Note from Louisa

​There is a hint of sparkle in the air that, no matter how challenging the prior year has been, always seems to accompany this time of year for me.  Knowing that traditions that transcend time, culture, and geography have united us in celebrations of returning light and renewal, always provides a much-needed lift at the end of the year.
 
Traditions that mark this time of year are plentiful and rich.  Several years ago, I did a deep dive into those practiced by my Celtic and Germanic ancestors and read about the foundational practice that ultimately became known as The Twelve Days of Yule, stretching from the day after Christmas to Epiphany. In both the Christian tradition and its pre-Christian roots, this festival included a wide variety of celebrations to honor all the gifts of the Gods, which later became a celebration of the Saints.
 
I’ve included the original practice below, along with the name of the Christian Saint to whom it was later dedicated. If you feel so inclined to try on these ancient customs, feel free to make adaptations that allow for the demands of modern life. I’ve included some fun ideas for creating your own tradition or consider them historically driven prompts for your journal practice.
 
The festivities begin on December 26th(Boxing Day).


Day I (December 26th): Day of the Wren (St. Stephen) Celebrate your creatures. 
Spend time with the animals in your life, both living and passed. Eat animal crackers.  Make a donation to an animal rescue.  Pet something with fur.  Refill your bird feeder.


Day II: Mother's Night (St. John). Celebrate your ghosts.
The Twelve Days are a time when those who have passed and the unseen world are close at hand.  Read the German story of Frau Holle (Holda, Hulda) or Frau Gode, or the American tale of Mother Carey.  Reward someone who is kind. Honor the women in your life who have lifted you up to help you become who you are.  Consider what you are mothering/nurturing in your own life.


Day III: Day of the Innocents. (Holy Innocent’s Day). Celebrate children or innocence. Reflect on your own childhood and the innocence you brought to the world.  Make a list of five things that you loved about your childhood and, if you have children, ask them the same questions. Praise your children. See something familiar or routine through new eyes.


Day IV: The Feast of Fools. Celebrate the Joker.
Consider reversing the hierarchical order of something. Throw a party and invite the guests to paint their faces and nails blue.  Have a food fight.  Tell dad jokes.  Try to juggle, and for the brave, post that attempt on social media.


Day V: The Boar Feast. Celebrate the wild.
This day was reserved for the hunt in early Britain, likely an homage to earlier sacrificial boar hunts to ensure abundance through the deep winter.  In modern days, we can celebrate this  day by enjoying the gifts of nature.  Make snow angels and snow forts (if possible). Listen to the winter wind move through the evergreens and feel the cold on your exposed skin.  


Day VI: New Year's Eve (Hogmanay). Celebrate cleansing and the death of the old. The Scottish tradition of Mummer Plays often tell the story of combat between a hero and his foe who is vanquished and then brought back to life.  What needs to be released at the end of this year, perhaps to be rekindled in new form in the next? Declutter a drawer.  Remove one no-longer-needed item from every room in your house.  Tend to any unfinished business.


Day VII: New Year's Day (The Kalends of January). Celebrate renewal and community. This day celebrates hopefulness as the old year is laid to rest and we look forward to what lies ahead. On this day in Scotland, it is customary to not remove anything from your home (not even the trash), lest you accidentally discard good luck and fortune for the coming year. Look to what “enters your home” (who visits, what television you watch, or food you consume) for signs of prosperity in the new year. Take time today to count your blessings and to remember all the abundance you have.


Day VIII: Day of Snow. Celebrate beauty in the cold and grey. Honor the snow and frigid weather by seeing its beauty, rather than its inconvenience. Look for the wonder and magic in the winter landscape.  Spend some time outside.  Take photos of your favorite tree.  Imagine the seedlings under the earth garnering strength during the fallow time.


Day IX: Day of Evergreen. Celebrate what endures. Harkening back to the days when trees represented divinity themselves or were considered sacred to certain deities, this day invites us to contemplate the abiding seasons of life. This tradition is the predecessor of the Yule Log and the Christmas tree, where evergreens are brought into the home to represent the steadfastness of life through the dark winter.  Today, decorate your hearth with boughs or evergreen garlands.  Learn the species of the trees where you live. Contemplate how long they have been there and how the world has changed over their lifetimes.


Day X: Day of Divination (St. Distaff’s Day). Celebrate what comes.  This day traditionally marks the day that people returned to work after the holidays, but rather than being a glum occasion, there is a rich tradition of pranking that accompanies the drudgery of returning to routine. As the festivities begin to wind down, many turn to divination practices in hopes of predicting what lies ahead for the year. Today, you might read your horoscope, draw a Tarot card, or pay attention to your dreams.


Day XI: Day of Gifts to the Self (The Eve of Epiphany; The Festival of The Three Kings). Celebrate desire.  The three Magi in the nativity story represent a quest for knowledge and understanding and the distance we travel and efforts we make in its pursuit.  Today is a day to reflect on giving and receiving. What spiritual gifts and understanding might we be seeking or want to bestow on others this year?  Acceptance? Love?  Freedom from expectation or judgement? Spend time uncovering the true gifts that you long for and then consider how you might offer them to yourself and to others.


Day XII: Day of Fire (Epiphany. Twelfth Night). Celebrate joy. This day marks the end of the winter festivities and included the dismantling of holiday decorations which were typically thrown on a big bonfire, followed by a loud and joyful feast. This is the origin of the Twelfth Night Cake where a bean was placed within the batter and whomever received the piece of cake with the bean was crowned the King or Queen for the day. Celebrate Epiphany with your own cake. Put away your decorations.  Play board games.  Sing songs loudly and off key. The Solstice season is over for this turn of the wheel and the new year has begun!
 
Blessings on your journey,
Louisa
 
You can learn more about the traditions of the season in John Matthews’ beautiful book “The Winter Solstice: The Sacred Traditions of Christmas”