What are your Yule traditions?

I always make it a point to reflect on my life on the first Sunday of Advent. I light the first candle for all the people I like and reflect on them too. The second light is always for my dreams, the third for the world and the fourth for joy. Each lit on sundays only.

I have a decorated tree because I like them. They are so beautiful. I don't do other decorations.

I play Christmas music because I love it, but mostly the classical kind.

My Beloved Hubby and I don't get into the whole gift thingy. Mostly we just make one purchase; something that pleases us both that we maybe wouldn't have bought otherwise. This year it'll be new handlebars for the bike.

I've been working most Holidays since I was 15. Don't really have the Yuletide spirit anymore. To me the most important day is the 22, because that is the day when my son was born. I've never celebrated a birthday together with him, but it's a day of celebration for me none the less.


To clarify; I do the Advent thingy because it was a big tradtition when I was a kid. I'm not into anything religious, but I do so love traditions...

Mother's Night is 21st, nicely located on a Friday tonight. This means a candle-lighting ceremony with the sunset, good friends and family all night, exchange gifts of clothing, and the candle-extinguishing ceremony at sunrise followed by a good breakfast feasting.

During Mother's Night we also have a ceremony to cut away the failures of the past year and set our minds towards our goals for the upcoming year. Since Yule is a time belonging to no year, it's the perfect time to consider such things. By morning, we weave our requests to the gods into the wreath and hang it prominently so it can be looked at and contemplated for the remainder of Yule.

Lots of get-togethering during the season, as much as we can squeeze in. We have a Yule tree because we don't have room for a Yule log. Other than that, we don't do much decorating.

On New Years' Day, everyone who was at Mother's Night gathers again for the burning of the wreath and releasing our intentions for the new year to the gods for their assistance. And more feasting, of course.

It's a good time. I'm looking forward to it.

Melisande said:

I always make it a point to reflect on my life on the first Sunday of Advent. I light the first candle for all the people I like and reflect on them too. The second light is always for my dreams, the third for the world and the fourth for joy. Each lit on sundays only.

Click to expand...

I may have to adopt this one. ^^

Decor's pretty limited for me, I usually hang up my oversized stocking from when I was a kid and two smaller ones for the cats and settle in to watch "The Man who Came to Dinner."

This year we'll be doing good to have any decorations at all. The new house is overwhelming and there are boxes piled up everywhere. Since the new built-ins aren't built yet, there are few, tiny spots to put anything away. I feel like the "awfullest" mom ever. I really want to put up a tree, but I don't think it would look right. Hey! Maybe I can just wrap up all the boxes that aren't unpacked yet!

We have a tree. I can't bring myself to cut down a tree so we have a fake one, but I gather bows from the pine and cedar trees around me...always at sunset under the last rays of the sun. I give thanks to the trees and to the earth.

We weave the bows into garlands and string them through our home. We keep a candle lit to celebrate the return of the light. On the Solstice we use the candle to light a yule log that symbolizes the return of the light and the earth waking from the slumber of winter. We celebrate the birth, death and rebirth cycle.

We gather for a dinner on the solstice and invite those who have passed beyond the veil to join us and celebrate, much like we did on Samhain, the Celtic New Year.

We also exchange one gift, from the heart, something handmade that signifies our love for each other and for the earth and the life on it. Also our thankfulness for family and friends.

Afterwards, we pull down the garlands and commit them to the yule fire, letting our wishes and blessings be carried to the Goddess in the smoke.

One candle is saved to be lit on the Summer solstice and extinguished to continue the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

We light a candle at sunset, with everyone making a wish/prayer--something we'll work for, not like "I wish I had a million dollars" or anything--and giving thanks for the previous year's gifts, and we leave the candle to burn all night. We also do a small gift exchange, one present each.

We eat slow-roasted pork. Can't do a Yule log because we have a gas fireplace but we do light that so we have some fire.

Here's one that is sort of fun that my hubby and I do. One year, he decided to get me some jewelry. But because of his work schedule, he wound up not being able to shop until Christmas Eve (which was nice for him, because he got some great deals!) But there was no time to wrap them. So, he decided to try something different. He took the necklaces out of the boxes and HUNG them on the tree. Then he turned off the lights, and had me search for them using only the twinkle lights from the tree to guide me. Oh, and no hands. I could only LOOK for them amongst the garland, tinsel and shiny ornaments. Looking for sparklies among the sparklies has turned into a game every year. Even if he only buys a cheap piece of costume jewelry like a cheesy pin, it goes on the tree for me to find.

Very fun, but not recommended until moments before the search begins. Oh, and remember how many you put on, or you might wind up finding it when you're taking down the tree! That happened one year. Nice late gift, but it was a good thing we didn't throw away the necklace with the tree!