English
Português
Español
Français
Answer
The Christmas classic “Deck the Halls” includes the line “Troll the ancient yuletide carol” (to troll means to sing in a joyful or celebratory manner). Another line in the song reads, “See the blazing yule before us.” We sing these lyrics, but often do not understand their meaning, as we rarely hear the word yule at any other time of the year. So, what does yule mean, and why is it part of the Christmas tradition?
Yule was the name of a winter festival that took place in December and January on the German lunar calendar. In the fourth century, the church decided to commemorate the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ during that time with a 12-day feast, commonly known as Epiphany or the Feast of the Nativity. This feast was scheduled to coincide with the pagan holiday, the feast of Sol Invictus, which honored the winter solstice and the increasing daylight. Over time, these celebrations merged to form the holiday we now recognize as Christmas. In modern terms, Yule simply represents the feast commemorating the birth of Christ; Yuletide is the Christmas season. While many elements of the story of Jesus’ birth are honored during the Yule season, traces of the original feasts and customs also appear in various Christmas carols and traditions.
The yule log was a large log that played a role in European Christmas festivities for many years. It was ignited on Christmas Day and burned for the following Twelve Days of Christmas. A piece of the yule log was saved to kindle the next year’s log. The yule log was believed to possess the ability to ward off misfortune, so it remained in the home throughout the year. Today, yule logs are often represented by a log-shaped cake.
Although the term Yule has evolved in meaning over the centuries, it remains a vestige of a secular holiday that has been overshadowed by the observance of Jesus’ birth. Christmas celebrations in the Western world have evolved into a mix of characters, traditions, and customs.
Editions, and symbols that don’t necessarily go together but have been appropriated to serve a Christian holiday. Most people who burn a yule log don’t care about its origin or associate it with paganism. It’s just part of a traditional celebration.
However, however a family chooses to celebrate Christmas, it is important for Christians to remember that secular celebrations are enjoyable, but the meaning of Christmas goes beyond the feasts and glitter. The Yule we celebrate is the reality that God became man in order to bring man to God «For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.», (2 Corinthians 5:21). And we should celebrate that truth all year long.
