5 Holidays In December You Didn’t Know About – #4 Yule

On the Winter Solstice, bonfires invite the sun to return after the longest night of the year in the ancient Druidic holiday called Yule.

Sometimes called Yuletide, this pagan holiday gave us the Yule Log and is probably directly to blame for the 24 hour fireplace channel. It has it's origins in the Germanic and Nordic peoples of what is now Scandinavia, and, slowly filtered to England and the British Isles. It is commonly celebrated with a feast (or a celebration to the Wild Hunt) and gift giving. It is frequently a 12 day celebration beginning on December 21st, the day of Winter Solstice.

In most forms of the Wiccan tradition, it is celebrated as the rebirth of the Great Horned Hunter god (the newborn solstice sun). The method of gathering varies by practitioner. Some have private ceremonies at home, while others do so with their covens.