Yule
December 20 · Level 9 · #369 of 2238
Yule is an ancient northern European midwinter festival, kept when the days are shortest and the sun begins to return. Today it is celebrated by followers of modern pagan traditions, usually around the winter solstice.
How it is celebrated: people light candles and bonfires, decorate their homes with evergreen branches and mistletoe, share a big feast and burn a Yule log to welcome the light and wish for luck in the coming year.
The Old Norse word jól lives on today: in Swedish, Danish and Norwegian, jul is the word for Christmas. A lot of Nordic Christmas customs still carry a very old name.