The Spiritual Meaning of Yule

Yule is the ancient pagan celebration of the winter solstice (December 21st in the Northern Hemisphere). It began to merge with Christmas celebrations in the 10th century when King Haakon Haraldson of Norway became Christian after a visit to England. When he returned home, the legend says, he insisted that the two holidays be celebrated together. He made a law that everyone must have plentiful ale for their household and that they must celebrate the holiday until the ale ran out.

We’re all familiar with the symbols, colors, and music that start cropping up in December (or earlier). What we may not realize is that Christmas celebrations have deep roots in ancient Yule traditions. So what is the spiritual meaning of Yule?

Odin and the Wild Hunt

Some Yule traditions are linked to Norse mythology and the god Odin, who was sometimes called Jolnir, or “The Yule One.” Odin has often been portrayed with a long white beard, riding his eight-legged horse Sleipnir across the skies, leading the Wild Hunt—a procession of the dead during the dark time of the year.

As Christianity took hold in these Northern areas, Odin may have shapeshifted into a certain “jolly” old Father Christmas who rides his sleigh pulled by eight reindeer across the skies, bringing presents to children.

Death and Rebirth

While Christmas is technically only one day, Yule celebrations lasted 12 days, from December 21st to January 1st. It is the darkest time of the year, and often the coldest, too. From Wiccan and neo-pagan perspectives, the solar year is the result of a cyclic battle between the Holly King, the representation of darkness, and the Oak King, the representation of light. The Holly King is at the height of his power at the winter solstice, but it is also at this moment that the Oak King is reborn. He gains power, defeating the Holly King at the spring equinox, and comes to the height of his power at the summer solstice, when the Holly King is reborn again. The cycle repeats eternally through the Wheel of the Year.

Many traditions from all over the world have some sort of holiday around the winter solstice incorporating the themes of death and rebirth. It is a powerful moment in the solar year: The night is at its longest, but immediately after this peak, the light begins to regain its hold again (slowly). The solstice represents death, the absolute darkest moment of the year, but also rebirth and hope. Even as we acknowledge grief, loss, and the apparently dead natural world around us, we know that everything will come back to life again in the spring and summer. It always does.

Honoring Grief and Loss

Modern Christmas celebrations tend to be focused on gift-giving, food, drink, and parties. This is partly because we need each other so much during this often-depressing time of year. We need to light the candles, gather together, focus on our friends and family, and be grateful for what we do have.

What many holiday traditions miss, however, is that the winter solstice is also a natural time to focus on grief and loss. It’s a time of deep reflection, mirroring the dark, quiet energy of the new moon phase, when we should be slowing down, looking at what happened over the last solar year, and starting to dream about what we might want to build with the coming of the light. It’s also natural for old griefs to resurface during this time of year, and it is an appropriate time to honor those losses. Incorporating quiet, reflective rituals alongside all the partying is a great way to balance the energies of this season—and, maybe, enjoy the parties all the more.

Ancient Pagan Symbolism

Yule is still with us in the symbols we see around this time of year, even if we don’t celebrate Christmas, specifically.

The evergreen tree is a reminder that life goes on even in those darkest moments. It may also represent the Tree of Life or the World Tree that Odin hung himself from to learn the runes.

Holly represents the Holly King, who reigns at this time of year. While holly symbolizes masculine energy, mistletoe represents feminine energy, the Mother Goddess, and its seeds are said to be those of the future Oak King.

Wreaths represent the cycle of darkness and light and the constantly turning Wheel of the Year.

In the Germanic traditions, a yule log would often be lit the night of the winter solstice. This would be a special log, as big as possible, and celebrations would last as long as it would burn. We still see the yule log, often in the form of a dessert—perhaps eaten by the fire while sipping eggnog (or ale).

The winter solstice is a powerful time of year for people all over the world. While the focus of this time of year is often on presents and decorations, its symbols are rich and powerful. However you celebrate, don’t forget to honor the darkness even as you prepare yourself for the coming of the light.

Try these three druid rituals to celebrate the winter solstice.