We like to climb up to our local stone circle in time for the sun to rise on the solstice and then go home, light the fire and eat alot! Happy Yule from Wales
Because this live alone and don't have the opportunity to go to Christmas parties, Christmas became just 1 day at my daughter's house. I decided I wanted to celebrate 12 days of christmas, or Yule, as was the old tradition. I start at the winter solstice by gathering any evergreens in my garden. I make them into bunches and deliver them to my mum and my daughter and granddaughters. We make them into displays in the hearth with a log and candles. In the remaining days before Christmas I make myself a feast and wrap presents. After Christmas day I try to keep the mood going by enjoying my presents, some of which I have bought myself, and doing crafts. After New Year, my 12 days are up and I return my Yule bouquet to the earth.
Good morning Ginny 🌱 I thought you’d like to know that back in time holly was hung over animals to protect against ringworm…and back in the ages animals were brought into the home during winter! 🌱
What a wonderful video!!! I am from Serbia and most of the people there are Orthodox Christians, but my oh my what amazing Slavic pagan customs do we have in our celebrations of Christmas (which is celebrated on 7th of January, according to the old greek church calendar), or any other "Christian" holiday/celebration for that matter. Instead of a Yule log, we have something called Badnjak: historically the oldest man in the house would go to the woods and cut oak branches and bring them to light a special fire. The more sparks there were in this fire, the more cattle or money there would be. Nowadays you can buy bunches of oak branches with dried leaves anywhere in the streets around Christmas time, and then these half burn branches are kept throughout the year for good luck. Another custom is to throw 4 walnuts in 4 corners of your living room, to ensure the house will always be full; a special bread with a coin inside is baked- this bread is round in shape and all family members hold it together and spin it 3x clockwise, then whomever gets the coin in their slice will be the main breadwinner in the year to come. We traditionally gift just small, symbolic gifts, and only to children: dried fruits, homemade cakes and socks, just humble, heartfelt presents that were probably very valuable in the past times of severe continental winters... I have always been fascinated with obvious pagan rites in our daily lives and I am glad that so many of them were preserved in my family. Happy Winter solstice to all!
Hey there I used to be Greek Orthodox and Serbian people would come to my church to worship because it's almost identical liturgy, and yes there are many pagan traditions rooted into the Orthodox faith, my grandmother would bake a special bread for Christmas, I am no longer Christian and do not celebrate Christmas in a traditional way, but it is a beautiful time of year to witness changing of the season ❄️☃️
@@EsmeraldaWolfsbane7777 Yes, exactly!!! I do not follow any religion, but I do try to sneak in as many pagan and nature worshiping little rituals in my day to day life as possible!
Love your traditions, you celebrate Christmas at my birthday. In Norway we usully end Christmas/Jul at 6th January, but as a child I used to make my mum keep the three and decorations until after my birthday, as I wanted to have my birthday at Jul.
@@KirstiMereteArnesen A perfect excuse to enjoy the festive atmosphere as long as possible, right?? I love to hear about all the wonderful memories people have surrounding this time of the year...
Down here in the Southern Hemisphere we are less then 50 days away from Yule/the winter Solstice and I'm really hoping I can get myself organised in time so I can actually celebrate properly for once after years of constantly missing out due to forgetfulness and/or poor planning thanks to my neurodivergance!
For the first time I am celebrating Yule. I’m making a vegan gluten free Yule log and setting it alight just like a Christmas pudding. The log is obvious, good food and lighting it because it’s a fire festival. I don’t have a real fireplace so it’s my version of the Yuletide burning of a log for twelve days. Such fun !!! I’ve just learned the wren was the symbol of the Pagans apparently.
Good morning and blessings for juul , thank you for your video. I have a pine tree in my garden that I decorate with subtle coloured lights, I have Robins visiting my garden all year round , when I go into local woodland Robins seem to stay close by. I greet each one as an old friend. I bring cuttings of evergreens from my garden into my home along with my house plants candles lit each morning to bring in the light. Small gifts are shared, hyped up Christmas is not for me. Juul and Solstice is a time for reflection peace and harmony, when all around is still, look around you and be in gratitude for that which is good about life. Hugs& Blessings to all 🙏🌲🍂🌹
As long as I can remember my grandma and then our trees were always real tree and we would cut it down 3 days before Christmas Eve. We would decorate it on Christmas Eve and wear our Christmas pj’s. My mom said her family always place a Red Robin on the tree and when I started my family I did the same thing. We always placed a pine cone in our tree also. We made our Yule logs for our dinning room table every year. So many traditions. We are Pa Dutch with Celtic background.
Thank you for this interesting video. My favorite decoration on my Juletree are 2 birds in painted glas. I got one of them the first Jul in my own home, and the second was a gift from my daugther. In the old Norwegian law from 1274, it states that every household musst brew beer for Jul. Our Julebird number one is the bullfinch, also with red breast. Jule snack to me are nuts, figs and dates. Gifts were originally given by New Year from the King to his men. There should always be food on the table, day and night, to our dead ancestors whom would visit. To-day we have fruit and snacks at a table day ang night from 24.12 until 6th or 13th January.
As a Hearth and Green Witch, I love to decorate for Yule from my forested surroundings. These include dry hydrangeas, evergreen, holly, pine cones and acorns. I also love to hang dried oranges and gingerbread men on the mantle and tree. Since we have Robins here in Michigan, I plan on asking for a Yule wish from one my lovely little winged friends that visits my bird feeder. Thank you, Ginny, for always inspiring me in my craft. You look lovely! Happy Yule!❤
This year we're doing Ceremony about the Darkness we have been experiencing (we use flash paper to banish it) and how we are going to bring Light into our lives to expel that darkness. Then we will feast!
My favourite decorations are two small angels, one with dark hair, one fair. The fairhaired one belongs to my sister (who of course was fair), the other was mine (since my hair is dark). We used to spend a lot of time finding the perfect place on the tree for it… they are both still in my father’s tree, cause naturally they can’t be separated :) God Jul, Ginny! Thank you for the joy your videos bring.
Absolutely beautiful ambiance and sights to behold! Where I am, we have "fuzzy-wuzzy" catapillars: the more brown they are in autumn, the more mild the winter ❄️🌱 Hardly any black on them this year! Take that holly berry (no offense to the holly)
Happy Yuletide. American robins migrate, so we always made our wishes in springtime. I will have to make a yule log cake this year, it always looks so yummy.
Hello Ginny I see you have made another wonderful video again. I would just like to say thanks to you and you followers, this is because you have inspired me and your videos have motivated me to carry on my witchcraft. Thank you so much ❤️❤️
After a lifetime of witchiness, I so appreciate it when you can learn more. I'm more enlightened after this delightful video. Thankyou dear Ginny. Have a blessed Yule! X 🎄
Liked your video I have red Christmas pentagram on my Christmas 🎄 tree . I also mark work ledgers with a pentagram with a circle around it .to show that the writing is important
Hi GinnY, As always love your videos 😊very fun, educational and inspirational. sounds like an ordinary though quite extraordinary really ChristmaS to me. Every year in our house there is evergreen, misIetoe, holly and ivy the presence of these plants are spells. I love the Robin species in the UK p, so delicate and beautiful quite CutE really 💕😄HappY solstice, GooD Yule and a MerrY ChristmaS tO YoU And Yours
Vintage, sparkly, tinsel, fairy lights, home made and plenty of that regular Xmas Cast of characters. We have the same sparkly Mermaidy coloured top Ginny 🥳 and a chopstick in our hair! 😆 Happy Christmas, great to see your channel numbers growing. 🎄🍾✨🌟💚x
Fabulous presentation of a holiday I have celebrated for years! You have just upscale my rituals which is warm and wonderful. Love and light to you and all our brothers and sisters!
It's always a delight to see your videos and this was so charming! When it comes to decorating the Yule Tree, we would make dough out of applesauce and cinnamon and make ornaments with cookie cutters. These were mostly stars, but I fashioned a Goddess figure with inscriptions and symbols on them, making sure there was a hole inserted before air drying them so that they had a space for ribbon so they could be attached to the tree. They last for a good long time for scents and dry extremely hard so they don't break easily (depending on thickness). Have a Merry Yule and Happy Holidays!
I had a lovely tame Robin who used to come every day for food, he was so cute. Unfortunately a more aggressive robin has ousted him out of my garden & taken his territory. He attacks the sparrows & even the odd rat it comes across!.
Every time these videos mention welcoming Fae into homes. I feel bad because my home is so unstable and there’s so much shouting it would definitely scare all the Fae away
Growing up we made a garland of popcorn and hung it on tree. Just wasn't Christmas without it. And I have alternated the popcorn with cranberries on the strands a few times. It's very pretty. I will have to do that this year. Cranberries probably aren't used much in UK are they? I know they grow in bogs if water or something like that.
This is the first year I am doing a formal Yule feast for all my furry/feathered friends and neighbors. When is burning the Yule log perfect timing? I thought as I decorated the trees and ground for the wild critters..? For the early evening after the feast of people then into the animal feast, all mine.
I so enjoyed your video! As always I enjoy the history you talk about. I always learn something new! ❤❤❤❤❤I’ve used pinecones and acorns with my other decorations. For some reason Iv’e seen a lot of cardinals!
I like the Herbcrafter's Tarot as a starting point. Cheralyn Darcey is a good author for anything about plants. She created The Magical Herb Oracle, among others. A good beginner's book is The Green Witch's Garden by Arin Murphy-Hiscock.
did you do thanksgiving on a Thursday? Maybe go for friday, as the solstice is at 3ish in the morning on friday - I dont think it makes much difference..
@GinnyMetheral I'm in Pontefract, West Yorkshire didn't celebrate thanksgiving. 9 year old is a night owl so was wondering after further consideration could do an all nighter from sunset to sunrise just not loud as unfortunately as i frequently remind her we live in a terrace house not in the middle of a field. She's home educated so no rush to get up for school.
I can’t celebrate, cold weather there’s nothing happy about it. There’s nothing fun about it. There is nothing joyous about it. Once Christmas is gone. It is cold, wet, miserable and dismal. I can’t do it. There is nothing fun about winter I pray for the day the sun comes and warms the earth, I can barely stand the months of January and February, and it winter decides to drag into March. It absolutely devastates me I pray for the sun to warm the earth every day. Sorry winter solstice is not something to celebrate, except for the fact that it kills fleas and bugs.
We like to climb up to our local stone circle in time for the sun to rise on the solstice and then go home, light the fire and eat alot! Happy Yule from Wales
Which stone circle is that ? I’m also in Wales, is it the one at the Berwyns ? I would love to go there for the winter solstice 😊
@@debra183again The stone circle on the Berwyns is amazing (we used to live in Carrog). We now live near Machynlleth and go to a tiny one in the area
Dr Jack Kruse approves of this ritual ❤
Sounds lovely @cerridwencottagediary9194!
Because this live alone and don't have the opportunity to go to Christmas parties, Christmas became just 1 day at my daughter's house. I decided I wanted to celebrate 12 days of christmas, or Yule, as was the old tradition. I start at the winter solstice by gathering any evergreens in my garden. I make them into bunches and deliver them to my mum and my daughter and granddaughters. We make them into displays in the hearth with a log and candles. In the remaining days before Christmas I make myself a feast and wrap presents. After Christmas day I try to keep the mood going by enjoying my presents, some of which I have bought myself, and doing crafts. After New Year, my 12 days are up and I return my Yule bouquet to the earth.
Good morning Ginny 🌱 I thought you’d like to know that back in time holly was hung over animals to protect against ringworm…and back in the ages animals were brought into the home during winter! 🌱
What a wonderful video!!! I am from Serbia and most of the people there are Orthodox Christians, but my oh my what amazing Slavic pagan customs do we have in our celebrations of Christmas (which is celebrated on 7th of January, according to the old greek church calendar), or any other "Christian" holiday/celebration for that matter. Instead of a Yule log, we have something called Badnjak: historically the oldest man in the house would go to the woods and cut oak branches and bring them to light a special fire. The more sparks there were in this fire, the more cattle or money there would be. Nowadays you can buy bunches of oak branches with dried leaves anywhere in the streets around Christmas time, and then these half burn branches are kept throughout the year for good luck. Another custom is to throw 4 walnuts in 4 corners of your living room, to ensure the house will always be full; a special bread with a coin inside is baked- this bread is round in shape and all family members hold it together and spin it 3x clockwise, then whomever gets the coin in their slice will be the main breadwinner in the year to come. We traditionally gift just small, symbolic gifts, and only to children: dried fruits, homemade cakes and socks, just humble, heartfelt presents that were probably very valuable in the past times of severe continental winters... I have always been fascinated with obvious pagan rites in our daily lives and I am glad that so many of them were preserved in my family. Happy Winter solstice to all!
Hey there I used to be Greek Orthodox and Serbian people would come to my church to worship because it's almost identical liturgy, and yes there are many pagan traditions rooted into the Orthodox faith, my grandmother would bake a special bread for Christmas, I am no longer Christian and do not celebrate Christmas in a traditional way, but it is a beautiful time of year to witness changing of the season ❄️☃️
@@EsmeraldaWolfsbane7777 Yes, exactly!!! I do not follow any religion, but I do try to sneak in as many pagan and nature worshiping little rituals in my day to day life as possible!
Love your traditions, you celebrate Christmas at my birthday. In Norway we usully end Christmas/Jul at 6th January, but as a child I used to make my mum keep the three and decorations until after my birthday, as I wanted to have my birthday at Jul.
@@m.aj11What a wonderful comment, thank you for sharing your fun, family traditions. Yule blessing to you!! 😊
@@KirstiMereteArnesen A perfect excuse to enjoy the festive atmosphere as long as possible, right?? I love to hear about all the wonderful memories people have surrounding this time of the year...
Down here in the Southern Hemisphere we are less then 50 days away from Yule/the winter Solstice and I'm really hoping I can get myself organised in time so I can actually celebrate properly for once after years of constantly missing out due to forgetfulness and/or poor planning thanks to my neurodivergance!
A beautiful video and so very refreshing to hear of the olde traditions of winter celebrations in Britain which brings back a sense of belonging.🪔
For the first time I am celebrating Yule. I’m making a vegan gluten free Yule log and setting it alight just like a Christmas pudding. The log is obvious, good food and lighting it because it’s a fire festival. I don’t have a real fireplace so it’s my version of the Yuletide burning of a log for twelve days. Such fun !!!
I’ve just learned the wren was the symbol of the Pagans apparently.
Your Yule Log sounds like a lot of fun. Wrens are the symbol of the Druids from Celtic times.
Good morning and blessings for juul , thank you for your video.
I have a pine tree in my garden that I decorate with subtle coloured lights, I have Robins visiting my garden all year round , when I go into local woodland Robins seem to stay close by. I greet each one as an old friend. I bring cuttings of evergreens from my garden into my home along with my house plants candles lit each morning to bring in the light. Small gifts are shared, hyped up Christmas is not for me. Juul and Solstice is a time for reflection peace and harmony, when all around is still, look around you and be in gratitude for that which is good about life. Hugs& Blessings to all 🙏🌲🍂🌹
I've really been looking forward to your Yule video. 🌲
As long as I can remember my grandma and then our trees were always real tree and we would cut it down 3 days before Christmas Eve. We would decorate it on Christmas Eve and wear our Christmas pj’s. My mom said her family always place a Red Robin on the tree and when I started my family I did the same thing. We always placed a pine cone in our tree also. We made our Yule logs for our dinning room table every year. So many traditions. We are Pa Dutch with Celtic background.
Thank you for this interesting video. My favorite decoration on my Juletree are 2 birds in painted glas. I got one of them the first Jul in my own home, and the second was a gift from my daugther. In the old Norwegian law from 1274, it states that every household musst brew beer for Jul. Our Julebird number one is the bullfinch, also with red breast. Jule snack to me are nuts, figs and dates. Gifts were originally given by New Year from the King to his men. There should always be food on the table, day and night, to our dead ancestors whom would visit. To-day we have fruit and snacks at a table day ang night from 24.12 until 6th or 13th January.
As a Hearth and Green Witch, I love to decorate for Yule from my forested surroundings. These include dry hydrangeas, evergreen, holly, pine cones and acorns. I also love to hang dried oranges and gingerbread men on the mantle and tree. Since we have Robins here in Michigan, I plan on asking for a Yule wish from one my lovely little winged friends that visits my bird feeder. Thank you, Ginny, for always inspiring me in my craft. You look lovely! Happy Yule!❤
I love making a yule simmer pot❤
This year we're doing Ceremony about the Darkness we have been experiencing (we use flash paper to banish it) and how we are going to bring Light into our lives to expel that darkness. Then we will feast!
Love your videos and you look beautiful In this color Ginny! Happy Yule xx♥️🥂💫
What a lovely colour on you!!!! 🥰
Thanks 🤗
I need to get a new red candle i burnt mine up last year.Thank you Ginni.
All the homemade ornaments that my family and I have made over the years. 😊
My name is Holley and I agree, 😊
I really enjoy nature on my Christmas 🎄 pine cones cardinals home made items.
My favourite decorations are two small angels, one with dark hair, one fair. The fairhaired one belongs to my sister (who of course was fair), the other was mine (since my hair is dark). We used to spend a lot of time finding the perfect place on the tree for it… they are both still in my father’s tree, cause naturally they can’t be separated :)
God Jul, Ginny! Thank you for the joy your videos bring.
Absolutely beautiful ambiance and sights to behold! Where I am, we have "fuzzy-wuzzy" catapillars: the more brown they are in autumn, the more mild the winter ❄️🌱
Hardly any black on them this year! Take that holly berry (no offense to the holly)
Happy Yuletide. American robins migrate, so we always made our wishes in springtime. I will have to make a yule log cake this year, it always looks so yummy.
Hello Ginny
I see you have made another wonderful video again.
I would just like to say thanks to you and you followers, this is because you have inspired me and your videos have motivated me to carry on my witchcraft. Thank you so much ❤️❤️
After a lifetime of witchiness, I so appreciate it when you can learn more. I'm more enlightened after this delightful video. Thankyou dear Ginny. Have a blessed Yule! X 🎄
I love your happy enthusiasm it is very uplifting !!! 🔮
I prefer your winter solstice celebrations to Christmas.
Liked your video I have red Christmas pentagram on my Christmas 🎄 tree . I also mark work ledgers with a pentagram with a circle around it .to show that the writing is important
In my family we make wreaths to celebrate the Oak King.
You look very pretty Ginny…I love your earrings ❤
Hi GinnY, As always love your videos 😊very fun, educational and inspirational. sounds like an ordinary though quite extraordinary really ChristmaS to me. Every year in our house there is evergreen, misIetoe, holly and ivy the presence of these plants are spells. I love the Robin species in the UK p, so delicate and beautiful quite CutE really 💕😄HappY solstice, GooD Yule and a MerrY ChristmaS tO YoU And Yours
Vintage, sparkly, tinsel, fairy lights, home made and plenty of that regular Xmas Cast of characters. We have the same sparkly Mermaidy coloured top Ginny 🥳 and a chopstick in our hair! 😆 Happy Christmas, great to see your channel numbers growing. 🎄🍾✨🌟💚x
Fabulous presentation of a holiday I have celebrated for years! You have just upscale my rituals which is warm and wonderful. Love and light to you and all our brothers and sisters!
It's always a delight to see your videos and this was so charming! When it comes to decorating the Yule Tree, we would make dough out of applesauce and cinnamon and make ornaments with cookie cutters. These were mostly stars, but I fashioned a Goddess figure with inscriptions and symbols on them, making sure there was a hole inserted before air drying them so that they had a space for ribbon so they could be attached to the tree. They last for a good long time for scents and dry extremely hard so they don't break easily (depending on thickness). Have a Merry Yule and Happy Holidays!
Thank you so much for sharing 💚 Happy Yule to you 💚❄️
Blessed Yule!!
Great and very informative video..❤
Thank you for sharing x x
Absolutely brilliant
Your videos are always so informative. I always learn something. Thank you. ❤
I had a lovely tame Robin who used to come every day for food, he was so cute. Unfortunately a more aggressive robin has ousted him out of my garden & taken his territory. He attacks the sparrows & even the odd rat it comes across!.
Every time these videos mention welcoming Fae into homes. I feel bad because my home is so unstable and there’s so much shouting it would definitely scare all the Fae away
Growing up we made a garland of popcorn and hung it on tree. Just wasn't Christmas without it. And I have alternated the popcorn with cranberries on the strands a few times. It's very pretty. I will have to do that this year. Cranberries probably aren't used much in UK are they? I know they grow in bogs if water or something like that.
This is the first year I am doing a formal Yule feast for all my furry/feathered friends and neighbors. When is burning the Yule log perfect timing? I thought as I decorated the trees and ground for the wild critters..? For the early evening after the feast of people then into the animal feast, all mine.
I so enjoyed your video! As always I enjoy the history you talk about. I always learn something new! ❤❤❤❤❤I’ve used pinecones and acorns with my other decorations. For some reason Iv’e seen a lot of cardinals!
Such a wonderful video, I love how detailed this is!
❤
"It keeps witches away"
Me..a witch, with a Yule log....😬
Ginny have you written any books ?
I plan on buying Scott Cunningham’s Magical Herbs book, and that being said is there additional books on the same subject?
Thanks
I like the Herbcrafter's Tarot as a starting point. Cheralyn Darcey is a good author for anything about plants. She created The Magical Herb Oracle, among others.
A good beginner's book is The Green Witch's Garden by Arin Murphy-Hiscock.
We're having a debate when exactly to celebrate yule as a family with children, Thursday or Friday next week?
did you do thanksgiving on a Thursday? Maybe go for friday, as the solstice is at 3ish in the morning on friday - I dont think it makes much difference..
@GinnyMetheral I'm in Pontefract, West Yorkshire didn't celebrate thanksgiving. 9 year old is a night owl so was wondering after further consideration could do an all nighter from sunset to sunrise just not loud as unfortunately as i frequently remind her we live in a terrace house not in the middle of a field. She's home educated so no rush to get up for school.
I can’t celebrate, cold weather there’s nothing happy about it. There’s nothing fun about it. There is nothing joyous about it. Once Christmas is gone. It is cold, wet, miserable and dismal. I can’t do it. There is nothing fun about winter I pray for the day the sun comes and warms the earth, I can barely stand the months of January and February, and it winter decides to drag into March. It absolutely devastates me I pray for the sun to warm the earth every day. Sorry winter solstice is not something to celebrate, except for the fact that it kills fleas and bugs.