Greetings to you! If you’re joining us for the Witches Yuletide Ball, Welcome! If you’re not, please click on the Witches Ball image and check out the other wonderful witchy blogs that are joining us in this Ball!

Yule is a fantastic time of year. It’s a time when a lot of our community celebrates with us. Even if they’re not celebrating Yule, they’re often celebrating something! Pagans celebrate Yule, Christians celebrate Christmas, Jews celebrate Hanukkah, and on and on.  Most religions have something to celebrate around the time of the Winter Solstice.

The Winter Solstice is the darkest day of the year, the shortest day and longest night.  Starting the very next day, the hours of daylight become longer as the Earth continues it’s swing around the Sun.  Many religions, including many Pagan religions, celebrate this time of year with the birth of a God, or the return of a God.

• In Japan, Amaterasu returns from her seclusion and brings the Sun back with her.
• The Norse believe that Freyr rides across the skies, bringing light and hope back to the world.
• Hanukkah is a festival of lights, where Jews celebrate the miracle of the ever-burning lamp.
• In Sweden, they celebrate Lucia, where a young woman is selected to play Lucia who chases away the winter and brings back the sun.
• In Iranian mythology, Mithra was born on the Winter Solstice at the end of a war between the light and the dark.
• Many modern pagans follow the cycle of the Oak King and the Holly King, where the two aspects of the Horned God do battle throughout the year in reflection of the changing of the balance between light and dark.
• Christians celebrate the birth of their savior, Jesus

In almost every case, the season is celebrated with parties, drinking, eating, friendship and gift giving. This is a great time to connect with your neighbors and fellow pagans over a glass of something and a bit of something tasty!

To help your celebrations, here is a drink that is traditional for my family.  Enjoy!