"A bayberry candle burned to the socket brings food to the larder and gold to the pocket." Yule, also referred to as Yuletide, winter solstice, and Christmas, is a solar festival of pagan origin that marks the time when the days grow longer and the nights grow shorter. Yule begins on the Mother night and ends 12 days later; hence, the origin of the 12 days of Christmas. ... http://www.squidoo.com/best-yuletide-ever Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:04:22 -0600 FeedCreator 1.7.2 Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:53:39 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/best-yuletide-ever "A bayberry candle burned to the socket brings food to the larder and gold to the pocket." Yule, also referred to as Yuletide, winter solstice, and Christmas, is a solar festival of pagan origin that marks the time when the days grow longer and the nights grow shorter. Yule begins on the Mother night and ends 12 days later; hence, the origin of the 12 days of Christmas. On this day, the Holly King, who is the ruler of the waning year, is overcome by the Oak King, who will rule the throne from Yule to Litha (midsummer). Yule is a time when family togetherness and love are celebrated, and when accomplishments of the past year are acknowledged and celebrated.   As a solar festival, Yule is celebrated by fire and the use of the Yule log. Seasonal colors associated with Yule are, not surprisingly, red and green. Red represents the menstrual blood of the female, while green represents the fertility of the growing season. Colors and yule logs are not the only things adopted by Christians as tradition, however. Delectable pastries, fancy breads, and wreaths made of holly are all customarily Pagan. Read on to find out more information about the origins and traditions of Yuletide, including the Yule log, Yuletide carols, tribute to Thor, Yule log lore, the Yule goat, the Julenisse, sacred uses of Yuletide greenery, virtual Yule, and more.  ______________________________________________________________________    Vintage Icelandic Yuletide Notecards - A Yule Card showing a young girl waking up on Christmas morning. Originally printed in Berlin, Germany, with English text. Used in Iceland, Christmas 1914. Available at the Ju Ju Shoppe. Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:53:39 -0600