M.KathleenWhy is the winter solstice so magical in Lapland? The winter solstice is when Lapland comes alive. This special occasion marks the start of shorter days, allowing more time to experience the night and the magic that comes with it – the Northern Lights..
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How do you honor winter solstice?
Here are some customary ways to celebrate the solstice—you might notice that some resemble beloved Christmas traditions.
- Build a Yule Altar.
- Make an Evergreen Yule Wreath.
- Burn a Yule Log.
- Decorate a Yule Tree.
- Exchange Nature-Based Gifts.
- Give Back to Nature.
- Celebrate in Candlelight.
- Set up a Meditation Space.
How do you honor the winter solstice in 2021?
How To Celebrate The Winter Solstice
- Decorate an Outdoor Edible Tree for the Animals.
- Make Winter Solstice Lanterns.
- Read Winter Solstice Books.
- Make Orange Pomanders.
- Spend The Night By Candlelight.
- Make Some Wassail.
- Reflect, Release, Let Go, and Set Intentions For The New Season.
Is winter solstice a pagan holiday?
The Pagan celebration of Winter Solstice (also known as Yule) is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world. Ancient people were hunters and spent most of their time outdoors. The seasons and weather played a very important part in their lives.
What is the winter solstice called pagan?
The winter solstice is considered a turning point in the year in many cultures. The sacred day is also called Yule to pagans celebrating the birth of the new solar year, according to Circle Sanctuary, a prominent pagan group in America.
What do Druids call the winter solstice?
Yule’ is how Druids and Pagans have long referred to the winter solstice, even if most of us associate it more with festive chocolate logs.
How do Druids celebrate winter solstice?
Where do people celebrate? The most famous winter solstice celebration is led by Druids at the prehistoric Stonehenge monument in Wiltshire, England, which was built with a sightline pointed directly at the solstice sunset. Druids believe the solstice marks the rebirth of the sun.
How do Celts celebrate winter solstice?
Feasting, time with friends and family gathered around the fire burning yule logs, and decorating with holly and mistletoe – All of these traditions trace their roots back to Celtic winter solstice traditions.
What color candles burn for winter solstice? The solstice candle is usually white or yellow, with or without carvings. A black candle is lit for the parting Holly King, and gold and silver or red and green, candles are lit for the God and Goddess, respectively.
Who is the pagan god of winter solstice?
Cailleach Bheur (Celtic)
She is the hag aspect of the Triple Goddess, and rules the dark days between Samhain and Beltaine. She appears in the late fall, as the earth is dying, and is known as a bringer of storms. She is typically portrayed as a one-eyed old woman with bad teeth and matted hair.
How do you celebrate winter solstice 2021?
How To Celebrate The Winter Solstice
- Decorate an Outdoor Edible Tree for the Animals.
- Make Winter Solstice Lanterns.
- Read Winter Solstice Books.
- Make Orange Pomanders.
- Spend The Night By Candlelight.
- Make Some Wassail.
- Reflect, Release, Let Go, and Set Intentions For The New Season.
What is the Celtic winter solstice called?
| Samhain | |
|---|---|
| Type | Cultural Pagan ( Celtic polytheism Celtic neopaganism Wicca ) |
| Significance | Harvest festival celebrating end of a harvest season, beginning of winter |
| Celebrations | Bonfires guising or mumming divination feasting |
| Date | 31 October–1 November (or 1 May for Neopagans in the S hemisphere) |
What are the colors of Yule?
The symbols of Yule are evergreens, the Yule Log, a Yule tree, mistletoe, holly, wreaths, and bells. The colors of Yule are white, green, red, gold, and silver. Evergreens are popular decorations during Yule because they remind us that life continues through the cold and dark winter.
What color is associated with the winter solstice?
Since winter solstice is the season of the sun, gold is often associated with solar power and energy. If your tradition honors the return of the sun, why not hang some gold suns around your house as a tribute? Use a gold candle to represent the sun during your Yule rituals.
What color candles go in a Yule log? Traditionally, the yule log was an actual log that was burned in the fireplace on the night of the solstice. However, today, the yule log is more commonly a cake or a log decorated with yule candles. The candles may be any color, although green, gold, red and white are common.
Is Santa Claus pagan? The modern Santa Claus is a direct descendent of England’s Father Christmas, who was not originally a gift-giver. However, Father Christmas and his other European variations are modern incarnations of old pagan ideas about spirits who traveled the sky in midwinter, Hutton said.
Is the Christmas tree a pagan symbol? Christmas trees did begin as a pagan tradition as early as the fourth century C.E., according to ABC News. European pagans were largely responsible for dressing their homes with the branches of evergreen fir trees in order to bring color and light into their dull winters.
What do pagans do on winter solstice?
The sacred day is also called Yule to pagans celebrating the birth of the new solar year, according to Circle Sanctuary, a prominent pagan group in America. Dozens of pagans and druids head to Stonehenge, an iconic site in England, to pay tribute to the sun during the solstice.
What pagan holiday did Christmas replace?
Saturnalia, held in mid-December, is an ancient Roman pagan festival honoring the agricultural god Saturn. Saturnalia celebrations are the source of many of the traditions we now associate with Christmas.
What is the Celtic name for the winter solstice?
In Druidic traditions, this day is known as Alban Arthan, which means ‘Light of Winter’ in Welsh. Some also call it Alban Arthuan, or ‘Light of Arthur’, which pays homage to the Welsh legends of King Arthur.
How did Druids celebrate winter solstice?
James explains that, according to Druid tradition, at the winter solstice, “people in the village would bring a wooden log to the central fire, so everyone could take part in the celebrations”. So, there you have it: the modern chocolate yule log might just have its roots in more ancient traditions.
What are the four pagan festivals?
Four of the festivals have Celtic origins and are known by their Celtic names, Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain.
What religions celebrate solstice?
Today, the celebration of the solstices is mostly strongly associated with Paganism. The Pagan festival of Litha is one of the most important in the Pagan religion, commencing on the eve of the Summer Solstice it celebrates the midsummer and the power of the sun god.
What do pagans believe about winter solstice?
The pagan celebration of the winter solstice is known as Yule, and it’s one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world. It simultaneously celebrates the shortest day of the year, midwinter, the return of the Sun, and a festival of rebirth.
How did the Celts celebrate winter solstice? Feasting, time with friends and family gathered around the fire burning yule logs, and decorating with holly and mistletoe – All of these traditions trace their roots back to Celtic winter solstice traditions.
Why Easter is pagan?
While Christmas was a celebration of the winter solstice, Easter was a celebration of the spring equinox for the pagans. Pagans lived their lives in strong accordance with nature’s rhythms and patterns, and solstices and equinoxes were considered to be sacred times.
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