Tis the Season to be Jolly Pagan

And celebrate our multicultural heritage

Photo by zhan zhang on Unsplash

The Christmas season has deep roots in pre-Christian, pagan Europe. Many pagan festivals, including Yule and the Romanic Saturnalia, were celebrated around the period of longest dark, the winter solstice. Such winter festivals, despite the differences between Romans, Norse, Celts and Druids, had common themes of light, fire and feasting, as well as a coming together of people for laughter and merriment. Sacrifices and offerings were commonly made, either to gods or other supernatural beings. It was a time to mark the longest night of the night and to celebrate the coming of longer days ahead.

The festival called Yule came from the Norse and Germanic tribes, and coincided with the winter solstice. As with other festivals of this season, it was celebrated with eating, drinking and the making of fire. A lot of cattle were slaughtered at this time that couldn’t be fed during the harsh winter months. This ensured there was plentiful meat for roasting and subsequent feasting, and also for providing offerings.

With all these festivals, it was also a time for deep spiritual reflection, a recognition of the struggle between light and dark. People got together to honour the end of harvest and the passing of the year. It was a matter of surviving the harsh winter months and a…