Yule holiday is a history of traditions, ceremonies and rituals. Divine Power Tarot Layout. How the Yule holiday was held

December 21-22 will be the longest night of the year. Yule is celebrated on this night. It begins to be celebrated on the day winter solstice and celebrated for 13 nights from Mother's Night. In this article, you will learn about the traditions of the holiday in honor of the birth of the new sun, as well as rituals and legends borrowed by Christians for Christmas.

December has come, and with it comes the mysterious dark Yule. This holiday originates in the mists of time Germanic peoples, from where it has come down to our days. Yule is predominantly German-Scandinavian. In any case, it was in these lands that it was celebrated most widely and on a grand scale.

The most long night in a year is Winter sun standing, a turning point between winter and spring. IN different languages it had a slightly different name: Yull, Yule, Joel, Joll. It was originally pagan, later celebrated in Christian times.

In fact, the day of the winter solstice, the holiday of Yule, represents the culmination and middle of winter. In Iceland, winter began in mid-October and summer began in April. Thus, the celebration of Yule was celebrated in the old style at the beginning of January. With the advent of Christianity, they tried to either abolish them altogether, or supplant new ones, Christian ones.

The second method turned out to be more successful. People did not lose their usual holiday, and even many of its symbols and attributes were preserved, but its name and meaning changed. In this way, Yule has gradually blended with European Christmas and New Years.

Those who can pinpoint the position of the luminaries celebrate it on the winter solstice. Not everywhere this day can be fully called a day. In some northern regions (for example, in the north of Norway) the sun does not rise above the horizon at all. So the day itself does not actually come, there is only the longest night of the year. Those 12 days of the “underground sun” in the Middle Ages were called Yoltaid and ended on the last, 12th night of Yule.

The origin of the name Yule is currently unknown. According to some versions, it arose from an old Icelandic word meaning "wheel", according to others - that it is associated with one of the names of the god Odin, Yolmir.

Perhaps the Yule holiday was named so precisely because of several dark days, when the world wheel reached its lowest point, in order to then continue its movement towards the light again.

Word formation is a tricky thing and difficult to guess, with this in mind, the name of the traditional sounds especially interesting in Russian. winter tree- spruce, tree.

In other places, Yule was associated with another Scandinavian god - Thor, and apparently the traditions of dressing up mummers in goats and all sorts of games with goat paraphernalia were associated with the goats of Thor. The name Thor brought into the celebration the spirit of fun and generosity, male combat energy.

There is another variant of the origin of the name - from the Old English word Gūol, which translates as “yellow, gold, shining”. To clarify this version, it is necessary to understand the sacred meaning of the Yule holiday for the German-Scandinavian peoples.

In the Northern Tradition, it was the Yule holiday that was considered the most important and sacred, filled with strength. The thirteen nights of Yule, beginning with the night of the solstice, are the borderline time when all worlds intertwined and met each other.

Trolls come to people's homes, gods and the dead move freely between the boundaries of the worlds. It is on these days that the living, who know how to come into contact with the world of the dead, can leave the body and experience other forms of being. But these are the days of a great holiday.

The Germans believed that it was on Yule, in the depths of winter, that a new warm year... That is, the foundations are laid for the revival of the Oak King (Sun King) from the cold darkness, bringing light and warmth to all living things.

God dies on Samhain and goes to the world of the dead, and the Goddess in two hypostases - one, young and fertile side, leaves for her husband. And on top of the earth remains the old goddess, the Mother of Colds, who embodies destruction and death. A young goddess in the halls of the dead conceives a new god - and the time of her pregnancy is a timelessness, a period of waiting that occurs before Yule.

The time of childbirth falls on Yule, and the night before the solstice was called Modranecht - Mother's Night, or the Mother of all nights. That night, the old goddess, the Mother of Colds, gave birth to a young Oak God, a sunny baby. Thus, she personified the idea of ​​rebirth, the rebirth of life from death, and order from chaos.

The young god began a battle with the old king (father), for the right to be in the world of the living, and defeated him 12 days later, when the sun again appeared over the horizon. Mother's Night was held under the supervision of the mother of the family (and all female spirits, essences, ancestors who protect and take care of the family).

The first night and evening on the Yule holiday were spent in the company of loved ones and family. After all, to be alone in the most mystical and dark time year was considered simply dangerous due to close proximity dark forces and representatives of other worlds. Therefore, it was impossible to remain alone.

But the most important, of course, was the next night - the night of the solstice, when the Yule fire was lit and vows were taken on next year... They brought the sacrificial animal (boar), the celebrants in turn touched it and pronounced their promises. In a magical sense, this is the most strong night of the year. What is done and said before sunset on the day after Mother's Night and before the night of the solstice determines the whole coming year person.

Twelve days later, on the thirteenth night, the Yule celebration ends. According to our time, it falls on the eve of January 3, if you count Yule from December 21. The signs, signs and messages of this day are considered the most faithful, this is a kind of culmination of fortune-telling days. The words and conspiracies of these days are also considered the most powerful.

For the Slavs, Christmastide falls on these days - now Christian, before it was a time of fortune-telling, divination, walking over the threshold to find out the name of the betrothed-mummer. And until now, it is in the period of late December - early January that the best time for fortune-telling is considered.

It was he who breathed life into the seeds and warmed the cold earth. And it was after Yule that the day began to arrive, the sun became more and more and the spring gradually took its rights.

Yule holiday - traditions and symbols

As with other seasonal events, the ancient Germans arranged for Yule big holiday- with their own special traditions, rituals and dishes.

Everywhere on Yule, branches of evergreen trees or trees in whole were brought into the house and decorated them. Evergreens in winter are a symbol of life even in the coldest season. Cookies were hung on it, homemade toys and ribbons.

One of the most famous attributes holiday nights definitely is the Yule tree. Now it comes to every home like a Christmas tree or New Year's tree. IN old times the Yule tree was also called the tree of desires. A felled Christmas tree or pine tree was brought into the house, sometimes they were simply dug up in the forest and planted in their yard. The tree was decorated with colorful figurines.

It should be noted that holiday outfit Yule tree has survived to this day. So, glass balls symbolize human desires, and figurines of Christmas angels replaced fairies, who, according to legend, loved to relax on the branches of trees. Many of us, in order to please loved ones, put gifts under the tree, not even knowing that this custom came from ancient times.

Celts and Germans also left small offerings under the Yule tree to please the elves, as well as to make a kind of sacrifice to the ancestors who left this world.

At the end of the holiday, the decorations were removed from the Yule tree. But the tree itself was never thrown away. A piece of the tree of desire was kept whole year to burn it in the common hearth on the following night of the winter solstice, and the trunk was used as a May pole during the Beltane celebration (May 1).

Gifts were folded under the Yule tree. On the one hand, these gifts are an offering for spirits and ancestors, on the other hand, on the contrary, they symbolize gifts to the family from beings of another world. Now these creatures have united in the image of Santa Claus (Baba Natale in Italy, Santa Claus in Russia, Joulupukki among the Finns, who retained consonance with Yule, and other Christmas grandfathers).

In Britain, a special Yule log is burned (or Christmas, whichever is closer to you). It must be found in front of Yule for 12 hours, and then gradually burned all the time while the holiday of Yule is celebrated, that is, all thirteen days. This log serves as protection from dark forces, but tradition is not present everywhere. A coal from a log was kept in the house throughout the year as a talisman.

In addition to the evergreens (holly, pine, fir, juniper, mistletoe, spruce) that adorned the whole house, there are many other rituals of this time. It is interesting that the Slavs have a tradition of using spruce branches appeared much later, because this tree was treated with caution.

But everywhere, including the Slavic lands, there were rituals with mummers for the night of the solstice, and it was not customary to open doors to strangers. It was believed that anyone could knock while there was darkness in the world.

An analogue of the Yule log existed among the Slavs. Such a log (piece of wood, snag) was called a badnyak, and they burned it with songs and sentences:

Burn, burn clearly, so that it does not go out, let the wheat spike thickly in the fields ...

You burn, fire, burn, cook spring resins, burn to the sky, there will be more bread ...

Among the Western Slavs, such a fire was a burning last year's sun, in whose place a new young one comes.

If it is not possible to burn a Yule log according to all the rules, you can instead furnish a small log with burning candles, and after they burn out, store the log as a home amulet for a year. Alternatively - a small log with hollows for three candles, these can be bought in modern stores.

Was interesting tradition- give each other new woolen clothes. In Iceland, they believed that those who did not have time to acquire a new one before Yule woolen thing, whether it be mittens or a hat, the huge Yule cat will carry off in Yule days. They also frightened naughty children.

He was a mysterious creature of the Yule nights, a guest from another world, a thunderstorm of lazy and careless housewives. It was believed that this fluffy spirit can freeze water, pass through fire and instantly cover a distance of several kilometers. If someone sees the smile of a Yule cat behind the fire of the hearth, this is an unkind sign: the poor man will not live to see the next Yule.

On Yule nights, a scary cat watched people celebrate the holiday. Woe to the one who sat down at the table without putting on new clothes. Since a person did not sew a new dress for the Yule holiday, it means that he is a lazy person - he did not have time to spin and weave wool, cut from sheep in the fall. This means that a fair punishment awaits the negligent. As punishment, the Yule cat ate all festive dinner in the house of a lazy person, so that from now on he and his family will work properly.

If the wife of the poor fellow did not shine with culinary abilities and the cat did not like her cooking, he could take her children and take them with him to the world of spirits. But the children of hardworking and hospitable people, the Yule cat gave magical gifts.

The Yule lamp (German Julleuchter), also called the Yule lamp, the Yule Candlestick or Yule Lamp is a hollow four-walled turret, which in Germany is also known as the Tower Lamp (German Turmleuchter).

It looks simple - a small candlestick made of baked clay, hollow inside, tapering upwards, resembles a mountain or a turret in shape, about 3 cm in diameter, about 7 cm in height. Hearts (the so-called "Irta's heart") and Hagal runes are carved on its four sides. One wax candle is placed inside, the second - on top.

The "Yule Lamp" is used by various New Pagan and Ariosophical communities during various rituals, in particular at the holidays of the Solstice and Equinox.

Recall that in the traditional European understanding, the Year is based on four cyclical positions of the Earth in relation to the Sun, the dates of which correspond to the four main annual holidays among the followers of the revived Germanic paganism and Ariosophists:

• Spring Equinox, Ostara-Feier, symbolizing the rebirth of the Sun. During the ritual performed on this day (20th of the month of Lenzing), the lower candle is first lit, and then, at the end of the ritual, this candle is transferred to the top of the lamp.
• Summer Solstice (Mittsommer-Feier), symbolizing the Sun in full force (the god Baldur). During the ritual performed on this day (20th of the month of Brachmond), the candle burns only at the top of the lamp.
• Autumn Equinox or Autumn Ting (Herbst-Thing) is a holiday symbolizing the beginning of the descent of the Sun into the Other World. During the ritual performed on this day (20th of the month of Scheiding), a candle is lit at the top of the lamp and then carried down.
• During the Winter Equinox, Yule rituals are held for 12 or 13 nights. On the first night, which is called “Mother's” (20th of the month of Julmond), a candle burns all the time below. On the (pre) last, “Twelfth Night” (Zwoelfnacht - 31st of the month Julmond), at the end of the ritual, the candle is brought up again - this is the Sun waking up to return to Earth from the darkness of the Other World

In general, it is good if the Yule holiday is celebrated brightly and noisily - this helps to drive away the night and help the birth of a young god. It's great if you can wait for dawn and greet the young Sun.

On Yule, it is good not only to give woolen things to loved ones (remember about the Yule cat), but in general to carry out ceremonies and magical actions related to wool and threads. This is the creation of amulets dolls, tying, weaving, knots, rituals with embroidery, unweaving old situations and knots. All old knots and fetters must be untied in order to enter Yule light and free.

Since the days of the Yule celebration are great time for fortune telling, we offer you Yule Tarot cards.

Tarot spread "Yule Lights"

The layout is laid out like this: the first five positions are arch in turn, the sixth is under it.

Layout positions:

The return of hope: What are you hoping for? If the card in this position has a negative meaning, it indicates a problem that you would like to solve or an area of ​​your life that needs change.

Making a wish: What does your heart really want?

Searching for visions: How do you see your future? How do you see yourself in the coming year? If you need more clarity, this position can be expanded with an additional mini-spread for three cards.

A sense of balance: How you can restore balance in your life. The negative card in this position will not be advice, but an indication of the area of ​​your life that needs to be restored to balance and balance.

Treating others kindly: Your expression of love. How can you open your heart to other people? If the card has a negative meaning, it may indicate something that needs correction or change. Pay attention to whether there is a connection between the fourth and fifth cards in the layout.

Advice. Next step, plans for the future. Action card. What can you do over the winter in a practical sense to make your dreams and plans come true.

Tarot spread "Yule Star"

Positions of cards in the layout:

1. The dark night is the basis for changes, the field for the birth of a new one;
2. The first spark is what will give impetus to change;
3. The birth of a Star is the essence of changes in your life, that the new must be allowed into your life after Yule;
4. Star Rising - the development of changes and how you can contribute to this;
5. The starry night is the result of what the changes will lead to.

Divine Power Tarot Layout

Positions of cards in the layout:

1. Querent's signifier.
2. Dark. Uncertainty, frightening emptiness, that which is hidden.
3. Cold. The chilling factor, that which causes powerlessness and hopelessness.
4. Indifferent observers. What one could hope for, but will not help here (both in external and internal mental life).
5. Danger. The destructive aspect of the inner or outside world; what's on this moment is definitely harmful and dangerous.
6. Illusion (placed horizontally). A delusion, a trap, a fake miracle.
7. A true miracle. A message of Divine power, a sign or manifestation in the external or internal world.
8. Transformation. Transformation as a result of acceptance or recognition true sign Divine Will.
9. Outcome (something new). There may be a subtle, but clear change in the individual and the world around him.

Yule foods and recipes

If we talk about Yule recipes (namely European), then they contain sweet “Yule porridge”, lamb, special bread (this is from Icelandic traditions). You can put one whole almond nut into the porridge - whoever gets it will get a gift.

Rice porridge "Yule"

For cooking rice porridge we need the following components:

• 4 glass of milk
• half a glass of crushed almonds
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 0.25 cups sugar
• 1 cup white rice (round is better)
• cinnamon
• 1 glass of cream

Cooking porridge

In a large saucepan, bring milk to a boil, add rice and butter. Lower the temperature. Cover, let the rice simmer for about an hour, until the milk boils down. Transfer to a non-metallic container. Add cream, almonds and sugar. Serve in bowls sprinkled with cinnamon.

Yule leafy bread

In order to make leafy bread, you need:

• Milk
• Soda or baking powder
• Baking fat

Making leafy bread:

Bring milk to a boil. Mix flour with baking powder and salt. Pour milk into flour and mix. Knead and knead into long tourniquet.
Cut the tourniquet into pieces and roll each into a thin tourniquet. Bundles are folded randomly into round shape and then decorate. Cover with linen towel before cooking.
Before placing in the oven, pierce at several points with a fork. Bake on high temperature to golden brownish color. Serve with butter.

Dessert - Yule sponge cake

To make a biscuit, we need the following products and components:

• 10 eggs
• 200 grams of sugar
• 150 grams of flour
• 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar

Prepare the biscuit. Divide the eggs into whites and yolks. Beat the whites until soft peaks, add half the sugar - gradually, 2 tablespoons each. at a time - and beat until hard peaks (into a steep foam). Beat the yolks with the remaining sugar + vanilla sugar until the mixture brightens and increases in volume. Add flour to the yolk mixture and beat with a mixer at medium speed. Gently, in 2 steps, combine the yolk mixture with the whipped whites.

Cover the baking sheet with foil, pour out the dough, level. Bake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 10-15 minutes - the biscuit should be golden.

We take out the baking sheet from the oven, turn the biscuit over to clean kitchen towel, remove the foil and roll the biscuit together with the towel into a roll, starting from the wide side. Place on a wire rack and let cool completely.

While the biscuit is cooling, prepare the cream.

For chocolate butter cream you will need:

• 350 ml. heavy cream
• 70 grams of caster sugar
• 30 grams of cocoa powder

For chocolate butter cream you will need:

• 220 grams of butter room temperature
• 270 grams of caster sugar
• 175 grams of white chocolate
• 3 tablespoons milk or cream

For butter cream, melt the chocolate and cool to room temperature. Beat it together with butter, powder and milk until smooth and smooth. Set aside. For the buttercream, whip the cream with icing sugar and cocoa.

After the roll has cooled down, We carefully unfold it and remove the towel.
We spread the biscuit with chocolate cream, leave a couple of centimeters from each end unlubricated. Roll up again. Cut a piece about 5-7 cm long from each end diagonally from the roll. Coat the roll with butter cream, leave the ends unlubricated. We make “knots” from the scraps and attach them to our “trunk”. We also coat it with cream.
With a fork we make a pattern on the surface of the cream that imitates the bark. We decorate the cake with candies, candied fruits and chocolate leaves!

Gently pour wine, tincture or balm into the prepared container.

Be sure to add any pre-cooked mixes and spices. Bring to a temperature of 50-60 C over low heat and add slices of orange or tangerine. Darken a little mulled wine over the fire, not letting it boil.

After removing from heat, cover and let it brew for 10-15 minutes. Strain the drink and add honey before serving.
This mulled wine should be served in warm glasses, which will allow it to cool down more slowly.

To prepare this mulled wine, we need the following components:

• 750 ml dry red wine
• 75-100 ml of tincture "Becherovka" or "Riga" balsam
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 pcs cloves
• 3-4 tablespoons of honey
• a pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1 orange or tangerine
• cardamom to taste

Yule's Twelfth Night

The celebration of the bright Yule ended on January 1, on the twelfth night after the winter solstice. Our ancestors called it the night of fate, because everything that was said at this time after sunset was sure to be fulfilled in the new year. So, a curse that accidentally flew from the lips, or just rude word could bring terrible troubles both to the foul language himself and to his loved ones.

It was believed that on this night the gods give people signs that can predict fate. It is no wonder that it was on this night that many wondered and waited for what they would dream about prophetic dream... And women believed that a love spell made on the twelfth night was the strongest.

Yule is one of the oldest holidays celebrated in many cultures. It has different names and terms. Most often, this is the holiday of the winter solstice - the night of December 21-22. Christmas December 25- the birth of the sun, the day of the sun (the day is lengthening). And New Year is the night from December 31 to January 1.

In ancient times the holiday lasted 13 nights, starting on December 19th and ending on New Year's Eve.

Name Yule means wheel, turn... Turning the wheel of life.

These thirteen nights from the first sunset to the last dawn are a gap between two years, a sacred period during which there is neither the usual time nor the usual boundaries, when the lot of the gods is decided and the spindle of the goddess of Fate rotates.

December 19th- preparation day. On this day, they put things in order, prepared for the holiday. We rested on the holiday. Therefore, all cleanings were carried out before nightfall.

The holiday began on the night of December 19-20 - it was zero night. She was spent at home, in the family.

When the sun goes down (you can just at night) lit a black candle.

The solstice lasts 5 days, or rather nights. Winter solstice is a celebration of darkness, peak of the dark time. 2 a.m from 19 to 21 lit black candles. Night from 21 to 22 lit a black candle, and in the middle of the night they also lit a red candle... As a result, both candles burned part of the time, and then remained red. And 2 nights from 22 to 24 lit red candles.

These 5 nights were the time of Darkness. Darkness is Mother. And they were dedicated to the goddess Mara. At this time, they let go of everything old, asked for forgiveness, freed themselves from fears, doubts, resentments.

It was believed that at this time the boundaries between the worlds were erased. These are the nights of the spirits.

Black candle is a symbol of darkness, from which light is born(flame on a black candle). It is like a yin-yang symbol. Where in black yin - white point, the origin of yang.

You had to make the candles yourself. Wax has the property of memory. AND candles were charged.

Now you need to buy black and red candles. The best way — wax candles... Take a black candle and, holding it between the palms of your hands, mentally transfer to the candle everything you want to get rid of. Your fears, grievances, sorrows, doubts - everything that darkens your life, transfer everything dark to a black candle. You can prepare in advance and write down everything you want to get rid of.

In the moment, when you light a candle, you express your intention through the fire to free yourself from everything that you have transferred to the candle. Light a candle - welcome Grandfather Fire in your house and ask him to burn everything together with wax.

The black candle symbolizes the darkness that has accumulated in the soul. Fire itself is a symbol of light that is born from darkness and feeds on darkness. And you give to the darkness what is rightfully hers, purifying your Soul. This cleaning is done individually. You let go of the pain and darkness that has accumulated without discussing it with others. Only you and the Lady of Darkness... The evening itself is spent with the family, but released is not discussed.

Night from 20 to 21 December- mother's night. Mother's night Is the night before the winter solstice. This mother's night dedicated to female goddesses... The hostess puts things in order in the house, decorates it and gathers the family at the hearth. Everything at this time the Goddesses are glorified, and the mother opens the gates of the Other World in order to admit into our world new life. It's time to take stock and thank the gods and household spirits for their assistance in all matters throughout the year. This is the time to free yourself from all worries and worries to meet a new one. life cycle ... This is a dark, feminine time.

Also light a black candle. They ask for forgiveness from women, mothers. Thank you for your patience. They let go of what is left, what you can or want to talk about.

December 21 - Karachun (Korochun) - the day of the winter solstice. The day of pagan veneration of Karachun (Chernobog's middle name) falls on the shortest day of the year and one of the coldest days of winter. It was believed that on this day the formidable Karachun - the deity of death, the underground god who commands the frosts, the evil spirit - takes over on this day. The ancient Slavs believed that he rules over winter and frost and shortens the daylight hours.

In the evening also lit a black candle and asked for forgiveness from men... That night they burned and released everything connected with the other world. They asked for forgiveness from the ancestors and thanked them.In the middle of the night, while a black candle was burning, a red candle was lit. The red candle is a symbol of the incipient sun, light. It symbolizes material things: health, finances. Wishes to spirits and ancestors were imposed on the candle. And through the fire these wishes were ascended to the Heavenly Father - the Parent.

This night is the peak of darkness, and if you did not have time to let go of the darkness earlier, then it's time to do it now. This night was celebrated by clans, families, villages. It was a shared night. Bonfires were burned in the hills. A symbolic log was burned that night. He had to be found, or accepted as a gift and together with him burn the remnants of darkness. Letting go was accompanied by dances dedicated to Karachan. Something like shamanic dances, when they were currying, moving backwards, crawling on all fours, grimacing. Through bizarre postures, the shackles of darkness were thrown off.

And if women prepared the previous night then this one was prepared by men.

Red candles were lit from 22 to 23 and 24. During the day we went to the bathhouse, cleansed the body and soul from the remnants of darkness. Preparing for a new one, storing up gifts. We spent these nights with loved ones, in the family.

“Once Kolyada was not perceived as a mummer. Kolyada was a deity, and one of the most influential. 1684. It is believed that Kolyada was recognized by the Slavs as a deity of fun, that is why he was called, and the merry gangs of youth called him on New Year's festivities. "

A. Strizhev "National Calendar".

December 25 Kolyada - baby sun, in Slavic mythology — the embodiment of the New Year's cycle as well as a character of the holidays. The Slavs celebrate Kolyada, when the day "on a passerine gallop" has arrived and the winter sun begins to flare up. Before the festival, the magician howls like a wolf (prophetic howl), driving away evil spirits. At the end of the conception, everyone is offered a brother with an intoxicating drink, ritual cookies are eaten. On New Year's Eve, the children were going to carol under the windows of rich peasants, dignified the owner in songs, repeated the name of Kolyada and asked for money. Christmas games and fortune-telling are the remnants of this holiday of the ancients. The rituals were preserved among the people and in Lately are becoming more and more popular. "Christmas carols" dress up in clothes, depict animals, devils, with music, with sacks in which they collect food, walk the streets, sing carols. Kolyada is a cheerful, welcome deity... Eating ceremonial cookies in the form of cows (loaf, bagels), they commemorate Tura. Instead of a sacrificial lamb, they eat cookies in the form lamb head(bagels, pretzels). You should definitely try uzvar and kutya. The holiday ends with merrymaking.

On the night from 24 to 25, bonfires are burned, chasing away the darkness and helping the sun to revive. For this they sing, dance, have fun. And they must meet the dawn, welcoming the newly born sun. They celebrate all day, go to visit, arrange festivities. On this day, they make fortunes and make wishes.Give presents. Usually this apple as a symbol of life and sun(can orange- is he more like the sun ) and green branches(branches of a Christmas tree or pine). Yule wreath of green branches is placed on the fireplace... It's believed that you need to purchase a warm new thing, preferably made of wool.

there is old custom ... This night light a wax candle charged with desire, and guess... The next night, 2 candles are lit and a greater wish is made. Then 3. A candle is added every night. Desires start simple and get bigger. On the night from 31.12 to 01.01, 8 candles are lit and the most intimate wish is made... 8 candles are a symbol of infinity that opens on this night, and a symbol of manifestation in matter, stability.

12/29/16 - on this day the new moon is a new lunar year. Also a good day and a night for making wishes and fortune-telling. Light 5 candles tonight(if you missed the rest) and you can make 5 wishes or 1 big one.

December 31 - January 1, Twelfth Night. Burning candles, their light and warmth will bring happiness and good luck to the house. December 31 - Yule ends on the twelfth night. The twelfth night is the night of the birth of a new year, a new life cycle. On the twelfth night the gates of the worlds are open and all their inhabitants gather at the Yule celebration to welcome new life with a merry feast. It's believed that exactly this Peaceful time in the year when even evil spirits are worthy of respect, greetings and festive treats. There is a belief that candles in a Yule wreath (8 pieces) must burn all night... Burning candles, their light and warmth will bring happiness and good luck to the house. Following the day after Twelfth Night was considered the "Day of Destiny". The new, returning sun is again above the horizon, the day is getting longer. Everything that was said and done before sunset determined all the events of the coming year. From here, perhaps, the famous saying was led - as you celebrate the New Year, so you will spend it. It was believed that there is no more sure signs than those that were revealed during the Twelfth Night. By the way, and the most great strength have words that were spoken on the twelfth night.

Yule (in different languages ​​Yule, Joel or Yuil) - ancient holiday winter solstice among the Scandinavian and Germanic peoples, which is traditionally celebrated on December 21-22. Being pagan, the holiday later became traditional, and was held in Christian times, combined with Christmas.

Of all the festivities, Yule is undoubtedly the most important, the most sacred and the most powerful. On these nights, all worlds converge in Midgard: gods and goddesses descend to earth, trolls and elves converse with people, the dead leave the Lower Worlds; those of the people who often communicate with the Other World, temporarily leave their bodies and join the riders of the Wild Hunt (oskorei - "riders of Asgard"), or become werewolves and other spirits.

Also "Yule" - the days of the great feast and holiday, in which all members of the clan gathered together in order to once again meet the Sun, which has risen from the darkness, and to see the revived world. It is no coincidence that the elements of the holiday have been preserved in Christian Christmas, for example, the evergreen tree, symbolizing life that will continue after the winter cold.
The origin of the word "Yule" is lost in the mists of time. Most likely, it goes back to the Indo-European root with the meaning of "spinning", "spinning", "wheel". Perhaps it means "time of turning", "turning of the year", "time of sacrifices" or "dark time".
Traditionally, "Yule" lasts 13 nights, which are called "Nights of the Spirits", which is also preserved in their German name, Weihnachten. These thirteen nights, from the first sunset to the last dawn, are a gap between two years, a sacred period during which there is neither the usual time nor the usual boundaries, when the lot of the gods is decided and the spindle of the goddess of Destiny, Urd, rotates.

In ancient times, among the Anglo-Saxon tribes, "Yule" began the night before the winter solstice (December 19 or 20, depending on the year). According to Bede the Historian's testimony, this night was called "mother's", and if earlier, apparently, it was devoted to rituals associated with the Diss and Frigg, now it is expressed as an evening "with the family."
However, the most important night of the Yule holiday is, of course, the solstice, the longest night of the year, during which spirits become the real rulers in this world. That night they lit the "Yule fire" and guarded the house from evil spirits; on the same night, the most sincere vows and promises were made. They also believed that one should not be alone on this night - after all, then a person is left alone with the dead and the spirits of the Other World ...

Yule ends on the "twelfth night" (actually the thirteenth, as evidenced even by its Old Icelandic name, Threttandi) - that is, January 6 according to Christian chronology (if we count from the night of Christian Christmas on December 25), or 1-2 January according to the ancient German chronology (if you count from December 19 or 20).
The next day was considered “the day of fate” - everything that was said and done before sunset determined all the events of the coming year (from where our “as you celebrate the New Year, you will spend it”). There were no more sure signs, it was believed, than those shown during the "Twelfth Night"; and the most strong words- those that are said that night.
Note, however, that, according to some historians, in ancient times, the Germanic "Yule" was celebrated a few days later than christian christmas... Thus, in Norway, "Twelfth Night" ("Knuts' Day") fell on January 13; some believe that "Twelfth Night" was celebrated on January 14 modern calendar... However, most modern Asatru communities nevertheless prefer to combine Yule with the Christian holiday of Christmas and the winter solstice.

Traditions

Yule - Solstice Night, the longest night of the year. A big holiday was held in her honor, as the medieval Germans awaited the revival of the King of the Oak, the Sun King, Giver of Life, who warmed the frozen earth, awakened life in the seeds that were stored in her bosom throughout the long winter. Bonfires were lit in the fields, and crops and trees were blessed by drinking spicy cider.

Children went from house to house with gifts in the form of carnations, apples, and oranges, which lay in baskets of evergreen branches and stalks of wheat, dusted with flour. Apples and oranges represented the sun, the branches symbolized immortality, the stalks of wheat represented the harvest, and flour meant success, light and life. Holly, mistletoe and ivy were adornments not only outside but also inside houses to invite nature spirits to take part in the celebration. The holly branch was kept near the door all year round as a constant invitation to the lucky fortune to visit the inhabitants of the house.
Traditionally, the singing of the Christmas carol, the blessing of the trees, the burning of the Yule log, the decoration of the Yule tree, the exchange of gifts, and kissing under the mistletoe were held. The tradition of serving Christmas ham dates back to the pagan custom of swearing on the head of a wild boar. It was believed that such an oath extends to Freyr himself, the god of fertility, whose sacred animal was the wild boar.

Symbolism
Yule's symbolism is a Yule log or a small Yule log with three candles, evergreen twigs and twigs, holly, ivy hanging on the door, golden candles, fruit baskets decorated with carnations, a boiling pot with ale, spurge, Christmas cactus.
The ceremonial Yule log was given the main place in the holiday. According to tradition, the log should be taken from the land of the owner of the house or accepted as a gift ... but in no case purchased. Brought into the house and installed in the fireplace, it was garnished with seasonal herbs, poured with cider or ale, and sprinkled with flour. The log burned all night (it was set on fire from a piece of wood from last year's log, which was specially preserved), then smoldered for the next 12 days, and then it was ceremonially taken out. Ash is a traditional tree for Yule logs. It is a sacred Teutonic tree associated with the mythical Yggdrasil tree.

Ancient Yule is one of the longest-running holidays in world history. It lasts 13 nights. This holiday is a kind of bridge connecting dark days the outgoing year with the bright season of the coming year. The ancient Celts and Germans believed that on the night of Yule the wheel of the year makes its final turn and a new cycle begins.

According to legend, on the night of the winter solstice (December 21-22), the Great Mother, the creator of all that exists, gives birth to a solar baby, a god who will rule the world in the days of the new year. To look at this miracle, the almighty gods descended to the earth, elves, fairies, trolls and even the riders of the Wild Hunt (a host of gods, ghosts, restless souls, evil spirits that portended misfortune and death) left their shelters. At this time, magic becomes available even ordinary people, and every person in the Yule night is able to change their life for the better.

I must say that many of the traditions and customs of the old Yule smoothly passed into Christian Christmas. After all, the very Christmas of the baby Christ falls on one of the nights of Yule. Most likely, Christian priests, in order to make their faith more popular among the pagans of Europe, simply combined the holiday of Christmas with the traditions of ancient Yule.

Yule's first night

The first night of Yule (December 20), preceding the winter solstice, is Mother's night, the longest of the year. Old year almost complete. The field work has been completed, the harvest has been harvested, and therefore it is time to take stock of the past and prepare for the next year. Here the main role was assigned to the mistress of the house, because it was women who enjoyed the special patronage of the Great Mother. The hostesses carefully cleaned their house, trying to finish all the work before dark.

A lot of time was devoted to the construction of the Yule wreath, the main symbol of the upcoming holiday. It was woven from pine or spruce branches and decorated with eight candles of green, white and scarlet flowers... The finished amulet was placed on the mantelpiece, where it was supposed to be until the end of the holiday. As soon as dusk deepened, the hostesses lit candles and made sure that not a single dark corner remained in the house. After that, the women took the lantern and left their homes in order to walk around the dwelling three times and thereby scare away evil spirits.

Returning to the room, each hostess took a plate of oatmeal and a mug of ale and put them behind the fireplace on warm stones... So they thanked the household spirits for their help throughout the year and asked them to join the festive feast. After that, the hostess sat down at hearth and the whole family gathered around her. The woman took birch rods in her hands, lightly whipped them first herself, and then each household, after which she gave all family members little gift... The meaning of this ritual was that a blow from a birch twig protected a person from diseases and ailments, and a gift made from the heart could serve as a talisman for the whole next year.

Then the woman sprinkled milk and oats on the Yule wreath so that there was always prosperity in the house. Mother's night ended with a festive supper. The table was lined with all kinds of delicacies, and everyone tried to eat as much as possible. Even the pets were given more food. A plentiful dinner served as a kind of guarantee that new Year will be successful and profitable.

Winter solstice

The night of the winter solstice (December 21-22) is the main night of the holiday. It was believed that this is the time of magic and the fulfillment of desires. The main Yule night in ancient times was prepared very carefully. First of all, it was necessary to have a good sleep in order to carry out all the rituals and meet the dawn without fatigue, which was the key to success in the new year.

The magical night began with a family dinner. The whole family gathered at the table, during the meal they remembered the achievements of the old year and shared their plans for the future. Here it was necessary not to restrain your imagination and voice the most daring plans without fear. It was believed that the wishes uttered in the family circle in magic night, will certainly come true.

An obligatory attribute of this family dinner was a festive mulled wine - a drink made from aromatic wine, sweetened with syrup and flavored with cinnamon and cloves. At the appointed hour, the senior members of the family gathered at the hearth of the chief priest, where a strong flame was blazing, and the youth remained at home. When midnight came, the adult villagers gathered at the priest put out the fire, and then kindled a new one, which symbolized the arrival of the new year. Each took a burning coal from the fireplace and carried it to his home.

As soon as the old fire went out and the house plunged into darkness, family members held hands and began main ritual Yule. In these moments of the celebration of darkness, everyone had to think about what they would like to get rid of in the new year. Laziness, envy, fear, anger - all that got in the way happy life, - people mentally drove away. In return, they asked the patron spirits to give them wealth, love and good luck. And the ember from the priest's house gave life to a new flame. Closer to morning, greeting the birth of a sunny baby, candles were lit in the houses. The next day, December 22, reflected the events of the coming year. If the day passed calmly, it means that the year will be not bad, but if something out of the ordinary happened, one should prepare for the worst.

Yule tree

One of the most famous attributes of holiday nights is definitely the Yule tree. Now it comes to every home like a Christmas tree or New Year's tree. In ancient times, the Yule tree was also called the wish tree. A felled Christmas tree or pine tree was brought into the house, sometimes they were simply dug up in the forest and planted in their yard. The tree was decorated with colorful figurines.

It should be noted that the festive attire of the Yule tree has survived to this day. Thus, glass balls symbolize human desires, and figurines of Christmas angels have replaced fairies, who, according to legend, loved to relax on the branches of trees. Many of us, in order to please loved ones, put gifts under the tree, not even knowing that this custom came from ancient times. Celts and Germans also left small offerings under the Yule tree to please the elves, as well as to make a kind of sacrifice to the ancestors who left this world.

At the end of the holiday, the decorations were removed from the Yule tree. But the tree itself was never thrown away. A piece of the tree of desire was kept for a whole year to be burned in the common hearth on the following night of the winter solstice, and the trunk was used as a May pole during the Beltane celebration (May 1).

Another significant attribute of the holiday is the Yule log. It was prepared in advance, decorated with green and scarlet ribbons and kept in the house for 12 days until the beginning of Yule. When the fire of the new year lit up in the hearth, the owner of the house betrayed this peculiar amulet of the flame. It was believed good sign if the Yule log burns in the hearth for the remaining 12 nights of the holiday. The fire, devouring the log, drove away evil spirits, troubles and diseases, and each night illuminated by this fire symbolized the month of the new year. If the log was not allowed to burn until the end of 12 nights, then the whole year promised to be successful. If the log was enough, for example, only for eight nights, then two-thirds of the year there was nothing to worry about, but in the remaining time you had to be on the lookout. The ash and coals from the burnt log were saved until the next Yule, in order to bury it in the ground on the eve of the new holiday.

Smile of a ghostly cat

The most mysterious creature of the Yule nights was a huge cat, a guest from another world, a thunderstorm of lazy and careless housewives. It was believed that this fluffy spirit can freeze water, pass through fire and instantly cover a distance of several kilometers. If someone sees the smile of a Yule cat behind the fire of the hearth, this is an unkind sign: the poor man will not live to see the next Yule.

On Yule nights, a scary cat watched people celebrate the holiday. Woe to the one who sat down at the table without putting on new clothes. Since a man has not sewed himself a new dress for Yule, it means that he is a lazy person - he did not have time to spin and weave wool, clipped from sheep in the fall. This means that a fair punishment awaits the negligent. As punishment, the Yule cat ate the entire festive dinner in the lazy man's house, so that in the future both he and his family worked properly. If the wife of the poor fellow did not shine with culinary abilities and the cat did not like her cooking, he could take her children and take them with him to the world of spirits. But the children of hardworking and hospitable people, the Yule cat gave magical gifts.

Yule's Twelfth Night

The celebration of the bright Yule ended on January 1, on the twelfth night after the winter solstice. Our ancestors called it the night of fate, because everything that was said at this time after sunset was sure to be fulfilled in the new year. So, a curse that accidentally flew from the lips or just a rude word could bring terrible troubles both to the foul language himself and to his loved ones. It was believed that on this night the gods give people signs that can predict fate. It is not surprising that it was on this night that many wondered and expected that they would have a prophetic dream. And women believed that a love spell made on the twelfth night was the strongest.

Yule is an analogue of the New Year in the northern tradition of the Wheel of the Year. Yule night and 12 days and nights after it can completely change your life and bring new paths, love, happiness and well-being into it.

The Wheel of the Year is the main northern tradition celebrating the seasons, the Solstice and the Equinox. The Yule winter festival begins the Wheel and lays the foundation for events for the next year.

At this time, it is extremely important to set goals and be confident in your abilities: such an approach at a subtle level will launch the program, and your dreams will begin to be realized at the energy level, and then in reality.

What is Yule's "dark time"

Yule itself is light and cheerful family celebration: the harvest is harvested and placed in the storerooms, part of the winter has already been experienced, famine and troubles have bypassed the house and family. It's time to decorate an evergreen tree and tune in to the same wonderful year filled with work, communication with close people and friends. But for the realization of what you want, you need to "build" an energy model of your expectations. This is exactly what happens on the night of Yule and 12 more nights after it.

The holiday of Yule itself, otherwise called the holiday of the Long Night, first of all marks a renewal and a pause before active action necessary for the accumulation of strength. This year, Yule Night will begin on December 21-22.

This time is perfect:

• for emotional gatherings with family and friends;
• for fortune telling for the future.

The next 12 days and nights are considered the most important of the year: each day forms one of 12 months, and you can lay the foundation for the desired events by writing them down and setting an approximate date.

One of right ways getting what you want in the "dark time" is considered a daily meditation on the flame of a candle. Every evening you need to light a large white candle and pronounce your desire to its flame 7 times, tuning in to the energy of the fire element. This simple method will help you form a powerful energy message and achieve success throughout the year.

The last, 12th day of "dark time" will be on January 2, 2017 Fire Rooster... This day in Northern tradition called "the time of vows": all spoken words will have special power, and wishes can be fulfilled word for word.

This day is perfect:

• for any conspiracies on health and wealth;
• to remove negative programs.

12 Nights after Yule in December 2016 is a time to stop and see how wonderful life is and how much more lies ahead. Receive necessary energy meditation on the sign of the zodiac will help for future achievements. We wish you a bright Yule and happy year... Smile often and remember to press the buttons and