Wine
Spiced Cider
You can also just use anything that is in season at this time of year or feels wintery to you. Soups, winter squashes, hot cocoa, tea, etc.
Winter Solstice Spellwork
Spells to do at this time of year are usually for: Peace, harmony, hope, happiness, healing, world healing, future abundance and setting intentions for the new year and what you want to bring in.
Yule Correspondences:
Colors: White, Red, Green, Silver, Gold
Herbs/Plants: Evergreens, Pine, Cedar,
Basalm, Fir, Palm Rushes, Oak, Holly,
Mistletoe, Ivy, Cinnamon, Cloves, Ginger,
Frankincense, Bayberry, Myrrh, Rosemary,
Nutmeg, Valerian, Juniper, Wintergreen,
Chamomile, Pinecones
Crystals: Clear Quartz, Diamond,
Emerald, Ruby, Garnet, Bloodstone
