Photo courtesy of PaperWitchCo.

  Winter Break is right around the corner for students at San Luis Obispo High School. Usually when students think about Winter Break, they think about Christmas. However, Christmas isn’t the only holiday happening over the break.

  Yule, also known as Yuletide, begins on December 21 and ends on January 1. Many are unfamiliar with what this holiday is, which is surprising, as Christmas actually evolved from Yule. 

  Yule is a pagan holiday that originates from the 12-day festival that happens in December and January surrounding the winter solstice. This is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world.

  Simultaneously, Yule celebrates the shortest day of the year, the middle of winter, the return of the Sun, and a festival of rebirth. Many pagan winter solstice traditions are now incorporated into Christmas celebrations. 

  So, how can you celebrate Yule?

  There are various ways to celebrate Yule. The way you celebrate all depends on how busy you are, what resources you have, etc. 

  One way to celebrate Yule is to make an altar. This can be filled with items that are symbols of winter, such as pine cones, fir and cedar, wreaths, and if you make one, a Yule log! The purpose of a Yule altar is to honor the return of the sun, so an important item to have on it would be a candle.

  Another way to celebrate Yule is to light a Yule log. Historically, the ancient Norse would use the Yule log in their celebration of the return of the sun at winter solstice. 

  There is no wrong way to create a Yule log, but some suggested items to add to the log are holly, ivy, or mistletoe, mushrooms, pinecones, cloves, cinnamon, myrrh, frankincense, cinnamon sticks, seasonal essential oils, and apples. Once you’re finished making the log, you can either burn candles on top of it or stick it in your fireplace.

  A great way to celebrate Yule is to set up a place to meditate and do a wishing ritual. You can sit with yourself and think about the resolutions, wishes, and goals you have for the upcoming year. To set your intentions for the year to come, you can light a candle and speak your resolutions out loud, visualizing your ambitions coming true. 

  A fourth way to celebrate Yule is to simply declutter your home. Yule is all about releasing the old and getting ready for the new, so it’s the perfect time to organize and clean up the space you live in. After physically cleaning, you can spiritually cleanse your home. It’s recommended to smoke cleanse with plants like pine needles and mistletoe.

  There is no wrong way to celebrate Yule, so don’t be afraid to try a tradition for the first time! And if you celebrate Christmas and recognize a correlation between pagan traditions and what you traditionally do, take a moment to acknowledge where those traditions came from.