Jul, Jól, Yule, or by whatever name you call it, is a holiday for families, regardless of your religion. There are literally tons of tips and information for Christmas celebrations out there, but not as much for us. If you’re just starting out celebrating as a Pagan, you might want some pointers, and you’ve been a Pagan for ages, you might want to change things up a bit. So I created this list for all us Pagans, and Heathens, out there.
- Decorate! Decorating for the holiday is a given for most of us, but as a Pagan, you might have to make your own decorations and ornaments. The reason for this being that you might not find what you want in the shops. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to have a tree, red and green things etc. This is your house, you decide what belongs there. Most tend to avoid angels, stars, and the liturgical colour purple.If you want alternatives to the Christian decorations and ornaments, here:Angels – Fairies The Star – Sun or Sun cross The Coca-Cola Santa – The Tomte (longer beard, clothes in earth tones, not as bright and shiny) Nativity Scene – Nisse house with a family
- Create an altar for this holiday There’s really only one thing you have to remember about this: It’s your altar, you decide what’s suitable to put on it.
- Celebrate over several days Most Pagan traditions seem to have celebrated over several days, so why not. Why should you limit yourself to just a few?
- Have a proper feast One thing that’s definitely traditional in every way, is to have a proper feast. Make it something special, something you wouldn’t have otherwise. Enjoy your food, forget your diet (unless you’re on it for medical reasons of course).
- Create a ritual Make a ritual where you salute your chosen deities and/or greet the Sun. Make it as simple or as elaborate as you wish. It could be as simple as going outside to greet the sun as it rises.
- Have a bonfire Light a big bonfire, if you have space for one. If you don’t, you can enjoy the warmth from an open fire in other ways: a fireplace, a stove, candles etc.
- Tell stories If you have children, and you choose to teach them about your tradition, you could read parts of your lore or legends to them. If you don’t teach them, there’s lots of non-religious winter stories to choose from. And for those who don’t have children, you can read a good book, watch a good movie, or maybe read stories to your friends.
- Dance Dancing is fun, liberating, and it gets you moving after all that food.
- Exchange gifts Yes, Pagans can exchange gifts. Just put some thought into what you give, and don’t give because you feel you have to.
- Spend time with your family and friends The most important part of this holiday, is to spend time with our families and friends. Those who don’t have family around might celebrate with friends. And really, at this time of year, friends count as family. Enjoy it! Put all differences, fears, shyness and inhibitions aside, and enjoy the holiday.
I wish you a joyous, wonderful, fantastic
Jól
Jul
Yule
Solstice
