Yule Greetings!

No blog featuring content dealing in Wicca on any level would be complete without the obligatory Yule post. For those that don’t know, Yule is an old Germanic, Pagan tradition and while scholars have connected it to The Wild Hunt, I’m more focused on asking around for traditions you have for the holiday.  Or, as the celebration more or less lasts for about two months in some traditions, how do you enjoy it?

This bit of knowledge from Wikipedia I found interesting:

The Saga of Hákon the Good credits King Haakon I of Norway with the Christianisation of Norway as well as rescheduling the date of Yule to coincide with Christian celebrations held at the time. The saga states that when Haakon arrived in Norway he was confirmed a Christian, but since the land was still altogether heathen and the people retained their pagan practices, Haakon hid his Christianity to receive the help of the “great chieftains”. In time, Haakon had a law passed establishing that Yule celebrations were to take place at the same time as the Christians celebrated Christmas, “and at that time everyone was to have ale for the celebration with a measure of grain, or else pay fines, and had to keep the holiday while the ale lasted.”^[9]“

So let me understand this.  I have to have ale and celebrate, else pay a fine?  Where do I sign up?

For that matter, I actually switch up my drinking hobby.  Throughout the year, I’m a die-hard wine drinker, but I enjoy IPA styles of beer. Not being very holiday oriented, so I never saw the joy in bothering with celebration.  In recent years, I’ve discovered Belgian style winter whits and ales to be enjoyable.  The spiced ones, having cardamom and traditional baking spices impart a nice flavor on the beers and the high alcohol content keeps me toasty.

I enjoy cinnamon candles more than any other time of the year.  Anything that spreads the concept of warmth to those who appear on my doorstep, I’m down with as my tradition.

I’ll ask again, what are yours?

You can bet Sonja and Derrick have their own traditions, but life wasn’t always this easy for the former spy and his lovely death metal vocalist. Buy their story now!