I like Christmas. I don't like the way Christianity keeps trying to hijack it, but I like the music, the decorations, the feasting, the mythology. All wholesomely pagan.
I'm a practicing Pagan (brought up Jewish, so the Christian traditions were never anything I knew much about), so Yule/the Winter Solstice is my holiday :-)
Every year my group has a Yule dinner party, including kids and husbands. We put all the leaves in my table so we are actually all sitting together, and everyone brings a dish. This year we are doing turkey with all the trimmings (my friend Robin's 4 year old son just learned to make homemade cranberry sauce, and is very proud of himself). We also drink "blissini's" which are one third prosecco, pomegranate juice, and OJ--also very festive.
We take a piece of wood from my property and make a Yule log out of it (by drilling holes for candles in the top, and also taking turns decorating it...they're um...usually very eclectic). Then we each light a candle to symbolize the light in the darkness, and make a wish for the coming year.
We're pagan, obviously, but like most years, the solstice is too busy for us to be able to do much to mark it ourselves (tomorrow, for instance, which is our own handfasting anniversary, we're heading in opposite directions to conduct separate h/fastings for other people). I will be taking down last year's bunch of mistletoe, however, putting it on the fire and putting up the fresh bunch. We are cooking a roast (venison) but it's accidental.
But Christmas is the big one for us - we're closing on Xmas Eve and going for lunch this year, before a pretty traditional Xmas Day. It's about the only 3 straight days we can take off, so we are making the most of it.
put up this years God... ususally horned, doesnt have to be too big, or even accurate, just something with horns. (the Woodstock ornament with antlers last year was just fine)
When I had a fireplace, I used to pick the largest, most seasoned log we had, and light it at dusk, keeping it going until we went to sleep and then saving an ember overnight.
These days I don't have any particular tradition, but I'm feeling the need to mark it, this year....
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Every year my group has a Yule dinner party, including kids and husbands. We put all the leaves in my table so we are actually all sitting together, and everyone brings a dish. This year we are doing turkey with all the trimmings (my friend Robin's 4 year old son just learned to make homemade cranberry sauce, and is very proud of himself). We also drink "blissini's" which are one third prosecco, pomegranate juice, and OJ--also very festive.
We take a piece of wood from my property and make a Yule log out of it (by drilling holes for candles in the top, and also taking turns decorating it...they're um...usually very eclectic). Then we each light a candle to symbolize the light in the darkness, and make a wish for the coming year.
Then feasting, presents, and much merriment!
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But Christmas is the big one for us - we're closing on Xmas Eve and going for lunch this year, before a pretty traditional Xmas Day. It's about the only 3 straight days we can take off, so we are making the most of it.
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These days I don't have any particular tradition, but I'm feeling the need to mark it, this year....
Reply
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