yule log

We're sure YULE love this episode! Maria and Laura cover wintertime pagan holidays that over centuries have been rebranded into the traditions we associate today with Christmas, and how to celebrate them in their own right. Plus, we talk about what we love (and hate) about winter, what the Game of Thrones solar system looks like, and how 10,000 BC was "hellza supes" long ago! Yuletide Blessing, y'all!

Unlike today, Medieval Christmas decorations did not start going up mid-October! In fact, because of Advent, the 40 days before Christmas were pretty bleak. Once noon passed on December 24, decorating homes and churches could begin. Family members wrapped up warmly and headed outside to gather the holly bows, ivy, red berries, pine branches and cones, and other greenery they would use to decorate their homes.

There weren’t Christmas trees in homes in Medieval England. Instead, the center of the decorations was often a double ring of mistletoe that was hung in a prominent location. The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe was common in this time, and often the kissing couple of pluck one of the red berries each time they shared a kiss. Again, we see remnants of pagan and other beliefs. The Celtic druids believed holly warded off evil spirits. Romans and others believed mistletoe would encourage fertility, protect crops, and keep witches away. 

Another Christmas tradition is the Yule log. The family would drag a large piece of tree trunk into the house and light it on Christmas Eve, using a piece of the Yule log from the year before. To ensure good luck and better fortune in the coming year, it was important to keep the log burning throughout the holiday season. It was allowed to go out after Epiphany, and a portion was kept to light next year’s log.

Most people had eaten sparsely and fasted during Advent, so they looked forward to Christmas feasting. For all levels of society, Christmas food usually represented better fare than the usual. Laborers, farm workers, and the like often treated themselves to meat at Christmas—usually boiled. This was often the only time of year they ate meat. Sometimes, the lord of the manor would feast on venison and then offer the leftover bits and entrails to his workers. These bits, called umbles, were often baked into a pie. An umble pie. That’s right—the beginning of humble pie. In addition to meat, workers and peasants might treat themselves to cheese and eggs and even a cake.

Members of the aristocracy dined so well during the rest of the year that they had to go all out to make Christmas feasts something special. And they did! Decorated with seasonal greenery and spices, the Great Hall was the setting for the grandest meals. The Christmas feast was several courses, often hailed by trumpets or other music as it was carried in. The higher levels of aristocracy were entitled to more variety of food and more courses. The king, of course, had the best of everything. His holiday meals would go on for hours, with various courses introduced with musical numbers and other performances.

Waes Hael!

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It's a hell of a story!
Happy Yule, Y'all! It's our penultimate Sabbat episode, and it's all about the Winter solstice!

Join us for History, Rituals, and Recipes!

Things we talked about this episode:
Winter Solstice Pie
baretribe.blogspot.com/2012/02/winter-solstice-pie.html

Basic Wassail Recipe
learnreligions.com/go-a-wassailing-for-yule-2562973

Modern Ritual
theseasonalsoul.com/family-winter-solstice-ritual/

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We are not doctors, lawyers, or professionals. We are amateurs, and nothing we say should be taken as advice, instruction, or seriously. Any action taken based on what we say or imply can and will lead to illness, existential crisis, injury, your pets no longer loving you, and death. We make no promise or guarantee, expressed or implied, and assume no legal liability or responsibility for any injuries resulting from the use of information contained within our media.

We are not doctors, lawyers, or professionals. We are amateurs, and nothing we say should be taken as advice, instruction, or seriously. Any action taken based on what we say or imply can and will lead to illness, existential crisis, injury, your pets no longer loving you, and death. We make no promise or guarantee, expressed or implied, and assume no legal liability or responsibility for any injuries resulting from the use of information contained within our media.

If you want a fruitcake this holiday season, you need to go to the best. That's why we talked with Hayden Crawford from Collin Street Bakery. Apart from being one of the best-known and well-loved fruitcake purveyors in the world, it's a family business. Hayden talks about what makes the Collin Street Bakery fruitcake the classic it is, how much people love it (and include it in their wills) and whether or not he ever gets tired of it.

Plus, in this episode, we go through Flash's Gift Guide, giving you shopping ideas from our guests over the past year. There's bound to be something for everyone on your list. (If everyone on your list wants Cozy Love Pants.)