The Yule festival is a northern European festival.
Depending on the religious affiliation, the festival is celebrated between the winter solstice and the beginning of February.
In Norwegian, Danish and Swedish, Christmas is called "jul". In Icelandic, Jule-Time is called "jól", in English "Yule", in Finnish "joulu", in Dutch "joelfees", in Frisian and North Sea Germanic dialects "Jül or Jööl", in Old Norse "júl and jól". The Yule festival is celebrated in various variations depending on the region. In the Nordic-Germanic ASATRU faith, the Yule festival is one of the four most important festivals in the annual cycle.
Jule-Time or consecration - night. Rough nights Wodan's wild hunt
We refer to these as the 12 consecration nights. The word "Weih" comes from the Old High German "wîh" and means something like holy / sanctuary.
The Rough Nights begin on the night of December 25th at midnight!
The Rough Nights end on January 5th at midnight.
Each of the Rough Nights represents a month in the coming year and runs from midnight to midnight.
The solar calendar and the lunar calendar differ from each other by 12 days. The lunar calendar lacks “12 days and 12 nights” which are referred to as the Rough Nights.
The syllable “rough” is derived from the Germanic word rûch (West Germanic *rūhwa) - which means hairy - coarse - harsh, shaggy, shaggy and wild.
As reported in old myths and legends, the Rough Nights are the nights when evil demons and spirits wreak havoc on Midgard. These are the days when Odin or Wotan rides with his army of warriors on the “Wild Hunt” against the evil forces of darkness!
Pärchtentag - end of the Rough Nights
January 6th is Frigga's (Woman Holle) Perchtentag, it is the 13th day and is the end of the Rough Nights.
On Perchtentag there are Perchtenlaufs in some regions, “scary masks” are worn that are supposed to drive the last evil spirits back into their dark realm.
The 12 Rough Nights are the time of reflection, the end of the old past and the preview of the time of new beginnings, the time of the returning light.
Special customs and cult objects at the solstice and at Yule time to maintain “pagan” traditions:
Yule goats made of straw
Hanging up Yule goats made of straw as tree decorations. The goats symbolize the two goats of the thunder god Thor, who were called Tanngnjostr (teeth-gnasher) and Tanngrisnir (teeth-gnasher). This custom is particularly popular in Scandinavia, but has not been forgotten here either.
Setting up a Jöölboom, Jule tree, Frisian tree
The Jule tree is the traditional Frisian Jule- tree, for those who do not want to use the green fir as a Jule- tree.
A North Sea Germanic custom, whereby everyone can decorate their own Jöölboom as they wish with sun symbols, runes, goats, etc.
Sun wheels for the solstice
Setting up a wheel cross for the winter solstice, or burning the wheel cross. Sun wheels, fire wheels made of straw and wooden struts are rolled down burning mountains or hills. A custom that is very well known at the winter solstice, but also at Easter or when burning Biike.
Incense for Yule
The house is smoked with the words "Bring luck into the house - keep misfortune away".
Incense oil, frankincense, incense accessories, incense sticks for Yule.
In addition, Yule candles or beeswax candles are set up, which give the Jule celebration a lovely, warm atmosphere.
Yule candlesticks, traditional candlesticks
Solstice candlesticks are set up in the run-up to Jule-Time , at the solstice and during the rough Nights.
Yule drinking on Christmas nights
Delicious honey wine, known to the Germanic tribes as mead, is drunk cold or hot on the cold Christmas days.
For Yule drinking, we recommend our liqueur "Wodan's Wild Hunt" or the delicious honey beer Odin-Drink (Odinstrunk)!
Lucia, the goddess of light at Yule
The Lucia festival in honor of the goddess of light Lucia is a tradition that goes back a long time and is NOT of Christian origin.
It is celebrated in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland, among others. The Lucia festival is also becoming increasingly popular in Germany.
The festival is celebrated on December 13th, the shortest day of the year before the introduction of the Gregorian calendar.
The Lucia festival is ultimately in the tradition of older solstice celebrations.
The Christmas tree or Yule tree
The Christmas tree has very little to do with Jule- festivals, but a lot to do with pagan winter light and rebirth rites that have stubbornly survived the millennia. Decorated trees were part of pagan festivals for centuries.
Holly branches were popular with the Celts; they were supposed to ensure that the house goblins behaved well during the winter solstice. They were supposed to ward off evil, help in dream interpretation and protect the house from lightning strikes. Mistletoe originated with the Druids in England, who used it in strange cultic acts related to demonic and occult powers. On December 25, the Mithrasians celebrated the birth of Mithras. There is absolutely no biblical basis for December 25 as the day of Christ's birth.
The exchange of gifts was part of the Saturnalia. It was expected that one would give gifts to all one's friends at this festival. The star on the top of the tree was worshipped in the East 5000 years before Christ as a symbol of purity, goodness and peace.
The candle does not originate from the Jule sanctuary. We have adopted it from a much older altar, the Druid oak.
Santa Claus is borrowed from ancient Germanic mythology: Thor was an elderly man, warm and friendly, stocky built and with a long white beard. He rode in a chariot and was supposed to live in the Northland. His element was fire, his color red. In every house the fireplace was dedicated to him and he had to go down to it through the chimney.
Depending on the religious affiliation, the festival is celebrated between the winter solstice and the beginning of February.
In Norwegian, Danish and Swedish, Christmas is called "jul". In Icelandic, Jule-Time is called "jól", in English "Yule", in Finnish "joulu", in Dutch "joelfees", in Frisian and North Sea Germanic dialects "Jül or Jööl", in Old Norse "júl and jól". The Yule festival is celebrated in various variations depending on the region. In the Nordic-Germanic ASATRU faith, the Yule festival is one of the four most important festivals in the annual cycle.
Jule-Time or consecration - night. Rough nights Wodan's wild hunt
We refer to these as the 12 consecration nights. The word "Weih" comes from the Old High German "wîh" and means something like holy / sanctuary.
The Rough Nights begin on the night of December 25th at midnight!
The Rough Nights end on January 5th at midnight.
Each of the Rough Nights represents a month in the coming year and runs from midnight to midnight.
The solar calendar and the lunar calendar differ from each other by 12 days. The lunar calendar lacks “12 days and 12 nights” which are referred to as the Rough Nights.
The syllable “rough” is derived from the Germanic word rûch (West Germanic *rūhwa) - which means hairy - coarse - harsh, shaggy, shaggy and wild.
As reported in old myths and legends, the Rough Nights are the nights when evil demons and spirits wreak havoc on Midgard. These are the days when Odin or Wotan rides with his army of warriors on the “Wild Hunt” against the evil forces of darkness!
Pärchtentag - end of the Rough Nights
January 6th is Frigga's (Woman Holle) Perchtentag, it is the 13th day and is the end of the Rough Nights.
On Perchtentag there are Perchtenlaufs in some regions, “scary masks” are worn that are supposed to drive the last evil spirits back into their dark realm.
The 12 Rough Nights are the time of reflection, the end of the old past and the preview of the time of new beginnings, the time of the returning light.
Special customs and cult objects at the solstice and at Yule time to maintain “pagan” traditions:
Yule goats made of straw
Hanging up Yule goats made of straw as tree decorations. The goats symbolize the two goats of the thunder god Thor, who were called Tanngnjostr (teeth-gnasher) and Tanngrisnir (teeth-gnasher). This custom is particularly popular in Scandinavia, but has not been forgotten here either.
Setting up a Jöölboom, Jule tree, Frisian tree
The Jule tree is the traditional Frisian Jule- tree, for those who do not want to use the green fir as a Jule- tree.
A North Sea Germanic custom, whereby everyone can decorate their own Jöölboom as they wish with sun symbols, runes, goats, etc.
Sun wheels for the solstice
Setting up a wheel cross for the winter solstice, or burning the wheel cross. Sun wheels, fire wheels made of straw and wooden struts are rolled down burning mountains or hills. A custom that is very well known at the winter solstice, but also at Easter or when burning Biike.
Incense for Yule
The house is smoked with the words "Bring luck into the house - keep misfortune away".
Incense oil, frankincense, incense accessories, incense sticks for Yule.
In addition, Yule candles or beeswax candles are set up, which give the Jule celebration a lovely, warm atmosphere.
Yule candlesticks, traditional candlesticks
Solstice candlesticks are set up in the run-up to Jule-Time , at the solstice and during the rough Nights.
Yule drinking on Christmas nights
Delicious honey wine, known to the Germanic tribes as mead, is drunk cold or hot on the cold Christmas days.
For Yule drinking, we recommend our liqueur "Wodan's Wild Hunt" or the delicious honey beer Odin-Drink (Odinstrunk)!
Lucia, the goddess of light at Yule
The Lucia festival in honor of the goddess of light Lucia is a tradition that goes back a long time and is NOT of Christian origin.
It is celebrated in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland, among others. The Lucia festival is also becoming increasingly popular in Germany.
The festival is celebrated on December 13th, the shortest day of the year before the introduction of the Gregorian calendar.
The Lucia festival is ultimately in the tradition of older solstice celebrations.
The Christmas tree or Yule tree
The Christmas tree has very little to do with Jule- festivals, but a lot to do with pagan winter light and rebirth rites that have stubbornly survived the millennia. Decorated trees were part of pagan festivals for centuries.
Holly branches were popular with the Celts; they were supposed to ensure that the house goblins behaved well during the winter solstice. They were supposed to ward off evil, help in dream interpretation and protect the house from lightning strikes. Mistletoe originated with the Druids in England, who used it in strange cultic acts related to demonic and occult powers. On December 25, the Mithrasians celebrated the birth of Mithras. There is absolutely no biblical basis for December 25 as the day of Christ's birth.
The exchange of gifts was part of the Saturnalia. It was expected that one would give gifts to all one's friends at this festival. The star on the top of the tree was worshipped in the East 5000 years before Christ as a symbol of purity, goodness and peace.
The candle does not originate from the Jule sanctuary. We have adopted it from a much older altar, the Druid oak.
Santa Claus is borrowed from ancient Germanic mythology: Thor was an elderly man, warm and friendly, stocky built and with a long white beard. He rode in a chariot and was supposed to live in the Northland. His element was fire, his color red. In every house the fireplace was dedicated to him and he had to go down to it through the chimney.