Yule Decorations and Traditions

[Libris]

As the season is fast approaching, I thought it might be cool to have a thread to discuss yule decorations (tree, lights, yule log etc...). If you celebrate yule, do you decorate? What kind of tree do you use, do you make your own decorations or buy them? How else do you make the yuletide special? Are there special recipes you like to use? Do you have a tradition from your childhood? Is there a special ornament that has been passed down through your family? Share with us!

Here's what I'm doing so far:

I'm going to the woods later today to get some raw material to make yule tree ornaments. There are these really neat trees, bladderpod trees that have little ballon like pods with a few seeds in them. I string a few together and hang them on the tree, they make the neatest ornaments. I'll also gather some bittersweet vines for wreaths, pinecones, bark and seeds for more ornaments, rose hips to make a garland... So fun :cheers:


Happy Yule :hahugh:

[VelvetBlade]

We have Christmas traditions and Yule traditions too. Our Christmas traditions actually start on Thanksgiving. Each child is given a new ornament for the tree at dinner. We try to make it reflect their interests over the past year and it has their name and the year written on it. By the time each child is old enough to move out on their own, they already have a set of ornaments that is of sentimental value to them.

~VB

[Libris]

We have Christmas traditions and Yule traditions too. Our Christmas traditions actually start on Thanksgiving. Each child is given a new ornament for the tree at dinner. We try to make it reflect their interests over the past year and it has their name and the year written on it. By the time each child is old enough to move out on their own, they already have a set of ornaments that is of sentimental value to them.

~VB

That's so neat! I bet they have so fun looking at all the ones they've received over the years. My MIL does something kind of like that. Now we have so many neat ornaments from DH's childhood, puting up the tree is like looking through a scrapbook

[Crysiira]

VelvetBlade - that's what my mom did too! Not always with our name and year on it, but still, something we knew was ours because it was sentimental to us. I am out on my own now and have a neat little collection.
Not that I have any room to put anything up! I live in a tiny apartment. No room for a tree, or much of anything else. Last year I got frusterated and actually painted a tree on a piece of cardboard. All pretty with decorations and everything. We tacked it to the wall, and that was our Christmas tree, and will be again this year!
As for other decorations, well, I'm still not quite sure what I'll be doing yet. Something simple. For Samhain I just set some gourds around the house. Maybe I can go out and get pine cones or something and set those around... Or maybe I'll just wait and see what everyone else says and steal some ideas! :hahugh:

[omar]

I would be more interested in how the old English Yuletide was celebrated before the Christian invastion? And before the Germans introduced the Christmas tree.

[Jadewynd~]

I usally do have a tree for the holidays. It makes the home bright and cheery, it has been a tradition in my family so I continue that tradition [though it was a fake tree :) ]. But, since having my own place now for 12 years I buy live trees. Plus, I love the smell of a tree and a wreath in the home. After the holidays I recycle.

In terms of decorating my altar I usually put pine cones and holly. The holly gets converted to a wand after the holidays. I use to put a small wreath at my altar but, that is no longer going to happen since, the dreamcatcher I made has taken center wall of my altar.

As for recipes the usual traditional foods passed down from generations. I also have ornaments that have been passed down from generation so that has a place in our home (husband, cat and me) :)

[Libris]

I would be more interested in how the old English Yuletide was celebrated before the Christian invastion? And before the Germans introduced the Christmas tree.

I've always been interested in prechristian celebrations too. There are quite a few websites on the subject out there, detailing pagan traditions of the yule log, wassail etc... But I can't vouch for any of them in terms of scholarly accuracy. Does anyone know of reliable websites/books/articles detailing prechristian yule traditions?

[Sorcha_Sassenach]

I like all these tradition. I have never celebrate Yule before (it's on Dec. 21st right?) and I'm planning on celebrating it this year.
Does anyone know where I can get some good info on Yule, and what I should do. IDK if I'll make a Yule log this year, but I do have several holly bushes. What could I make with holly?

[Ulfurskona]

Depending on how much holly you can harvest, you could get a floral wreath mold (from walmart or craft store) and make a holly wreath for your door, or get several smaller ones to make centerpieces with (and put a candelabra in the middle of them).

We're going to be doing a fairly standard holiday dinner on the 26th about midway through the season. My husband doesn't come home till the second day of yule (December 22nd) but I'm hoping to get my altar decorated before that, and of course we'll have a tree. I wish I could do a yule log, but since we have a gas fireplace that won't really work out well. :(

I think though, I'm going to talk to him about doing a Blot each night with me using spiced mead, and we'll have the same as a drink during the holiday meal.

Every year we get a real tree, but this year, since we finally own our own home and a bit of land, we're going to get a rooted tree, so at the end of the season it can be planted in the yard.

[cheddarsox]

Depending on how much holly you can harvest, you could get a floral wreath mold (from walmart or craft store) and make a holly wreath for your door, or get several smaller ones to make centerpieces with (and put a candelabra in the middle of them).

We're going to be doing a fairly standard holiday dinner on the 26th about midway through the season. My husband doesn't come home till the second day of yule (December 22nd) but I'm hoping to get my altar decorated before that, and of course we'll have a tree. I wish I could do a yule log, but since we have a gas fireplace that won't really work out well. :(



I didn't know Yule had a season! How many days does it last etc. I'd like to know more.

Thanks

cheddar

[Libris]

I didn't know Yule had a season! How many days does it last etc. I'd like to know more.

Thanks

cheddar


Wikkepdia has a really good article on yule (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule) that gives some basic information about the origin of the holiday and neopagan celbration of it. I think the length of the holiday depends on your tradition. I believe, though I could be wrong, people following norse traditions generally celebrate 13 days of yule, starting with the day before the solstice and ending 12 days after the solstice (the twelve days of christmas). This site provides some information about the celebration, though I can't vouch for its historical accuracy: http://home.earthlink.net/~wodensharrow/yule.html





I wish I could do a yule log, but since we have a gas fireplace that won't really work out well. :(




That sounds really neat! I don't have a fireplace either so I use candles to represent the yule log. I get one of those huge white candles with three wicks and light it each night during yuletide.




Does anyone know where I can get some good info on Yule, and what I should do. IDK if I'll make a Yule log this year, but I do have several holly bushes. What could I make with holly?

Oh, you're lucky to have a ready supply of holly! I use holly to make altar decorations mainly. It does make nice wreaths too.

As for info on yule, the wikipedia article linked above is a good starting place.


I usally do have a tree for the holidays. It makes the home bright and cheery, it has been a tradition in my family so I continue that tradition [though it was a fake tree :) ]. But, since having my own place now for 12 years I buy live trees. Plus, I love the smell of a tree and a wreath in the home. After the holidays I recycle.



DH and I use a live tree as well, but we buy a potted conifer each year and then plant it at his grandfather's dairy farm. One of the parks we go to has a tree recycling center with free mulch from the trees. I love the way it smells! I always pick up a few bagfulls after the holiday for the garden.

[Whitewolf]

Last year was the first time I celebrated Yule. I can't believe its been a year already. This year I will either make a Yule log or buy one. I'm also going to a Celebration. [if my friend has it at her house]. Or I'll go to the one at the store The Cauldron [in Point Peasant, NJ]. I also plan to hang up some mistletoe when it gets closer to the end of December.

[Eleisawolf]

We don't have a fireplace, so I can't conscience cutting down a tree to decorate. Someday I hope to start a tradition of live trees that will sit in our living room until New Year's, to be planted the weekend following. That seems to me to be the best way these days. But that's MHO. :)

We have lights (lots of lights) and knick-knacks we've been given, with ornaments collected since childhood for both of us that adorn our lovely fake tree. ;) Candles and wreaths round it out. My new addition this year is to put my miniature Yule tree, given to me just after college when the only place I had room for a tree was on my table, in my gargoyle planter, surrounded with silver garland (both to hide the rock that keeps the tree from blowing over and to give the impression of sparkling snow). This new item is sitting on my front porch, on a ledge that juts out next to the steps. When I get my outdoor lights up (within the next couple of days, I hope), I will wrap some of them around the tree to light it up at night.

I like making decorations when I can, but I have so many that have been gifted to me that I fear I may overwhelm my little house if I put up too many. But we put lots of red and green around and that helps too. :)

Peace
:reindeer: :cutesanta

[Eleisawolf]

Oh, and I forgot to mention, we celebrate for a whole month, from December 6 (St. Nicholas/Father Christmas Day) through January 7 (Russian Orthodox Christmas/Three Kings Day). We usually give throughout that season, whether to each other or to charity or whatever. Yule Day and Christmas Day are both the main celebrations, the one for me and hubby, the other for our Christian/secular families. ;)

Peace again...
:santasmil

[moonbride]

I've always used aritificial trees because I normally like to put my things up for quite a long time. They'd already be up now but this year we're having improvements done to the house and there are a couple more windows that will be put in later this week so I'm thinking maybe this next weekend we'll decorate. I just don't want to have to deal with all that while people will still be coming in and out of the house so much.

I do use real greens in various places when I can. I have several of the artificial primitive pencil trees with white lights all over the house once I decorate. Homemade stockings, most of our ornaments are homemade over the years, red green and gold candles everywhere. I have been wanting to make a yule log centerpiece for a candle but haven't gotten to that yet. I'm hoping this year.

[omar]

I did find this little tid bit in a book. The Yule log is generly an oak,ash or yew faggot. They drank hot spiced cidar or mead. From Dec. 20-Jan. 6th. Roast goose & other game was served. Not much there.

[Rananeida]

It's my favourite holiday, and I always begin the preparations several weeks in advance. :santasmil

However, I follow the traditions from home when it comes to when the holiday begins. No tree nor glitter nor anything connected to the holiday (except the smell of bisquits baking) enters my house before December the 23rd (called "little yule eve"), and I am horribly, horribly annoyed at the stores who start dressing their windows already by the end of September.

I find the ugly fast growing gene-manipulated "real" trees one can buy an insult to everything this holiday stands for, and we don't own any land on which proper pines or spruces grow at the moment, so we have one big fake northern pine, and one smaller potted local conifer that normally lives on the balcony. I am considering taking up the old tradition from home with having a decorated live rowan in the northern corner of the livingroom, but they're not easy to find down here.

I have made several spicefilled hearts made from scraps of fabric for the big tree this year, and I have also tried to hone my skills as a snowflake cutter (ca. 10 cm big paper snowflakes for the windows), but I think I have hit the ceiling when it comes to their decoration value - actually, they don't seem to get particularly pretty no matter how I hold the scissors...

We will have lots of holly in the house this year, because the local grove is making berries like mad and they're unbelievable pretty. I will make a wreath for the door from it to welcome the spirits, and probably also try my hand at making girlanders. I'll also see if I can lure somebody with a car up to the hills to get some pine cones and juniper, too. No proper yule without juniper.

Re: the length of the holiday. In Scandinavia early medieval laws(!) said it should be 20 days long, and most Scandinavians still keep to that, a thousand years later. The laws also said that the peace of yule also applied to the animals, even the "bad" ones, and that all traps should be open during this time. Some heathens keep even older traditions (or at least more heathen ones) that say yule should last a whole month from sundown on Dec. 13th to sunrise Jan. 13th - that is, the whole month of ylir, of which the first half is a private celebration. I find 20 days to be enough, though!

Rananeida

[Ulfurskona]

In general, by season, I was referring to the 12 basic days of Yuletide, begining on the 21st (or the solstice) and ending 12 days later (approx. jan 1). Seems like there have been a few other variations though. 20 days seems like an awfully long time, but then it seems to me that since all the "christmas" decor goes up around, oh...halloween give or take any more, that 20 days isn't really all *that* long. :)

[Rananeida]

There are some who celebrate "only" 13 days in Scandinavia, too, and end the celebrations on Three Kings' Day (Epiphany), but this is a pretty recently imported British or continental idea*, I'm led to believe - and also Christian, unless I'm mistaken. Yes, 13 days, not 12 - never 12, actually - because also the 24th counts as a holy day in Scandinavia, and is also the most important of them all - that's when Scandinavians do all the things most other people do the next morning.

Oh, and the julelog, which otherwise is pretty rare in Scandinavia nowadays, is usually a "tyrirot" in Norway - not sure what it might be called in English. It's the root of a mountain pine with a kernel particularly rich in resins. It can burn for a full month, and the last bit of it is usually saved to kindle next year's yule fire with.

It's almost scary how early some people begin, though! It's not only the stores, either - I hear about people who plan to put up their tree this weekend!

Rananeida

* Many of the "Norse" customs and traditions one can find in modern heathen traditions aren't actually Norse at all, but British or continental.

[Jadewynd~]

There are some who celebrate "only" 13 days in Scandinavia, too, and end the celebrations on Three Kings' Day (Epiphany), but this is a pretty recently imported British or continental idea*, I'm led to believe - and also Christian, unless I'm mistaken. Yes, 13 days, not 12 - never 12, actually - because also the 24th counts as a holy day in Scandinavia, and is also the most important of them all - that's when Scandinavians do all the things most other people do the next morning.

Oh, and the julelog, which otherwise is pretty rare in Scandinavia nowadays, is usually a "tyrirot" in Norway - not sure what it might be called in English. It's the root of a mountain pine with a kernel particularly rich in resins. It can burn for a full month, and the last bit of it is usually saved to kindle next year's yule fire with.

It's almost scary how early some people begin, though! It's not only the stores, either - I hear about people who plan to put up their tree this weekend!

Rananeida

* Many of the "Norse" customs and traditions one can find in modern heathen traditions aren't actually Norse at all, but British or continental.

In my family we started celebrating the holidays in November and it followed through to January covering all the holidays in between until Three King's Day. A tradition handed down, learned through my parents and family in Puerto Rico. Though I grew up in NYC.

However, the holidays continued further past Jan 6th, in the neighborhood the celebration of Santa Babara (Saint Barbara). Which was a celebration of life and ridding yourself of the past and anything that may be holding you back or down. Those gatherings were huge, with family and friends. A huge altar was built and the saint statue was placed at the head of the room where we gathered and feasted. Everyone would bring a fruit or plate to honor Saint Barbara and dancing would take place after the ritual prayer. A tradition handed down by Spanish Christianity and the American Taino Indian influence.

[Jolantru]

I haven't logged on for a while now. A lot of topics. This one caught my eye though. ;)

Well, I celebrate Yule and the traditional Christian Christmas - so, I tend to decorate my house with things I could find around me (locally). This year, I have been experimenting with local trees and I made a couple of wreaths with Cook's Pine needles. Likewise, I bought two potted trees and one of them (a pencil pine) makes a good decoration for wreaths. I also make the Advent wreath (for the Christian side).

21-22 Dec is also the Winter Solstice (for the Chinese). We call it 'Dong zhi'. For the Winter Solstice, I would make glutinous dumplings and serve them hot with syrupy soup. It is also a time for family reunion so I make it a point to have a family gathering.

Cheers,
Jolantru

[Cat]

I stink at decorating, but we do get a live tree most years. When my daughter was younger and we were always exhausted we got a fake tree because it was easier, but its not the same. We do gift opening the 21st and then on the 25th we visit non-pagan family and do more gifts. Most of our holiday stuff revolves around family, I guess. And that's great, but it seems a tad one-sided to me.

[Libris]

Those all sound like awesome ideas! I never knew that yule lasted 20 days in Scandinavia, of course here the comercial season seems to begin earlier and earlier...

Jolantru, the Chinese solstice celebration sounds so cool! I've never had glutinous dumplings, I've had Japanese sweet bean paste rice dumplings, are they similar?

[Rananeida]

In my family we started celebrating the holidays in November and it followed through to January covering all the holidays in between until Three King's Day. A tradition handed down, learned through my parents and family in Puerto Rico. Though I grew up in NYC.

But you did it because it was tradition and the proper thing to do, not because you were lured to do it by any commercial forces, which seems to be the case here (it also seem to be a secular thing dragging poor Santa down from the attic already in October).


However, the holidays continued further past Jan 6th, in the neighborhood the celebration of Santa Babara (Saint Barbara). Which was a celebration of life and ridding yourself of the past and anything that may be holding you back or down. Those gatherings were huge, with family and friends. A huge altar was built and the saint statue was placed at the head of the room where we gathered and feasted. Everyone would bring a fruit or plate to honor Saint Barbara and dancing would take place after the ritual prayer. A tradition handed down by Spanish Christianity and the American Taino Indian influence.

I like the Santa Barbara celebrations you describe. They sound healthy! But... isn't Santa Barbara's day December the 4th? Or do they have another day for her in Puerto Rico? Maybe you meant the celebrations starts then? *confused*

It's hard to tell where one holiday ends and another one starts in Scandinavian tradition, too, unless you set a date for yourself or inherit it as part of a tradition. The modern slave of clock and calendar finds it hard to understand the fluidity of things within our culture, and the things that affect and rule that fluidity. The month of yule is more like a group of interlocked events within a bigger group of interlocked events, and none of it really depends on the calendar, although we now do have set days for almost everything thanks to Roman and Christian influence.

For example, the part of the year that involves honouring the ancestor spirits, starts already in autumn (Diseblot on October the 14th and then Day of the dead on November the 2nd), but it continues and has its peak within the yule celebrations (food out on the table for the spirits on particularly the 14. and the 24. of December, and the 13th of January,) and from there it extends into the "man month" and the "woman month" when the living ancestors are honoured with particular attention, and then we're on March the 13th...

None of it makes yule a half year long, though! :D

And, I (like most Scandinavians) actually prefer having a particular day when the preaparations have to be finished and the celebrations can begin. We're not so good at reading the signs around us anymore, and have to rely on calendars to know certain things.

Rananeida

[omar]

The 12 days of Christmas is Dec-Jan6th but Yuletide is "new moon to full moon",or Dec21- Jan 3rd?

[Jolantru]

Jessica,

The dumplings can be found at Asian supermarkets/stores. We call them 'tang yuan'. They are round and are filled with either sesame paste or peanut. ;)


Jolantru

[Avalanche]

I'm going to have a bonfire on the solstice. There's not really any tradition around that, but anytime I have an excuse for a fire, I go dig a hole and burn stuff.

The rest of my family is Christian, so I just do Christmas stuff really.

[Jadewynd~]

But you did it because it was tradition and the proper thing to do, not because you were lured to do it by any commercial forces, which seems to be the case here (it also seem to be a secular thing dragging poor Santa down from the attic already in October).



I like the Santa Barbara celebrations you describe. They sound healthy! But... isn't Santa Barbara's day December the 4th? Or do they have another day for her in Puerto Rico? Maybe you meant the celebrations starts then? *confused*

It's hard to tell where one holiday ends and another one starts in Scandinavian tradition, too, unless you set a date for yourself or inherit it as part of a tradition. The modern slave of clock and calendar finds it hard to understand the fluidity of things within our culture, and the things that affect and rule that fluidity. The month of yule is more like a group of interlocked events within a bigger group of interlocked events, and none of it really depends on the calendar, although we now do have set days for almost everything thanks to Roman and Christian influence.

For example, the part of the year that involves honouring the ancestor spirits, starts already in autumn (Diseblot on October the 14th and then Day of the dead on November the 2nd), but it continues and has its peak within the yule celebrations (food out on the table for the spirits on particularly the 14. and the 24. of December, and the 13th of January,) and from there it extends into the "man month" and the "woman month" when the living ancestors are honoured with particular attention, and then we're on March the 13th...

None of it makes yule a half year long, though! :D

And, I (like most Scandinavians) actually prefer having a particular day when the preaparations have to be finished and the celebrations can begin. We're not so good at reading the signs around us anymore, and have to rely on calendars to know certain things.

Rananeida

For the first have of the quote it is tradition nothing commerical nor for the second half of the quote. I think the best way to describe we were moving along a common singular drum and tradition. If that makes sense to you as it does to me-hehe.

In terms of the January celebration of The Feast of Santa Barbara for me always took place after the New Year. Which commonly the New Year would be starting Dec 30th to Jan 1st and onward, of course other cultures and religions celebrate the New Year different in the calendar year .Santa Barbara which for some is celebrated -yes in December, for others it is celebrated at different points of the year. I think it may be a cultural decision on when to celebrate Santa Barbara as it is for the New Year for other religions and cultures. Like for Hebrew religion Rosh Hashanah is the New Year and Samhain the Witches or Wiccan New Year.

I for one celebrate several new year's -hehe. It keeps the thought of renewal in mind. When most may forget what we set out to renew during the new year.

In terms of the Yule decorations well I explained that some posts ago. However, past the decorations the entire feastivities that happen during the year start with the Yule and continue past Hallow's Eve and Samhain coming full circle again. All spiritual or religious celebrations are linked together at the end of the year which ultimately leads to our reflection.

The idea of the Yule in my family had a silent celebration it almost melted into the entire holiday celebration not in a commerical way but a religious and spiritual way. However, the Yule kind of lost it's identity. It was not lost entirely just linked into the spiritual celebration chain. I decided when I was older to make the Yule single again with it's own voice and celebration. To me the Yule is the change over from fall to winter. But, it is more than that it takes on a kind of earth base religious celebration flare, the birth of the sun and the honor of the lady giving birth once again to the new world. The return of life and light. What's perfect is when we celebrated Santa Barbara it is a reaffirmation of that.:)

[Rananeida]

All spiritual or religious celebrations are linked together at the end of the year which ultimately leads to our reflection.

That is so beautifully put! :)

I've read a bit about Santa Barbara now, and will read more as I haven't read anything that connects her to your traditions yet, only what the Norwegian Catholic church has about her on their site - I hope there is more to be found. I know her name and date from the old rune calendar - she was popular also in Scandinavia before the reformation, and the mass in her honour was an important one.

Come to think of it, we have traditions connected to the renewal of things, too. There are times when things are to be turned in a particular direction to help things move and grow and be renewed, or to hinder them from moving if what could happen otherwise is something unlucky. At other times circle movements are prohibitet as not to disturb the proper turning of things. During yule you're supposed to avoid circle movements, and to only turn things sunwise if it can't be avoided (like when passing the food around the table), or else you hinder the sun from "turning" properly.

Hey, - it looks like there's another renewal connection here, come to think of it, because Santa Barbara's day is actually an important day for spinning and the mending of clothes! :)

Rananeida

[Libris]

Jessica,

The dumplings can be found at Asian supermarkets/stores. We call them 'tang yuan'. They are round and are filled with either sesame paste or peanut. ;)


Jolantru

They sound yummy! I'm going to have to pick some up for the solstice at the Asian market in town :drool: And some wasabi peas too...

[Greybird]

And here I was coming in to make a very similar post. My wife and I celebrate both Yule and the secular traditions we both grew up with. The tree is what brought me here today. The lights will be there. The star (a great one made of sticks and woven vines we found a few years ago) will be there. In the past I've stuck with a simple, natural theme (wooden apples and berries for decorations, etc), but since I'm out of the broom closet this year, I thought I'd add some more specifically pagan elements. Does anybody have any suggestions?

[Ulfurskona]

And here I was coming in to make a very similar post. My wife and I celebrate both Yule and the secular traditions we both grew up with. The tree is what brought me here today. The lights will be there. The star (a great one made of sticks and woven vines we found a few years ago) will be there. In the past I've stuck with a simple, natural theme (wooden apples and berries for decorations, etc), but since I'm out of the broom closet this year, I thought I'd add some more specifically pagan elements. Does anybody have any suggestions?


I guess it would depend on what sort of path you are on...i can't think of any specific examples off the top of my head, but depending on your path, and how "they/it see the holiday symolically, it could affect what you use as decor, or how it would fit.

[Rananeida]

And here I was coming in to make a very similar post. My wife and I celebrate both Yule and the secular traditions we both grew up with. The tree is what brought me here today. The lights will be there. The star (a great one made of sticks and woven vines we found a few years ago) will be there. In the past I've stuck with a simple, natural theme (wooden apples and berries for decorations, etc), but since I'm out of the broom closet this year, I thought I'd add some more specifically pagan elements. Does anybody have any suggestions?

As Ulfurskona says, it really depends on what you see as pagan. To me you're already there with the apples and berries.

I remember seeing some small pentagrams made from beads and copper thread once, that I thought would look good on a tree even for those of us who don't use the pentagram or see it as particularly pagan. If you're crafty you could make them yourself.

I myself have made small herb-stuffed hearts of scraps of fabric this year (as I mentioned in my earlier comment). I also have little "nisses" (Scandinavian house spirits) made of wool yarn [image] (http://www.minsite.com/users/www.garnhuset.se/tomtargarn2.jpg), and small billygoats (the most common shape of the Scandinavian corn spirits) made of straw [image] (http://www.andersonbutik.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/6041.jpg). I plan to make tiny bouquets of holly tied with red ribbons in a week or two - these can also be made from paper and beads if you can't find real holly. I suppose the same could be done with mistletoe, too, with success.

Some other pagan-ish ideas (I hope all the links work):


Gingerbread figures [image] (http://www.gimoherrgard.se/images/upload/pepparkakshjarta.gif)
Dried orange slices [image] (http://www.gimoherrgard.se/images/upload/julpynt.gif)
Rowan berries (see image above)
Straw figures [image] (http://image.blog.livedoor.jp/cafe_hoppe/imgs/f/1/f18cd7d5.JPG)
Decorated pinecones [image] (http://ggcweb.com/nnht/images/products/Shell&PineconeOrn-lg.gif)
Heart- and cone shaped baskets of paper, for the sweets [page] (http://www.matematikksenteret.no/content.ap?thisId=520)
Walnut shells [image] (http://home.online.no/~idunkm/Andre%20Materialer/Nottepynt-2a.jpg)
Cinnamon sticks [image] (http://static.flickr.com/17/20384540_e7c3580092_m.jpg)
Snowflake cut-outs [page] (http://papersnowflakes.com/)


Rananeida

[Jolantru]

Greybird,

I think you are already on the right track. Rananeida has brought up very good suggestions. I mean, the sky's the limits. You can find inspiration around you.


Jolantru

[Jadewynd~]

That is so beautifully put! :)

I've read a bit about Santa Barbara now, and will read more as I haven't read anything that connects her to your traditions yet, only what the Norwegian Catholic church has about her on their site - I hope there is more to be found. I know her name and date from the old rune calendar - she was popular also in Scandinavia before the reformation, and the mass in her honour was an important one.

Come to think of it, we have traditions connected to the renewal of things, too. There are times when things are to be turned in a particular direction to help things move and grow and be renewed, or to hinder them from moving if what could happen otherwise is something unlucky. At other times circle movements are prohibitet as not to disturb the proper turning of things. During yule you're supposed to avoid circle movements, and to only turn things sunwise if it can't be avoided (like when passing the food around the table), or else you hinder the sun from "turning" properly.

Hey, - it looks like there's another renewal connection here, come to think of it, because Santa Barbara's day is actually an important day for spinning and the mending of clothes! :)

Rananeida

If I have my history correct there has been a Scandinavian influence in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico has some interesting history! Unfortunately, some not found in text books. Santa Barbara may have come from the Scandivian infulence but, not sololy there for obvious infulences. Puerto Rico has so many influences from many countries. I would say mainly Eastern / Western European and all surrounding countries and believe it or not Asian influence. But most of all the foundation was the Taino Indians that adds the flair of difference. What sites have you read up on Santa Barbara, I really like to read more!

Santa Barbara, the spinning and mending of clothes I like that! Very special to me since I am a dressmaker and tailor! Didn't know that one, reminds me of Athena=woven cloth, sewing, textiles, technology. Interesting!

[Rananeida]

If I have my history correct there has been a Scandinavian influence in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico has some interesting history! Unfortunately, some not found in text books. Santa Barbara may have come from the Scandivian infulence but, not sololy there for obvious infulences. Puerto Rico has so many influences from many countries. I would say mainly Eastern / Western European and all surrounding countries and believe it or not Asian influence. But most of all the foundation was the Taino Indians that adds the flair of difference. What sites have you read up on Santa Barbara, I really like to read more!

Santa Barbara, the spinning and mending of clothes I like that! Very special to me since I am a dressmaker and tailor! Didn't know that one, reminds me of Athena=woven cloth, sewing, textiles, technology. Interesting!

So far I have read the page they have on katolsk.no (http://www.katolsk.no/biografi/barbara.htm) (in Norwegian), this (http://www.folkstory.com/articles/stbabs.html), this (http://www.oldspanishdays-fiesta.org/history_01.html) and this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Barbara), mostly various versions of her story and a bit about where she is celebrated, not so much on how she is celebrated.

She is the saint for a lot of things and people, apparently, including tailors and hatters, so she should be the perfect saint for you. :)

It seems to me that Barbara took on much what Frigg used to stand for in Scandinavia. The spinning and mending part seems to be local only to Norway. There is also a custom in Norway where you take a winter-naked twig of a fruit tree, usually cherry, into the house on her day and put it in water, and by Christmas eve it will have thrown flowers.

Rananeida

[TheWanderer]

I am actually a practicing Catholic, so I do the whole Christmas thing. This is my first Christmas alone, however, so I am in the process of aquiring my Christmas paraphanalia. However, I have the coolest Advent Wreath. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_wreath)
My dad constantly refers to it as my "Gundorian" Advent Wreath. Apparently, it reminds him of Lord of the Rings.
Here are some pics of my humble decorations, lit for the first week of Advent.

Oh yes, and found this picture of someone's Advent Wreath most interesting. I know the Catholic fondness for alters and such, but I thought you all might appreciate seeing on "in action"
http://virtualdoug.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/christmas2005hue05.jpg

[Nitefalle]

I did find this little tid bit in a book. The Yule log is generly an oak,ash or yew faggot. They drank hot spiced cidar or mead. From Dec. 20-Jan. 6th. Roast goose & other game was served. Not much there.

Firstly, I would like to say that I don't recommend anyone trying to get a Yew for a Yule log - every part of the tree is poisonous, so any inhalation of its smoke may make you sick as well, if handling the wood itself doesn't affect you negatively. Not the best idea.

Secondly - interesting, I've read in various places that Birch is the traditional wood for Yule logs. Hmmmm.

[skilly-nilly]

I participated in a Pagan Yule Craft fair 2 days ago, and I had this on my table. The decorated wishbones are part of a happiness spell, and the balls are origami with Rowan berries, Ash keys, and Yew needles inside and a little poem about the tree as a tag.

[omar]

Firstly, I would like to say that I don't recommend anyone trying to get a Yew for a Yule log - every part of the tree is poisonous, so any inhalation of its smoke may make you sick as well, if handling the wood itself doesn't affect you negatively. Not the best idea.

Secondly - interesting, I've read in various places that Birch is the traditional wood for Yule logs. Hmmmm.

I think I got that out of The 21 Lessons of Merlin? Which has since been discredited.

[Tigerlily]

Unfortunately my family is not having any Christmas decorations this year. My aunt passed away a few months ago and they believe it's disrespectful.

I think it would be weird if I was to decorate my room with Yule things.

:( So no decorations this year--Yule or Christmas.

[Nitefalle]

Well, if it makes you feel any better Tigerlily, you can think of Yule as sort of a Norse Samhain, in the sense that the Northern people saw *this* time as when the dead could visit our plane (Samhain being Celtic in origin) - so you could use this time to honor her spirit, privately of course so as not to upset your family.

[Rananeida]

Unfortunately my family is not having any Christmas decorations this year. My aunt passed away a few months ago and they believe it's disrespectful.

I think it would be weird if I was to decorate my room with Yule things.

:( So no decorations this year--Yule or Christmas.

Like Nitefalle says, yule is traditionally the time of the year when we invite and honour our dead and other spirits in the northern European countries (Scandinavia). Some people even give up their bed for the ancestors (or make up a bed particularly for them) and sleep on the floor/sofa themselves, and most of us leave food on the table for the visitors all night on yule eve. A couple of generations ago this was something everybody did, even the Christians, not only heathens.

The first night of otherwordly visits is December the 12th when Lussi (Frøya's heite, or "alternative name", during yule) and her host of friends and relatives comes by (the so-called Lussereia). Edit: I just realized that it's tomorrow already!


Well, if it makes you feel any better Tigerlily, you can think of Yule as sort of a Norse Samhain, in the sense that the Northern people saw *this* time as when the dead could visit our plane (Samhain being Celtic in origin) - so you could use this time to honor her spirit, privately of course so as not to upset your family.

It's perfectly okay to use present tense here, as we still get visited by our dead and other spirits during yule in Scandinavia. ;)

Rananeida