Scandinavian Yule Celebrations and the Origins of the Yule (Christmas) Tree and Log
Christmas occurs in the middle of summer in Australia while winter starts for us in June. This means we are lucky to have a great excuse to celebrate the festive season twice a year. In addition to our Aussie Christmas in summer, we celebrate the start of winter (1st of June) by decorating the house in wintery, white and frosty themes with a quiet feast for the winter solstice on June 21st or 22nd. Then on July 1st, the halls are decked, the tree is trimmed, the sparkly lights go up and preparations are made to celebrate Yule (midwinter) in the middle of July with a big feast and other fun traditions.
These next two articles explore the Scandinavian winter festivals and traditions that mark the winter season as well as the fascinating origins of the Yule (Christmas) tree and Yule Log. Be sure to read about the hilarious Catalonian tradition of the ‘pooping log’. You can also see how I decorate for Yule and the fun traditions we incorporate into our festivities. Enjoy!
Episode 7 - Yule, Lussinatte and Jólabókaflóð
The history and traditions of Yule
The history and traditions of Lussinatte (Lucy’s Night) including Lussi, Lussikatter (Lucy Bread or Lucy’s Cats), Santa Lucia and Lutzelfrau (witch)
Jólabókaflóð - Iceland’s Yule Book Flood
Episode 8 - The Origins of the Yule Log and Christmas/Yule Tree
Yule Log traditions from Germany, England, France, Italy, Spain and Eastern Europe
Yule Candles
The Christmas/Yule Tree including its roots and its evolution
Christmas tree folktales and stories including The Christmas Fairy (French/German folktale), the Fir Tree (story by Hans Christian Anderson), and The Christmas Spiders (German/Polish folktale)
The modern Christmas tree
The latest Wheel & Cross episode and article, Episode 27 - The Origins of Santa and his Reindeer, is scheduled for publication on Thursday. It will explore the origins and evolution of Santa from St Nicholas, to Sinterklaas, Kris Kringle, Weihnachtsmann, Father Christmas, the modern Santa Claus, Pere Noël, Santa Claus in Australia and New Zealand and Ded Moroz. There’s also a lovely section at the end on believing in Santa Claus.
See you then!