Yuletide Celebration

Friday • December 13th • 6 PM

Whether it's called Yule or the Solstice or Saturnalia or Christmas, humans have always gathered during the darkest days of winter. They gather to bring light and laughter into the darkness. To reflect on the good and bad of the past year. To plan and sacrifice for the next years goals.

So join us for a hodgepodge celebration of the season. We'll have some traditional activities, but really we just want to see your faces, raise a glass with you, and find joy in the darkness. Wassail!

Details

Time

Friday, December 13th, 6 PM. The party will start early for those who want to see Olive before her 7:30 bedtime. But festivities should go until late so feel free to come later in the evening if you prefer!

 

Activities

We'll hopefully have a variety of activities (or as many as we can cobble together). But a few to look out for:

Yule Log

We'll have a cermonial fire of some sort where you can burn sacrifices or sentiments. Whether an object you want to be rid of. Or an offering to please your god(s) so they may grant you an abundant apple harvest or vigorous house plants or safe travels. We'll also have paper for you to write down any past experiences you want to let go of or future hopes you want to manifest.

Garland Crowns

We'll have some supplies to make your own garland grown using ever-magical evergreens. Or, if you prefer, make it into a small wreath!

Greek Pool

Legend has it that the Greek Pool's waters restore youth, heal emotional wounds, and totally prevent hangovers. Who started this legend? No one knows. But it is written.

We'll have towels, but bring a swimsuit (unless you prefer to soak unclad).

Woman of Winter Carving

A Scotish tradition is to carve a 'woman of winter' or a 'cailleach' from an old log which you then burn on Christmas day. We'll have some old logs and some wood carving tools if you want to try your hand at it so you can expel any bad spirits from your own home on Christmas Day.

Toast, Boast, and Oath

In this time of simulatneous reflection and preparation, we invite you to share a little about your year (past and future) with other guests at the party.

Toast - toast to someone who helped you in the past year.
Boast - share some accomplishment from the year you're proud of.
Oath - make a pledge to accomplish one, achievable goal over the next year.

 

Dress Code

Wear whatever you fancy...but if you're inspired, anything that has a 'ye olde' feel to it works great! Whether that's your favorite Reinassance faire outfit. Or a take on an old Christmas creature such as Krampus or the Yule Goat or Belsnickel or the ever frightening Mari Lwyd. Or a new, witchy, pagan goddess character you create.

 

Sustenance

As usual, we'll have a charcuterie board and some themed cocktails created by Ezza's Good Spirits (including at least 1 non-alcholic drink). But feel free to bring wine or beer or grogg or mead or whatever else you would enjoy.

 

Traditions

Yule

Yule is a winter festival that was celebrated across Northern Europe for centuries. Each region had its own traditions and ways of celebrating. Here are just a few of our favorites:

Yule Log

The tradition of the Yule Log comes in many forms, but my favorite is the practice of lighting a giant log (harvested from your land or given as a gift) in your hearth for the entire 12 days of Christmas. Often it was adorned with greenery or doused in sacrificial cider and flour to promote next years apple and wheat harvests.

Not sure how they burned a long for 12 days, but good on them. When the log finally burned out, you'd save a part of it to light next year's Yule Log.

Yule Goat

In Scandanavian tradition, the last sheaf of grain from the harvest was believed to have magical properties. It would be fashioned into the shape of a goat (after Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr, the two goats that pull Thor's chariot across the sky) and saved for the year's Yule celebrations.

Today the Yule Goat is a common sight in Sweden, both in gigantic and miniature form:

A popular Christmas prank is to place a Yule Goat in a neighbor's house without them noticing; the family that was pranked then has to get rid of it in the same way.

Yule Lads

Iceland has a tradition of the 13 Yule Lads, mischevious troll like creatures with names like 'Spoon Licker', 'Sausage Swiper', and 'Window Peeper' who visit your house in December.

In modern traditions, though, they've become more generous with the Yule Lads leaving a gift in your shoes each of the 13 nights leading up to Christmas.

Be sure to be on the lookout for those 13 little trouble makers as you wander our home.

 

Wassail

A word of many meanings. It's an Old English toast (from the Old Norse 'ves heill' meaning 'be in good health'). A tradition of drunkenly caroling from house to house. A ceremony involving making noise in your orchard to ward off the bad spirits before putting bread on your apple trees. And a spiced drink of varying recipes.

We'll have the drink version and hope you'll cheers with a shout of 'Wassail!' when you enjoy it.

 

Cailleach

In Scotland, they would often carve and burn a Cailleach totem each winter. The Cailleach, or Woman of Winter, was a mythological one eyed creature that brought about the long nights and cold weather. Burning the totem would help to banish the cold darkness and dispel any bad spirits in the home.