Page 31 - Kallima Newsletter - December 2021 - January 2022

Yule v’s Christmas - What’s the difference?
Historically, it’s more a question of why Yule is also called Christmas, instead of the other way around. A staggering number of traditions that are now associated with Christmas are actually much older Pagan practices, used by ancient northern Europeans to show respect to the yearly return of our sun.
Those asserting the holiday cannot be rightly known as anything other than Christmas, often claim to have history and tradition on their side. This may be the true beginning with the globalization of Christianity. But humankind was celebrating the return of the sun long before Jesus Christ was known.
Today, most Christians aren’t even aware that most of their beloved Christmas traditions, such as Christmas trees, Pomanders, Yule logs, Wassailing, and mistletoe were actually swiped from earlier Pagan religions. Even Santa Claus and his 8 reindeer is believed to be an incarnation of the Norse god, Odin and his 8 legged horse Sleipnir.
The early fathers of the Catholic Church were no dummies. They realised the quickest, most effective way to get the people on board with Christianity was to incorporate the traditions and festivals of the Old worship into the New. Then as now, most people resist change, so allowing the common people to keep their familiar rituals made it much easier to indoctrinate them to the worship of Jesus.
The winter solstice had always been crucial for our ancestors whose entire existence revolved around the growing cycles of the year. Winter meant the leanest time of year
for most, but the fact that the sun grew stronger every day from the solstice, and the promise of spring, gave people hope and comfort during the long, dark winter months.
Our agriculturally driven forefathers saw the return of the light as a reason to celebrate, and celebrate they did. The solstice was an occasion marked by feasting, drinking, gift giving, and much merriment.
The word “Yule” itself is believed to be a derivative of an ancient Scandinavian turn of phrase meaning “wheel,” although the precise etymology is still a topic for modern debate. The connotations associated with “wheel” seem rather apt for the origin of the word Yule, especially when one considers that Yule was, and is, an important milestone in our yearly journey around the sun, or “wheel” of the year. Many cultures, both old and new, chose this time to celebrate the arrival of a new year. For us witches, Samhain is usually our New Year, however as time goes on a lot of us still celebrate new year with the rest of the world as well as Samhain. Why not be eclectic?!
Evergreens have always been an important symbolic element of Yuletide, which was later incorporated into Christmas traditions. Holly, ivy and mistletoe are all familiar Christmas greenery that has been part of Pagan solstice celebrations in Europe for thousands of years. Evergreens are potent reminders of immortality, a perfect complement to the sun that is reborn every year at the end of December.
The celebration of Christmas is simply the latest in a long line of mid-winter holidays celebrating the rebirth of a sacrificed deity. The names may have changed, but the fundamental myth has remained constant back into the mists of pre-history. Some may see this as blasphemous, while others derive comfort from the
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