Magick

Guest Writer

For as long as I can remember my family has always celebrated Christmas. We get a tree, open presents, and other, well, Christmas stuff. But since I have been studying Wicca I have found that there is a holiday like Christmas, and its called Yule.

At first I thought, how can I celebrate Christmas and Yule, that's seriously mixing traditions! So, I did some reading and they have a lot in common. Yule, or the winter solstice, was originally celebrated by the ancient Egyptians. It spread throughout Mesopotamia and into Greece and Rome. As Christianity took root in Rome, the holiday was Christianized to Christmas, the birth of Christ.

The traditions however, remained the same. Yule was all about the rebirth of the sun, after the dark winter months. There were trees called... of course... Yule trees, and a Yule Log burned in the hearth, the colours red, green, and white.

I have learned a lot from my studies, like that red is for the blood of new life, white is for the innocence of youth, and green is for growth. I also learned that I can mix holidays, and follow what I believe.

Have a wonderful holiday, whatever you celebrate.

Magick, signing off.