14 December 2006

Solstice




The shortest day of the year marks at the Winter Soltice, known to Wiccans as Yule (from the Norse lul, meaning "wheel"). It is one of the Lesser Sabbaths of the year and falls at or about December 21.

Part of the Pagan celebration is the gathering and displaying of evergreen boughs, showing the promise of new life in the coming spring. A Yule tree is erected in many areas to represent the phallus, or spirit of fertility. From this came the Christian Christmas tree.

Yule was established as the birth date of Mithras - with veneration for the sun-and was then adopted by the New Religion (within a few days) to mark the birth of the "Son" Jesus.



2 comments:

enigma4ever said...

wow..this is so interesting..and incredible...with the rightwingnutjobs at the helm I am surprized that we are allowed to have The Tree....

Merry Holidays to you....miss seeing you over at Craigs- can't really comment since the Beta transformation...sigh...

Durward Discussion said...

enigma,

They finally got Sheila on and she was having a horrid time. Contract Craig at mail@crawfordslist.com

Craig, CBob, or Brian will figure out what is happening.