So you've been Yuling it up for a few weeks now and I have a question. Is there any huge difference between Yule and Christmas? Aside from the American Bloodsport that is "Black Friday".
Depends on how you look at it. As you know, Christmas has its origin in Yule.
A lot of the things you today relate to Christmas are mostly old pagan symbols and traditions from its origin in Yule.
Like mistletoe. Old symbol for fertility symbol. The feast was both meant to avoid waste in the food stock during winter, but also dedicated to the gods and spirit in wish they would make sure next harvest would be as grand to ensure such a great meal next year.
I don’t know with other places, but at least in Denmark things like rice porridge and roast pork is a huge thing during December to go with the traditional meal. And no Yule’s Eve is complete without the traditional creamy rice pudding for dessert, in which a whole almond has been hidden and the one finding it in their portion wins an extra present. Possibly an old tradition from Viking times.
A simplified example on the differences is this meme I randomly fell over on facebook the other day.
With how closely people connect Christmas to Yule today, it can be hard to specify on any actual difference beside saying “Christmas took this and that from Yule and others.” Another indication is how individual families often got their own little traditions they like to go by every year.
After all, for the most part Christmas came to be, when compromising with old Nordic traditions and found reasons to make people add going to church on the list of Yule traditions. And it spread out as travelers and families moved about the globe, taking ideas and traditions with them.
Halloween has a origin back in old Europe too with its own stories and traditions from before it became what most people know today.
I am Silver Tongue, I am an artist. I have many characters and you can check out my art in the art tag. I occasionally practice witchcraft though I don't do anything too complicated. I am girl 2 and don't know what else to put here.
