Yule, the Winter Solstice, is Dec. 21 and marks the rebirth of the sun and the official arrival of winter. From this time forward, the hours of daylight increase as the sun becomes stronger. Many elements of this ancient celebration were incorporated into Christmas including decorating an evergreen tree, exchanging gifts, hanging mistletoe, holly and evergreen boughs throughout the home, feasting, and being with the ones you love.

At our house, candles glow (and lots of them!) and incense blends of frankincense, myrrh, cinnamon, rosemary, mugwort, bayberry and dried pine needles (or resin) mingle with the scent of burning wood in fireplaces (or cauldrons) blessed by sacred herbs (often some of the homemade incense just mentioned). Or, sometimes I just burn sticks of incense or loose incense and spices on charcoal instead! For me, the Yule tree is decorated differently than the Christmas tree. Our Yule tree is lit with white lights representing the starlight and constellations in the winter sky; pine cones, snowflakes, birds and owls, a stag, feathers, cinnamon stick bundles hung with twine, and plenty of holly - I’m obsessed with it!

Our Christmas tree is festooned with multi-color lights (nothing says Christmas like multi-colored lights!), ornaments of all kinds - some made by my daughters, my granddaughter Xaviera (Xavi for short), and friends. And tinsel. I can’t help it. I love it. Multi-colored lights and tinsel on a Christmas tree harken back to my childhood; it was magical for me then and it’s magical for me now. But, for me over the last 20 years, it’s all about the Yule tree: pine cones, lots of snowflakes, holly and cinnamon stick bundles ... Before I decided to have two trees, the Yule tree being tabletop size, I used white lights and went very light on the traditional ornaments.

We’re also really big on paper chains at the homestead. I made them every year with my girls and, since she was 2, Xavi. We tend to stick with red, green, white and yellow in various patterns. Then we, or I, hang them in the windows, the hallway, Xavi’s room ... When the paper chains come down, sometime over the winter, our cat Pyewackett enjoys playing around in them on the floor.

Not having a fireplace for the past 19 years, a small fire is kindled in a large and wide cast iron pot on the hearth. But, back when my daughters were young, I rented a ranch home in West Boothbay Harbor with a huge fireplace. It was glorious! I kept the fire burning all through the December holidays , particularly on Yule, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and Christmas day. Candles glowed from as many places as I could place them ... ahh ...  it was, and is, magic! Perhaps someday, before I become too aged to wrangle with logs, I’ll have a fireplace again. I’ve always dreamed of a house with a fireplace between the dining and living rooms ...

One of my favorite things is the cooking. Most of the time it’s turkey at our house. I did attempt to make a Christmas goose when the girls were quite young ... I say attempt because upon our return from Christmas Eve service at the Congo Church in the Harbor, well, let’s just say that each year that we watch “Christmas Vacation” the scene with the overcooked turkey reminds us of that goose! But, in my defense I have to say my goose did not emit smoke as it was carved. And, like the film, we all sat around the table gnawing on our um, “jerky” ... thank heavens for the side dishes ... Unlike the film we were  laughing our butts off!

Baking. Some people really love it. Me, not so much. But at Yule and Christmas there are traditional favorites that have to be made: thumbprints, peanut blossoms, and sugar cutouts.  Xavi really gets into the decorating. She delights in going heavy on the sugars of yellow, red, green, blue and white on those cookies. Needless to say her mother and I have to buy multiple bottles of sugars and other decorating bits and bobs. There’s been some impressive “stained glass” on our baking pans I can tell you! I’m really feeling like I need to bake a cake this year. I’m not sure what that might end up being. My favorites are the Southern coconut cake and the Italian wedding cake. We’ll see ... it might be Pepperidge Farm ...

Music this time of year is such a delight. I have always leaned toward the  old English tunes, songs from Medieval times - a favorite of mine in this category -  is “A  Feast of Songs: Holiday Music From the Middle Ages;” Lorena McKennit, Damh the Bard ...  Then again, there are the classics from my youth - and yours no doubt - that are always played by Andy Williams, Perry Como, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra ...

“Song for Yule,” written by my friend and co-worker Gina Hamilton:

Up on the hillside the fires burn bright, come, Sun, rise up on this cold and dark day, from earliest sunset to first morning light, and the light's getting brighter and spring's on her way.

Snow covers the Earth for her winter's sleep long come, Sun, rise up on this cold and dark day, Her moon guards her rest as the wolves sing their song, and the light's getting brighter and spring's on her way.

Here in the cottage the pine tree is bright, come, Sun, rise up on this cold and dark day, The yule log burns honoring death and new life, and the light's getting brighter and spring's on her way.

The sweetness and light of the honey and wax, come Sun, rise up on this cold and dark day, through the candled window we see the stag's tracks, and the light's getting brighter and springs on her way.

The bells on the shins of the dancers outside Come, Sun, rise up on this cold and dark day, tells us the feast and the singing is nigh, and the light's getting brighter and spring's on her way.

Come, holly, come, ivy, come Bridie the maid, come, Sun, rise up on this cold and dark day, Come bless us with springtime and sunlight and shade, and the light's getting brighter and spring's on her way.

So trim that tree, bake those cookies, plan your feast, gather family and friends around and watch those favorite movies, and dance to your favorite seasonal tunes!

May bright blessings be yours this coming Yule and Christmas!