What is Yule? | Answering Your Questions on "Pagan Christmas"

[@mackereltabbie]

As a Norwegian, I have a few old traditions to suggest: brewing your own Yule beer to share with visitors, setting out a bowl of rømmegrøt for husnissen so he'll keep looking after your home, and something more subtle: anyone visiting during Yule, even for 2 minutes, must be given food (a piece of candy is fine) and you need to leave some food out overnight, to keep any invisible midnight visitors happy as well

[@SirBedevereTheWise]

My grandma was of Irish descent and she had similar traditions. Along with leaving a new or shined penny with ginger cookies near the local creek

[@LadyKarenManagerSeeker]

My grandfather was Norwegian and my grandmother was irish (and half german but she liked to think she was 100% irish because, Hitler.) anyway we did NONE of those cool things. I would have loved all that

[@brassteeth3355]

Love it. Thanks

[@honragnarrthered1658]

I usually leave some oatmeal out for the Nisse gnomes

[@mackereltabbie]

@@honragnarrthered1658 with butter and sugar/syrup I hope, or you might get in trouble! A glass of ale wouldn't go amiss, either

[@Kim-J312]

I remember as a kid , like 10-11 making my Yule alter in my house , decorated w pine cones, holly, mistletoe and evergreen 🌲 branches ❤. Kinda funny because my family members are a mix of catholics and evangelical Christians . I was constantly dragged off to church and feeling very disconected, not interested and none of it made sense. Found Paganism since I was a child as the only religion that makes sense to me , so mote it be 💚

[@jeffrachelburkhalter3783]

🫱"I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me... Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I Am... I Am the Bread of Life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst... I Am the Door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture... Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it... I Am the Good Shepherd: the Good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I Am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and Am known of Mine. As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd. Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of My Father... My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are One... I Am the Resurrection, and the Life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?.. I Am the Light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of life... And this is the condemnation, that Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the Light, neither cometh to the Light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the Light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God... Ye must be born again... Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit... If ye believe not that I Am He, ye shall die in your sins... If any man come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple... Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn Him to death, And shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify Him: and the third day He shall rise again... And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God... All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out... No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me... Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I Am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls... Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto Me, except it were given unto him of My Father... As thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given Him... And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day... Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also... Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder... Hearken unto Me every one of you, and understand: There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear... Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man... Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire... Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart... For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?.. Repent ye, and believe the Gospel...I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish... I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I Am He, ye shall die in your sins... I Am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I Am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death... I Am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last... I Am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." - The Lord Jesus Christ🫲

[@macylouwho1187]

My daughter is the same way-that’s almost her experience exactly. She never connected to organized religion and never blindly believed in anything she heard. She did what was right for her. I have to respect that. I never realized how much my family was indoctrinated into religious teachings from such a young age and told to believe without question or else. Now that I’m older and wiser I see it for what it really is and I’m increasingly done with it myself. It’s a way to control the population and take free money and power. Massive power. People will do anything for that power, use any tool they can including deception and force. And fear-fear of hell is the greatest control effect put in place in history. And everyone blindly believes without a shred of proof of any of it “just in case” it’s true. At my age I realize that God never shows up for anything, never answers anyone, never helps anyone except when they delude themselves that he does by chance or happenstance their wish comes true. Innocent people suffer and die and bad people get away with it. Especially the ultra rich. No one does sh-t about anything. There’s never any “second coming” of Christ. Just waiting and waiting and waiting for something that never happens forever more. Why? Because death is scary and people need an explanation of what happens to feel better about it. That’s pretty much it in a nutshell. One of the big rules of Christianity is “do not kill”. Christians slaughtered a bloody path through history doing just that in the name of a god and in an attempt to subjugate and control anyone who didn’t believe what they do. People still die today over their beliefs because they harm others who they can’t control and force into their religion. So “religious” of them 😂. Nope, I’m done to. I hope more people wake up out of this trap and free themselves and their own lives from the control and hate mongering of organized religion. War upon war happens over invisible gods who never help anyone. It’s so stupid to kill or harm overs over that. So blind.

[@jeffrachelburkhalter3783]

@@macylouwho1187 True believers don't believe because of a fear of death. We believe because God has given us faith. There are many churches with all kinds of doctrine and most of them are lost. There is only one true Church and it is not a man-made organization, it is a spiritual house built by God. The Lord Jesus Christ (God manifest in the flesh) is building His Church with lively stones (His people) upon the foundations of the apostles and prophets and He is the Chief Corner Stone. It is the Roman Catholic church that has a bloody history, not the true Church. Jesus is coming back, but not until all of His elect have been brought to repentance and faith in Him and His enemies are made His footstool. He is patiently waiting for that day and when it arrives, only His people will be ready. This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 2 Peter 3:1-14

[@Kim-J312]

@macylouwho1187 along my life the ones who were most accepting of me being a Pagan were beilve it or not are the Mormons and the Jehovah witness ! It has been the ordinary Christians say awful things to me like im going to hell and judgment day 🙄, ect ect . I had a Buddha figurine in my bathroom as a decoration, my holy roller aunt threw it in the garbage and started reciting Bible verses at me 🙄 Rude !!! I don't push my Paganism on no one or lecture people who are a different religion. Freedom of religion ❤️

[@jeffrachelburkhalter3783]

@@Kim-J312 That figures about the JW's and the Mormons. I don't agree with what your Aunt did, it's not up to us to throw anyone's things away. If you ever repent and believe the Gospel, you will do that yourself. Religious tolerance goes as far as not harming those who believe such things but we are not told to tolerate the religion itself. God certainly doesn't. I used to be a proud pagan, but the Lord saved me twenty years ago and I would never go back to my old life. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and nothing in this earth compares to Him. There are people on this world who have very little but they know that they have Christ and they are happier and more content that all the rich and 'powerful' put together.

[@janesmith1398]

We celebrate Yule on the day the Sun goes into Capricorn, the Winter Solstice. This year it falls at 10:27 PM EST on December 21st. Great video. Thank you.

[@MisstressMourtisha]

Sooo Midwest would be 9:27? I know I can Google it but I have a hard time understanding time zones. It's like were all time travelers lol

[@janesmith1398]

​@@MisstressMourtishaYes, CST would be 9:27 PM. Happy Yule!

[@clairebeane3455]

I am in the Pacific Northwest and will be celebrating Yule at 7:27 on December 21!!! My daughters are on the east coast so they will simultaneously be celebrating it with me at 10:27!!! ❤❤❤

[@janesmith1398]

@@clairebeane3455 Happy Yule!

[@clairebeane3455]

@@janesmith1398 You as well!!!

[@rosakoskinen1546]

I’m from Finland and I just learned about yule, but at the same time I have been celebrating it all my life! The word for Christmas in Finnish is joulu, like said in the video. Watching these videos I’ve realized that all the most beloved traditions here are actually Yule and it makes me really happy and proud! I will definetely try to incorporate these tips more mindfully to all the familiar rituals this year!

[@integratedalchemist]

Finally somebody as stoked as me about Christmas. When I was a kid my mom would decorate the living room with cedar and fir boughs, and I would stare into the fire for hours and time would literally slow down dramatically taking me into an altered state with total clarity. It makes me sad when friends tell me they don't like Christmas, partly I think they do it because they think it's cool, but I get the commercial aspect of it. I feel like they're missing out because when done right it can be a truly magical time of year.

[@Raichu420]

Here in Colorado, since we have Red Rocks Amphitheater, theres a yearly event called "Drumming Up the Sun" that my family and i try to attend, weather permitting. It's on the morning of the solstice and we arrive about an hour before sunrise. Everyone brings drums and other percussion instruments, people chant and burn incense and sage, and we just celebrate being around each other. Hundreds of people come from all sorts of backgrounds 🥰

[@thegreatselkie6009]

That’s sounds wonderful!!!

[@LittleEvoLady]

oh my! i wish to attend next year! on my bucket list of places to visit anyway 😊

[@Noxthedunmer]

I usually just celebrate Yule on Christmas, my family is already all together that day and celebrating.

[@thecriticandtheuncle5784]

As a Wiccan who admires this channel and Heathenry, I celebrate on December 21st, but I think people should celebrate on whatever day makes them connect to the deities.

[@heathersparlor]

I started celebrating Yule a few years ago. But started to change things, slowly in my house for 15 years. It just feels more authentic than Christmas.

[@msvaleriah]

Jacob, thank you for this awesome video about Yule. It always was my favorite time of the year and I've lost a lot of that in recent years. You're inspiring me to welcome Yule and really celebrate this year. Found my mom's old cookie press from the early sixties. Making Yule goodies with it sounds like a great way to start bringing the Light back! Skal and happiest of Yules to you!

[@TheWisdomOfOdin]

That’s exciting. Hope the cookies are great!

[@bill1566]

Santa uses 8 reindeer to get around, Odin uses an 8 legged horse... just sayin.

[@randycunningham7318]

Sounds terrifying

[@ErikDaVinci]

Both set of animals fly. Just adding. 😊

[@NegiTaiMetal011]

I am being fascinated by and interested in the origins of Christmas. I celebrate it the best I can in the way Yule goes, despite me living in a not-so European place, with other ways to celebrate it, making it merry with feasts and other fun events. Greetings and skal from Philippines. May you welcome me as a fellow person interested in and learning about Norse paganism.

[@heldforeverbygod]

I am a christian....a follower and disciple of Christ. The word Christmas incorporates the word 'Christ' because it is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Luke 2 tells the story of His birth. He is called Christ because He was born into this World as The Savior, God's only begotten Son. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the World that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life." This is why angels announced at His birth that they "Bring good tidings of GREAT joy which shall be to ALL people! For unto us is born this day, in the City of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord! And this shall be a sign into you: you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger..."

[@nicolehaugen9265]

Love the emphasis that you've put on food and the saving of family recipes. I lost my Mom this year, on the 13th of November, and her passing has certainly had an impact on my Yule celebrations. We will be having our large family gathering on the 26th this year and we are forgoing the traditional turkey and preparing all Mom's favorite German foods instead.

[@HalogiLUX]

Thank you for this lovely video! If Pagan or Christian: everyone should be celebrating this time of the year more thoughtfully. I really like the part about the ancestors and not buying plastic crap! Fröhliche Wintersonnenwende aus Deutschland!

[@Kaymeleon]

Next year I'm going to be purposeful in not buying plastic 🙌❤️

[@mrcjc9298]

Interesting fact about eating ham. When the people of Stonehenge celebrated the winter solstice, they may have eaten pigs. Archaeologists found quite a lot of pig bones around the site. A tradition going back to the Stone Age perhaps.

[@augustcanyon3438]

Pigs are sacred to the agricultural deities and underworld deity.

[@nightangel486]

What a mood-lifting video! Thanks for bringing the holiday cheer My family is pretty secular but we still keep up family traditions like baking cookies together ❤

[@TheWisdomOfOdin]

Glad the cold was worth it! Didn’t know you could bake cookies 👀 I will remember this!

[@alexguay9518]

Fact: having a cold during Yule is in fact historically accurate! 😂

[@deadlunatik3405]

Thank you for this video brother! This will be my first ever winter solstice and Yule I will be celebrating. If it is fate them it will be the first of many. You’ve made my journey into paganism a lot easier. Thank you for that. Peace be with you.

[@TheWisdomOfOdin]

Happy yule!

[@ohdearieme4885]

Many blessings Jacob! I always look forward to a new video and this one did not disappoint. short, sweet, and pretty informative! Always a pleasure. Thank you for another video! 💖

[@TheWisdomOfOdin]

Happy Yule!

[@RionWhite]

Our family sat around our Yule tree and read one chapter of your book a night during Yule last year and we will do the same again this year. The kids love this so much!

[@MisstressMourtisha]

Merry blessings Jacob 💕💕💕🧿 Yaaay i got my pumpkin spice coffee ☕ and your show. Favorite part of my day ❤❤

[@TheWisdomOfOdin]

Need to get me a warm drink soon too!

[@MisstressMourtisha]

​​@@TheWisdomOfOdin🥰 Do you have a PO box. I'd love to send you a little gift. ❤❤

[@samaval9920]

Pumpkin seems to be N American indigenous origin. Off topic but related-- Irish (& others?) used to carve turnips ( how large?) (& other vegetables?) to represent skulls (& others?) before Spain, England, etc. invaded Americas & sent many “new” squashes, vegetables, fruits, tubers, etc. to Europe. In Ireland in 1700s, the novelist Brontë sisters’ ancestors angered village neighbors when at night, in dark, outside of Samhain, they used candle lighted carved turnips to surprise shock them as so called practical jokes.

[@KE-rm1pk]

Thanks!

[@seasonsathome2291]

My husband and me do our family yule/xmas lasagna every year. We really enjoy cooking together and it became our little family ritual.

[@Blaskotrain]

Just grabbed a hardcover of your book from your amazon link. I will read it to my son as soon as it comes in.

[@TheWisdomOfOdin]

Hope you both enjoy!

[@madmadammeag5141]

On the commercialization, I think it's okay to buy things that aren't hand made, so long as what you're buying is well thought out and something that will truly mean something to those you're buying it for. Like a doll that looks like the little girl you're buying it for, a new set of lures or a tent for a lover of camping and the outdoors, or an artists favorite kind of paint/clay. Things that people will truly love, enjoy, and use for a long time rather than just frivolous things just to buy things. (Had a great aunt get random stuff to give everyone, which included a unicorn head on a plaque, and a pink cat clock that still sit in the hall closet, for example.)

[@LogicalguyThinking]

As a practising catholic I need to understand if you bake a yule cake? Do you have yule carols? Who is your Santa? How do you celebrate Yule? Do you consume whisky in Yule?

[@ErikDaVinci]

Hm.. from a protestantic christianity traditional Swedish yule: 1. Yule cake is not ready a thing. But bakeries do sell them and every year my mom wants to buy one and the family says NO. Cuse it class with all traditional bakery and cookies on yuke eve. 2. Yes, we have plenty of yule carols. 3. Santa is jultomten. He is more related to Odin and the house spirits than some cristian saint from East Greek from 300th century. He doesn’t fly. He actually come on yule eve (Julafton) and give gifts to children, and to mom and dad too. It is said he gets help to get around on ground by riding the yule goat. 4. Celebrate yule (jul) for 3 days starting on December 24th. Family together. Eats a huge feast with food. Visits from jultomten. Have a lot of traditional decorations. Julgran (Xman tree), tomtar (house spirit gnomes) like everywere and a julbock (yule goat). I place mine in the big window in the livingroom. But yule is the time prior as well with the yule markets and celebration of Lussebrud who brings back the light from darkness. It is all the cristian tradition afterwards like 13th after xmas when the wise men arrives. Though we don’t celebrate it as big as catholics or ortodoxs. Last the 20th day after yule were you have the ritual of getting rid of the yule tree. Dance around it and give candy to kids. We do julkort (xmas greeting cards) and we take care of the house spirits and feed it with porridge. 5. No. No alcohol during yule in my family. More custom to drink traditional yule mead (julmust). Non alcoholic and cocacola black soda but with malt and foam as beer.

[@mere7583]

If we're talking historically accurate yule, as recorded by Snori Sturluson, you sacrifice horses and cattle, boil their meat, and decorate your temple and yourself with their blood. You then drink and swear oaths to the gods. If you're looking for more accurate history I recommend Dr. Jackson Crawford's videos, the guy in this video makes a lot of assumptions. No mention of decorating with plants or gift-giving in contemporary sources on yule. Yule is another word for Christmas in Scandinavian countries because the Norwegian king Haakon the good ordered they celebrate yule on Christmas, and though the Yule traditions died out the name stuck, which adds to the confusion.

[@samantha_lawrence5100]

This video has the oureat vibes, he's just so excited for everything 🥹✨🌲

[@helinabilodeau9619]

Happy Yule! Stay safe and best wishes for the upcoming year. Thanks for doing what you do.

[@dmitrijsdmitrijevs3077]

In my opinion, the Yule is an amazing Norse pagan festival. I love Norse Gods and Goddesses.

[@Hospitaller1099]

I personally don't think human sacrifice is amazing. This is what the Norse pagans did, and the priests would drench themselves with their blood. It sounds quite horrifying actually.

[@Vss7788]

Loved this video! I love the idea of talking to family, finding the truth in history. It's so weird that EVERYONE seemed to use the Lunar calendar yet somehow out of nowhere we are all using solar.

[@SirBedevereTheWise]

My coworker: B, what is Yule? Me: it's Christmas before Christians stole the celebration and relabeled it to fit a Christian idea of the birth of their god, though it's far from the right month for his birth.

[@thegreatselkie6009]

Yes!

[@DaveMottram-pj7iy]

Somebody hasn't listened to the video. There is no evidence that Christian "stole" anything for Christmas. Christmas started for Christians long before they encountered peole who might have held Yule.

[@SirBedevereTheWise]

Dave, buddy, Yule goes back at least 2 thousand years. Christmas, at best, goes back just over 1 thousand years. I can't remember which Pope it was but one of them gave the command that the missionaries are not to destroy the pagan idols, practices, and traditions but rather "convert" them to make it easier for the pagans to convert. Kinda like: "see? We got the same shit you got" matter of fact, I think it was Deuteronomy that clearly stated not to decorate trees as their pagan neighbors do

[@M-d3h]

@@SirBedevereTheWise False

[@Noizzed]

What is it to you? We liberated them from Saturn. They worshiped demons, and this is evident in their rituals; praising lesser spirits through idols to gain wordly goods, like the Evergreen. Or depending on how far back you go, sacrificing their people so that they may please their demonic deities. These practices are based on fear, pride, greed and death. There is no life, no peace, no love in them. Shallow acts to exalt the flesh and gain wordly things.

[@thewolfgirloracle]

Great video Jacob! I have a yule goat on my yule alter but I am not going to burn it :) It's too cute!!! ;) I am so lucky that the people I live with are great about celebrating Yule with me. Then, in turn, I celebrate Christmas with them. It's mutual respect and love that brings tolerance to these kind of things I think. If I don't get to tell you later...I hope you have the best Yule you have ever had this year. Love ya lil bro ❤ Thank you for all you do for our community! It's been life changing for me.

[@aruvielevenstar3944]

I celebrate Yule with decorating a lot from my big garden, with the Yule tree and food. And I have a little altar with tomtes and a pine branche and holy. And dried fruit. I am Dutch and I love Yule tide. I love Yule music, I listen to traditional Yule music and really old medieval yule music. And I visit rituals if there is a castlefest winter edition. I love Heilung btw, I was at their first ritual at castlefest, it was the most beautiful and enchanting ritual I have ever seen. We were all dressed like pagans and it was a real celebration 🦌

[@thegreatselkie6009]

Another medievalist! ❤❤❤

[@aruvielevenstar3944]

@@thegreatselkie6009 yes 🙌🏻 and believe it or not, I even live in a medieval Dutch castle 🏰 with a moat and a big red gate en a few ghosts 😀

[@DaveMottram-pj7iy]

Re Santa. The origin of the name is perfectly well know - it derives from Saint Nicholas, an anatolian bishop and saint. It is also known that the sleigh and reindeer busines started in the early 19th century with the poem "The night before Christmas". Early imagery is clear - he is a bishop who rides an ordinary horse.

[@schoolkid234]

I celebrate Yule in Portugal, because as Druid I like to celebrate the Winter solstice connected to my Lusitanian pagan roots.

[@HeathenofthePineyWoods]

I downsized a few of the ornaments and Christmas things this year. I find that I love the things that my kids make from school plus many of the old things that were my grandparents’. I love the darkness of this time of year.

[@dietrichess9997]

I love that the season spans days, and isn't just focused on the 25th. My family is a bit chaotic and flexible, so we have a few traditional days between the Solstice and modern New Years Day. As a child in a mostly Christian household, I recall this build up to Christmas Day, in school, on tv, the songs, the lights... and then BAM. It was over by about noon on December 25th. Everything faded fast after that. As an adult now, and with my family through my teen years, things were much less focused and structured. You mentioned a date for Yule as being the first full moon after the Solstice. I believe this year, that falls on December 27th. 🙂 My daughter and I have our major dinner and gift exchange on December 26th, "Boxing Day". So this year we are gathering on Yule Eve. Nice.

[@warrikata]

Agree 100% with regarding the topic of connecting with family. I've lost my older family members before these thoughts began to occur to me, and now I barely know anything about them. Currently trying to find enough close friends to make a new "family pf choice" as I can, in order attempt to rectify this to some degree. This is great content, and I'm grateful for finding it! ❤🎉

[@007hwm3]

Thank you Jacob for sharing this wonderful information about yule! Happy Yule everyone 😊❤

[@marbada64]

We celebrate Yule for a lot of years now. it began because I was divorced and it was always a problem to celebrate christmas to get everybody together. So I changed it because I have more with midwinternight than Christmas. We celebrate it outside around the fire. With some lovely food and presents. I have a rather big garden and the children have to search for the presents with a torch and take 1 present at a time. We do some games with 'prizes'. We also do think about the past year, the people we miss and all that sort of things. I think you can celebrate Yule just as you like or suits you and your family. I think it's very important to make memories and that's what we do........... The children love it, they begin longing for it when it's still summer hahaha

[@beachgremlin]

I read somewhere that Yule was once upon a time celebrated on the first full moon after the Winter Solstice. I like that idea, and I particularly like the idea of celebrating both or, better yet, every day from one to the other, though that last might get a bit exhausting! LOL!!!

[@Dirtypinkdrifter]

My husband and I did our Norse handfasting on Dec 21st & he passed away on January 3rd this year.

[@jennifermercer3481]

I'm sorry for your loss

[@Dirtypinkdrifter]

@@jennifermercer3481 thank you.❤️

[@dingod4993]

I just finished your Yule book. It definitely made the home log burn brighter here in Virginia. I would love to know the inspiration for what happened to Alan's phone. That cracked me up, and I guessed correctly that it would "return" later. Enjoy the videos and look forward to the next book.

[@RwilliamsX03]

I made most all my tree decorations last year. All of my Christian family members commented on how cute they were and loved them.. I was grinning knowing it was for Yule and not Christmas

[@JoshO423]

Watch out! We got Billy Badass here!

[@RwilliamsX03]

@@JoshO423 👌🏻

[@redbeardedberserker]

I make my Memere's French Canadian tortiere pie every yule with my daughter. Been a tradition well before she moved to the united states from Quebec 9 years ago

[@shulkrendemoneye1304]

A midsummer tale could come out around MAY just in time for my birthday

[@15dolcezza]

Great video!

[@awkwardzoltar3529]

Be the goat/deer and remember what is most important to you this year. I always felt the deer was a bigger Christmas symbol. Maybe the deer is a symbol of redemption, I feel like the horns growing is like growing grief that gets shed off. If the horned one is a symbol of death and a type of rebirth, then I feel like if there is anyone who can keep what is truly important to us in mind it’s him, right?

[@dorisshaver4831]

Thank you so much for sharing. I enjoyed your information. Please continue sharing what you enjoy

[@broomhag]

Blessings of the season sent to you and your family.

[@dameranhel]

Thank you for answer my questions and more! I apperciate all the research you do to be authentic in your answers.

[@Mica.Mystical]

Love, love, love your message in this video! I wish we were siblings 😂 Great job 👏 and get well soon!

[@stephenderks1209]

As a Christain, the commercial aspect is something that i think most Christains also don't appreciate. To us this is about giving gifts (while not expecting any ofc), enjoying family, and ofc what's most important for us is the birth of Christ. For something this significant to be taken advantage of for the sake of a profit, to me, is reminiscent of when Christ flipped tables in the temple

[@mastermonkeyman34]

Would love an Anglo-Saxon specific Yuletide. Hell, just more Anglo-Saxon stuff in general

[@VoodooViking]

Being from south Louisiana, and my family is 100% catholic(besides me), we’ve always just drank, cooked, argued/debated, shot firearms; and just enjoyed each other’s company. We’re not into gift giving(except for the youngens ). Cook a full all out seafood gumbo or a prime rib, legs of lamb or a couple beef wellingtons. Swap bottles of booze, etc(which we all drink).

[@edafyrekat3676]

I am spending my first Yule in southern Louisiana 😊

[@VoodooViking]

@@edafyrekat3676 sorry hun. South Louisiana is Catholic. It’s Christmas down here! If you’re in south Louisiana(especially New Orleans) it’s 100% Catholic. Hoodoo/voodoo is Catholic paganism. Can’t have one without the other. If you live in New Orleans, it’s the same. Everything from living to culinary to festivities all revolve and have evolved around the Catholic faith.

[@danielbergersen7836]

Excellent video on Yule Jacob. Happy Jol 🎄Skøl💀🍻

[@TheWisdomOfOdin]

Good Yule!

[@gozer87]

We were stationed in Germany for over 10 years and the lights, food, drinks, and gatherings made the time so special.

[@cldraper23]

18:20 such a great video and absolutely agree about the music. What’s the band and album you’re talking about here? Trying to make it so my kids don’t get sick of the music played in every store like I’ve become. Thanks for the Yule video. I’ve been trying to figure out how to make “Christmas” more meaningful and have been getting more in touch with my Swedish/Danish heritage to do so

[@susanfarley1332]

Lights to decorate jule would be nice. Bringing light to the darkness.

[@anapaulafaiasambrosio485]

Thank you Jacob, for this magical, funny video, and the good tips. A merry yule to you, watching all the way from Belgium (Brussels) from our family ❤

[@sheilaking9936]

My family's not pagan. But My Mom, Grandma and I have made quite a few home made decorations and gifts at Christmas. It is fun. 🎄🎊❄️🎶💯

[@waltervega8730]

I've been Wiccan for a couple of years now. Grew up Christian. I have always loved Christmas and the whole holiday festivities. However, to me Christmas is more about the Pagan traditions that evolved into Christianity to conform people into the religion. Being a Wiccan now, I tend to celebrate the holidays more differently. I have always loved the anticipation of decorating and putting up the perfect tree, full of colors and the scent of pine.( Which I now use via-candle burning) I also incorporate magickal spells into my gift-giving for family and friends. ( Which they have no clue of it lol) I make scented candles and sage bundles filled with prosperous intentions for the coming year. I love being crafty and giving gifts from the heart with a purpose. I've recently been creating a yule log for my celebration. My Christmas tree is my favorite part of my decorations. Knowing the true meaning behind it, makes me happy. It doesn't matter what Christmas means to my friends and family. I know what it means to me. Whether you celebrate it in a Pagan or Christian tradition is all the same. Because everyone should feel free to celebrate their religion in whatever way, makes them happy. It's about the love that is shared, not about debating whether you are Christian, Pagan, Muslim, or any other religion in between. It's about the peace and love you share and have for one another that makes up the spirit of Christmas. 🎄🎄🎄🎁🎁🎁

[@beckywood3]

I love this! Thank you for sharing.

[@Adeline9418]

I could never get into Christmas after my mom died on that day. In 1991. Finding out that it's really Pagan and not Christian is wonderful news to me!!! I can finally get into it again!!!

[@souldec]

im so happy for you. i hope you find peace

[@maartenverdouw4688]

A nice, well spirited video. But why the Zarquon are you filming in front of a pile of plastic? Happy Yule wishes from the Netherlands

[@TheWisdomOfOdin]

Sadly not many filming options for “holiday” decorations around me at the moment.

[@annakholod8450]

Thanks for the video, interesting fact about the goat. In Ukraine, we celebrate the holiday of Kolyada, the goddess of the winter sun, who gives birth to a new sun god on the 24th and at the same time hides her son from, according to one version, the serpent Korochun, and according to another version, from the goddess Mara. And so that she and her son are not found, she turns into a goat. That’s why at Christmas our children go from house to house, sing songs, and always one of the children dresses up as a goat and others carry a star on a high stick✨

[@Vidarboots]

Happy yule my Heathen mugga fuggas 🎉🎉

[@cherihayward350]

❤❤❤blessings be❤❤❤

[@allierowland9]

We used to have a Yule log for the fire. The longer it burned and lasted the luckier you were supposed to be for the next year. In Britain we also have a yule log cake. Father Christmas was green before Coca Cola got hold of him, so In Britain he is more associated with the Holly King and Green man myths of the woodland. Christmas trees were brought here by the German royals. Plum pudding and Christmas pudding were important because of using the dried goods in the store. Minced meat was originally minced meat with dried fruits in Medieval time, hence the suet still in the recipe. And a good stocking (usually a sock) contained a fruit, a nut and a sweet (candy) or small toy (ball or cloth). 🌲

[@trukygunman5900]

Been watching since the beginning thank you for the video friend hope you feel better!

[@BeatrixBetwixt]

Happy Yule season everyone♥️🌲🍻

[@TheWisdomOfOdin]

Happy Yule!

[@anglomik]

Celebrate BOTH...Yule luv it!!! 😉🎄

[@vickieoz]

Here's a good one for you to answer. How would you suggest we in the Southern Hemisphere celebrate? Even Christmas is winter orientated.

[@TheWisdomOfOdin]

I would recommend following the natural cycles of wherever you are. If your winter is in June then celebrate Yule then. Yule is a northern hemisphere traditions. So it will never translate 1-1. Doesn’t mean you can’t bring the spirit!

[@atomicburrito]

A warm Jul greeting to Todd and everyone reading this comment! A Heilung Jul song is much needed...We need to petition this idea to them 😁🌲🎅🤘

[@robertmayfield8746]

The conflict of watching TV was quite funny. While TV is just what fireplace used to be. And we're animals who love storytelling. Stories contain legends, adventures, emotions and knowledge. Back in days, families used to sit down around the fireplace, listening to stories told by adults. These days, TV is an equivalent of fireplace. Fireplace that tells stories. And at that very moment everybody is a child.

[@aguijohn1321]

Love it. Really appreciate your work. Very enlightening.

[@MisstressMourtisha]

I still chuckle at the fact out if all the kids grandkids and great grand kids my Nana ONLY taught me the Christmas recipes hehehehehe cuz im awesome and not a "spoiled little sh" 😂 Get well soon 🙏

[@natastrophe.crochet]

Ok, so I've celebrated Christmas all my life, obviously, because it's over commercialized. After learning about Yule from this video and other videos, I realize how aligned it is with my beliefs. I believe this season should be about togetherness and food and warmth. And less about gifts! I actually wanted to make more handmade gifts and give thoughtful gifts this year rather than just give gifts because it's expected of me. I'll definitely try and apply more Yule traditions to this season.

[@robertarnold6192]

Heilung Yule song had me dead 💀 😂

[@robertarnold6192]

18:17

[@mikeblei6870]

We're (The Netherlands) are in the middle of celebrating Sinterklaas (Wodan). By the way: Sinterklaas rides on his horse on roofs ;)

[@DavidDrew-n6z]

“ Christmas’ despite the name is almost entirely Pagan. Imagine please that you are at a new job. After a few months your coworkers propose to celebrate your birthday. They don’t know the actual date and you don’t feel it’s something you want to celebrate. They insist then that they want to throw a party in your honor but since you haven’t given your actual,date of birth so they just choose to have the party on the date of another coworker , but not just any other coworker, one with which don’t particularly have anything in common . They cook foods your coworker likes, they give gifts to one another and some in his/ her name, they drink heavily ( which you do not) they use specially significant fun rituals that you do not favor. But it’s all good because it’s now an annual party named after you. And, you aren’t even give. A gift. In fact , many of the people at the party would really rather not have you at the party at all.

[@violetmoonofthenorth]

Great video thanks. I will be purchasing your book for my daughter this Christmas 📕🎄🤍

[@rippled.-.]

I will skip the dolphin dont worry. I have been figuring out how i will choose celebrate yule over the years(things i could make traditions), and this gives me new ideas

[@B1_1_9_7_5]

HAPPY YULE🌲🎅🎄

[@natalees7868]

Great info! For fellow listeners: video has a really great flow if you try it on playback speed 0.75x

[@kissedbysun2517]

I think the day you choose to celebrate depends on what you're celebrating. I'm a Sun worshiper, so I celebrate on the celestial solstice. If you're celebrating friends and family, then it makes sense to celebrate on a day when everyone is free to gather. If you harken from a particular religion or culture, follow those norms. I do think it's important to ask the question, what am I really celebrating, what is my intention?

[@AnonimitySmith]

Thanks for learning me about that Black Pete there

[@cindycash1772]

Happy Yule... blessings

[@shraddhagreensoulz7529]

It is actually celebrating new light born in darkness. To leave all bad things behind, to burn them and having fresh good start.

[@jyeprice9382]

Mmmmmm after the hollidays and all the food my favourite part is the yule log. 😂

[@merrituber1]

Yule is what I named my budgie since he's mostly white like snow and also around the time I got him as my birthday is Dec 23 and he was a present of sorts I've had him now for somewhere between 3-4 years so far

[@juliecavanagh7399]

Love this video, thank you!

[@DouglasHinz]

Yule celebrates the return of the god (Frey - the Sun) from the Underworld. He is the Son/Consort of Divine Mother (Freya - Mother Earth). He is born on the Winter Solstice, grows up, and on the Spring Equinox is the Sacred Marriage between the Lord (Consciousness) and the Lady (Matter) bringing the rebirth of Life to the Earth. Goes back to Paleolithic. Celebrates the return of the god to the goddess. Odr returns to Freya. Odin returns to Frigga. Demuzi returns to Inanna. Osiris returns to Isis. And the World is Saved. Hail Great Mother!

[@kuukhc]

I think there can be no doubt that the Germanic peoples celebrated Yule: if you dig deep linguistically then you find that Yule just means The Feast. A reconstruction looks like yehwla and is almost perfectly preserved as juhla in Finnish and here it means feast or party. Later the Finns borrowed the word again as Joulu, now meaning Christmas. The month of Christmas was called ylir in old Norse and jiuleis in Gothic, which means it was a pan Germanic affair and had the word been preserved in German it would be something like Jeul or Jiel (pronounced yoil or yeel), but instead there is Weihnachten (holy nights, not holy night) and Charles the Great’s time December was called Heiligmanoth - holy month. As to how to celebrate historically correct think like a commoner in pagan times: food and fuel wasn’t abundant and you weren’t sure whether you would see next spring or freeze or starve to death before (I guess that’s why Easter / Ostern was quite important for them, by then you were sure you had survived). And the sun that had been growing weaker constantly for the past month, always at risk of being swallowed by the wolf had to be convinced to come back and grow stronger again. And it might have been the last big party before you froze or starved to death. All valid points to a pagan, I guess…..

[@monikanordgren5844]

Happy Jule Jacob.

[@ArisEmriis]

I'm first gen Swedish American on my Mom's side and 3rd gen Irish American on my Dad's. I've been a Christian All my life and still am but not in the traditional sense anymore as in being religious. I've always had a strong pull to mysticism and my Nordic and Celtic roots. My Mom used to bring out all kinds of Yule decorations before Christmas and she incorporated Everything from the pagan and Christian holidays. I am incredibly blessed to be able to have it all, so to speak. I'm now learning more about both sides of my heritage and incorporating it all into my life, practically and spiritually. I've never been happier. PS people burning Yule goats?! Wtf! My Mom put them out every year and told me when I was a kid that they were for good luck/prosperity. I know she told me more but it was a long time ago. It just seems totally wrong to burn them. 😢

[@cheesy_ground_beef]

Great video! One of the things I truly love about myself is my birthday on December 21; obviously not in my control whatsoever, but still love it. There's a smidge of my brain that likes pretending all the yule celebrations are for me 😂

[@janeathome6643]

Norwegians make a circle around the tree, holding hands, and sing as many carols as you can think of, ending with Jule Madden Gladde (probably spelling this wrong). This is the favorite part of our family celebrations, happily adopted by everyone who marries in, other in-laws, and friends.

[@saraysen4735]

The irony of having a hobby lobby ad play immediately after your video 😂 can’t even talk about pagan stuff without having a Christian company swoop in with an advert lol Jokes aside, thanks for sharing! I didn’t know Yule was generally celebrated based on the moon, but it makes so much sense! I just wish it snowed where I live to make it as koselig as possible 😜

[@TheHonestPeanut]

9:33 I've never heard a pagan instigate the arguments about the origins of Christmas. I'm sure someone somewhere has but in my experience it's the "war on Christmas" and "Jesus is the REASON for the season" digs from the family or friend that gets that going. I agree that arguing is very opposed to the essence of the holidays but I also think that D bag behavior shouldn't slide. It's my wifes extended family that does that though so I just don't go to their house anymore. Turns out it made the holidays SO much better for me AND my wife. Win win.

[@glitterwitch718]

My husband's side of the family is Christian and my side pagan. So thank you for giving me ideas on how to celebrate something crafty with the kids to celebrate Yule without the adults bringing out the pitchforks lol I'm not allowed to babysit as I will turn the kids into witches ya know lol 😅

[@SuperManning11]

Change all those kids into toads! 😊

[@dianeyoung8068]

Ah, you are the interesting Auntie!