In our family, our annual tradition is that we only cut down our tree if it has a bird's nest in it (obviously, by December the birds don't need it any more, it's just something my teenager started as a child). In the Celtic tradition, a continual hearth fire was kept to prevent spirits from entering the home. Stop in and see us at the following exhibit: M.A.N.T.S – January 8 – 10, 2020 at booth #13, Planting America Green for over 65 years | Wholesale Evergreen and Christmas Tree Farm.

Because of its prickliness it was thought to capture or ward off evil spirits before they could enter a home and cause harm. By including elves in the Yule celebrations, the ancients believed they were assuring the elves assistance in the coercion of the Sun to return. The villagers, in return, would reward them with tokens and sweets and small gifts which symbolized the food and prosperity given by the Mother Goddess to all her Earthly children. In many traditions, people find it comforting to ask the tree for permission to make the first cut. Taken to North America by German settlers as early as the 17th century, Christmas trees were the …

White represents the purity and hope of new Light. White represents the purity and hope of new Light. Enter sweepstakes, get the schedule, explore recipes, and more. ~ Daniela Masaro and Sacred Earth Journeys. This holiday season, enjoy Hallmark Channel's 2019 Countdown to Christmas, with festive movies all day and all night! 1. Before you decorate, you may wish to bless the tree once more. What Yule traditions and symbols still appear in your Holiday celebrations? The English Puritans condemned a number of customs associated with Christmas, such as the use of the Yule log, holly, mistletoe, etc.

Gold represents the Sun/Son. Modern Yule Tree decorations are acceptable for this season, of course, though parents may wish to decorate the Yule tree so that it reflects Yggdrasill, the mythic World-Tree. Be sure to make sure no one is standing on the opposite side when the tree begins to fall. quotations . Wreaths were also traditional in ancient times for they symbolized the wheel of the year and the completion of another cycle. Did You Know? So yes, you can have a family Yule celebration and still have a holiday tree, roast chestnuts on the open fire, and even hang stockings with care by the fire. Put on some holiday music, light some incense or scented candles, get a pot of herbal tea brewing, and turn it into a ritual of its own. Red represents the waning Holly King. Before you decorate, … Decorating a Yule tree is a lot of fun, and should be a celebration of family. Sign In For Price. Nature Symbols of Yule: Holly, Oak, Mistletoe, Ivy, Evergreens, Laurel, Bayberry, Blessed Thistle, Frankincense, Pine, Sage, Yellow Cedar. Red represents the waning Holly King.

Colours of Yule: Red, Green, White, Silver, Gold It was also believed that the longer the Yule log burned, the faster the sun would come to warm the earth. Decorating Your Tree. For example, the yule log, as in the lyric “See the blazing yule before us,” was originally a real tree limb or trunk burnt on the hearth, but now makes an appearance at Christmastime as a cake shaped like a log. Mistletoe was also worn as an amulet for fertility, or hung above the headboard. Stones of Yule: Rubies, Bloodstones, Garnets, Emeralds, Diamonds, Activities of Yule: Carolling ~ Wassailing the Trees ~ Burning the Yule Log ~ Decorating the Yule Tree ~ Exchanging Gifts ~ Kissing under the Mistletoe, Deities of Yule: They were made of evergreens and adorned with cones and berries and hung as decoration throughout the home. Silver represents the Moon. Once you've finished the blessing, decorate your tree and celebrate! Silver represents the Moon. Evergreens were cut and brought indoors to symbolize life, rebirth and renewal. If your family uses a holiday tree during the Yule season–and many Pagan families do–you might want to consider a blessing ritual for the tree, both at the time you cut it down and again before you've decorated it. Bells were often rung during the Winter Solstice to drive away demons that surfaced during the dark time of the year.

Yule also carries associations with a farm animal. The Victorian tree was decorated with toys and small gifts, candles, candies, popcorn strings, and fancy cakes hung from the branches by ribbons and by paper chains. Green represents the waxing Oak King. In order for the fire to keep burning, a large Oak tree was felled and brought into the home where the tree was placed trunk first into the hearth, with the last remnants set aside to burn with next year’s fire.