Winter solstice celebration pagan: The winter solstice is a significant event celebrated by pagans around the world. It marks the longest night of the year and the rebirth of the sun. Pagan traditions focus on the natural cycles of the Earth and the changing seasons. The winter solstice is seen as a time of renewal and hope as the days begin to lengthen again. Pagan rituals during the winter solstice often involve bonfires, feasting, and honoring the gods and goddesses associated with the sun. The Yule log is a common symbol used during this celebration, representing the power of the returning sun.

Party like a Pagan: 5 ways to celebrate the summer solstice

With all the celebration and neolithic celestial alignment that goes on at Stonehenge, there’s no denying that the summer solstice is perhaps the oldest excuse to throw a party going. From solitary witches to groves of druids, most Pagan faiths have honoured the solstice with rituals, feasts, and just a hint of debauchery across Europe for thousands of years.

Midsommar, for example, is more than just a cult horror movie, it was a national holiday marking the solstice in Norway up until 1771 and is still celebrated in Sweden and Finland today.

So if you're ready to hack it with heathens, slay like a solitary, or dance until dawn with druids, here are five historic ways to party like a Pagan.

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1. Pull an all-nighter

The shortest night of the year was as much to be celebrated as the longest day, making the eve of the solstice the pre-drinks of this pagan party. Nowadays it’s common to wake to greet the sunrise on the solstice, but for ancient Pagans it would’ve been an all-night affair, celebrating the sun and welcoming its rise.

It has also long been heralded as a powerful time for protective charms and divination. So much so that on no other night could a bowl of water and some pieces of paper tell you your true love's initials, or could bunches of dandelions bless your house with more than damp bedsheets.

Plague, carbuncles, or ‘the quartan ague’ got you down? According to one archaic West Country charm, some coal dug from beneath the root of mugwort or plantain on the eve of the solstice has got you covered!

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2. Make a sacrifice

If laying off chocolate for the whole of Lent seems too much of a long-term commitment, a quick solstice sacrifice may be the alternative for you. Many historians agree that Stonehenge was used for ritual sacrifices on occasions such as solstices. Sadly, in Neolithic times, the sacrifices were probably human.

Inside the Stonehenge Circle of Stones | Image: Shutterstock.com

Fortunately, we moved on from there with Celtic and Germanic folks usually opting for a good sturdy wild boar as their sacrifice to appease the deities. Whether human, hunted, or livestock, throughout history sacrifices were generally the best people could afford. Ahead of the rituals they were well looked after, then respectfully killed and prepared for the feast in an attempt to ensure an abundant harvest.

The 12 Days of Yule

If you ever wondered why there are ‘12 days of Christmas’, the answer most likely lies in the pagan celebration of the solstice, known as Yule . The word Yule is the anglicised form of the Norse word Jul (or Jōl ), the name for the midwinter festival oriented around the shortest day of the year, the northern hemisphere’s winter solstice.

For the people of Germania, Scandinavia, and Anglo-Saxon England, understanding the cycles of nature and the sun, in particular, was critical to survival, and celebrating the winter solstice is an ancient pagan tradition, predating Christianity by several thousand years. The Stonehenge structure in England, dating back to 3000 BCE, is known to have a mysterious relationship with the solstices, as does the Newgrange monument in Ireland from the same period.

The word solstice, derived from the Latin sol , meaning ‘sun’, and sistere , meaning ‘to stand still’, refers to the point at which the sun ‘stops’ to change its direction having reached the furthest extent of its north-south traverse. During Yuletide (the time of Yule) the Nordic peoples celebrated the ‘return of the sun’ as the days began to grow longer again. As a period of rebirth, they also commemorated the dead and offered sacrifices for fertility, hoping for a good harvest in the year ahead. The Yuletide festivities are understood to have taken place over at least 3 days and involved slaughtering animals for the feast, gorging on food, especially meat, and drinking to excess, with singing and good cheer. During Yuletide, no work was done, and quarrels or fights were set aside so that the period could be kept holy.

Gradually Yuletide was extended to span a full 12 days and nights, blending several other traditions. The 12 days between the winter solstice and the beginning of the next solar year were considered a sacred period, belonging neither to the old year nor the new year. These are the days of least sunlight and the Celts believed that the sun stood still for 12 days, so they lit fires to conquer the darkness and banish evil spirits. The Druids are believed to have created the tradition of the yule log, a bough of a large tree that was kept burning continuously for the 12 days between the solstice and the start of the solar year. Remnants of the previous year’s log were used to start the fire: in effect, the ‘light’ was kept throughout the year and ensured continuity of good luck from year to year, from family to family, and from generation to generation.

The first day of Yule, December 20 th , is known as Mother’s Night (Módraniht) and celebrations honour feminine ancestors and goddesses: the mother figures. The second day of Yule, December 21 st , is known for The Wild Hunt . This is the night of the solstice, when Odin, as God of Death and Transition, rode through the sky, accompanied by furious winds, thunder, and lightning, collecting the souls of the dead. People stayed indoors, feasting, not venturing out for fear they might be swept up by the hunt. The Twelfth Night , December 31 st , brings the festivities to a close and is associated with Wassailing , the wishing of good health in song, and the drinking of wassail , a warm alcoholic concoction (which in more recent times has become a Christmas tradition of carol-singing and the drinking of mulled wine punch).

During these 12 days of celebration, there was lots of close family contact with each day seen as representing one of the 12 months of the year. With the return of longer days and the ending of the solar year, they celebrated the start of another cycle of life, death, and rebirth. It was also a period of reflection with some traditions assigning individual days to focus on one of the Nine Noble Virtues from Norse religion, considered to form a spiritual law and moral code by which one should live life.

Today’s Christmas traditions may have borrowed much from ancient Nordic traditions of Yule but did so without retaining their meaning. In our increasingly materialistic and commercially-driven Christmas season, we might ask ourselves what is it that we celebrate at this time of year, and what is the meaning behind our so-called customs. Certainly, we no longer depend upon the solar cycles for survival like our ancient northern ancestors, but we are still part of the natural world and in 2020, a year dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been reminded that we are still powerless over the forces of nature. In this time of crisis, many are re-evaluating what is important in life and the type of society we want. In our reflections at the end of this year, we might draw from the ancient Yule tradition of accepting the cycles of nature and life, celebrating the promise of a new year, the value of togetherness, focusing on the noble virtues and the development of our moral character.

Yule Rituals

Patti Wigington is a pagan author, educator, and licensed clergy. She is the author of Daily Spellbook for the Good Witch, Wicca Practical Magic and The Daily Spell Journal.

Yule, the winter solstice, is a time of great symbolism and power. It marks the return of the sun, when the days finally begin to get a little longer. It's also a time to celebrate with family and friends, and share the spirit of giving during the holidays. Here are some great Yule rituals that you can do to celebrate this winter Sabbat, either as part of a group or as a solitary.

The winter solstice is a time of reflection, during the darkest and longest night of the year. Why not take a moment to offer up a prayer on Yule? Try a different devotional each day, for the next twelve days, to give you food for thought during the holiday season — or simply incorporate the ones that resonate with you into your seasonal rituals!

The Yule log is a common symbol used during this celebration, representing the power of the returning sun. It is customary to burn the Yule log throughout the night, ensuring the sun's energy and light will return. The winter solstice is also a time for reflection and introspection.

Setting Up Your Yule Altar

Before you hold your Yule ritual, you may want to set up an altar to celebrate the season. Yule is the time of year when Pagans around the world celebrate the Winter Solstice. Try some or even all of these ideas — obviously, space may be a limiting factor for some, but use what calls to you most.

Pagans may take this opportunity to set intentions and make resolutions for the upcoming year. It is a time to let go of the past and make way for new beginnings. One of the key aspects of the winter solstice celebration is the gathering of community. Pagan groups often come together to share in the festivities, creating a sense of unity and connection. This communal celebration reaffirms the importance of nature and the interconnectedness of all living things. In conclusion, the winter solstice celebration is an important pagan holiday that honors the natural cycles of the Earth and the rebirth of the sun. It is a time of reflection, renewal, and community, as pagans come together to celebrate the changing seasons and set intentions for the year ahead..

Reviews for "Winter Solstice and Yule: Exploring the Overlapping Traditions in Paganism"

1. Sarah - 2/5 stars - I attended the Winter Solstice Celebration Pagan and was highly disappointed. Firstly, the organization of the event was subpar, with a lack of direction and coordination. The events advertised were not well-planned, leading to a lack of engagement and enthusiasm from the attendees. Additionally, the performers were unimpressive and seemed unprepared. Overall, the whole experience felt underwhelming, and I wouldn't recommend it to others who are looking for a well-executed pagan celebration.

2. John - 1/5 stars - The Winter Solstice Celebration Pagan was a complete disaster. The venue location was difficult to find and lacked proper signage, resulting in delays and frustration among the attendees. Moreover, the atmosphere was far from joyous and festive, with a disorganized and unappealing setup. The activities lacked creativity and failed to capture the essence of a true Winter Solstice celebration. Steer clear of this event if you're looking for an authentic and enjoyable pagan celebration.

3. Emily - 2/5 stars - I had high hopes for the Winter Solstice Celebration Pagan, but unfortunately, it fell short of expectations. The event lacked a cohesive theme and instead seemed to be a random assortment of activities. The vendors' stalls were uninteresting, offering products that were not aligned with the spirit of the Winter Solstice. Additionally, the lack of proper facilities, such as clean restrooms and seating areas, was disappointing. Overall, it felt like a missed opportunity to create a memorable and immersive pagan celebration.

Reconnecting with Nature on Winter Solstice: A Pagan Perspective