Yule

(Winter Solstice)

December 21^st

The Winter Solstice marks the longest night and the shortest day of the year, a point of dramatic natural change on Earth. From this point on, the Sun rises earlier and earlier, each time adding a little more light and warmth to the cold and silent days of Winter. On Yule, we honor the Goddess, Mother Earth, for giving birth to the Sun once more. At Yule, the two God themes of death and rebirth coincide. The Holly King, the retainer of light who has symbolized death and darkness since Samhain, is vanquished by the rebirth of the Oak King, who symbolizes Life. The Holly and the Oak are two of the many trees sacred to the Celts, and even evergreens are often brought inside to reaffirm life during the dark Winter, sometimes decorated with apples, symbolizing Avalon and the Sun. The beauty of Yule is that it recognizes the interconnected nature of all existence.