Most children grow up being taught that if they're good a jolly old man will bring them toys at Christmas and if they're naughty, they'll get a lump of coal. For my final posting on December tradition's I'm going to give you a history of Santa Claus.


The primary inspiration for Sinterklaas is thought to be Saint Nicholas of Myra. He was known for his work with the poor and needy.


Due to the German and Scandinavian influence on the holiday, many comparisons have been made between Santa and Odin. As many other traditions of the holiday were Christianized it's thought that the modern Santa was also pulled from this God worshiped by many of the Germanic people. Some stories include one of Odin riding an eight legged horse named Sleipnir that could leap great distances, here again tying to Santa's magical reindeer. The tradition says that the children would put carrots or straw in their boots by the chimney for Sleipnir to eat, Odin would reward the children by replacing the food with gifts or candy. This is where the idea of putting stockings by the fireplace are thought to have originated.


Father Christmas is usually seen as a jolly fat man with a beard and a long green robe. He represents the spirit of Christmas, that being good cheer. He is most notability depicted in Charles Dickens's story "A Christmas Carol".


After the 1823 publication of the poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas" the modern Santa gets most of the characteristics we know today. We know this as "Twas the Night Before Christmas". His clothes, his jolly face with rosy cheeks and even his reindeer are named.


To keep up with the modern age Santa sites are popping up all over the web. There's Northpole.com, Claus.com and even noradsanta.org.

The real spirit of "Santa" or of Christmas is that of giving. Reaching out to those who are less fortunate and giving back the blessings we have in our own lives. The spirit is out there and alive, as we saw most recently with the Secret Santa gifts of paying off a layaway at a Kmart store and the 50,000.00 donation to the Salvation Army.

These are big gifts to some of us. In this economy some barely have enough to feed themselves much less go and payoff someone else's bills right? There are so many things you can do to give back that don't include cash. Volunteering is a great way to help others. Usually these groups need bodies. They need people to come down and help with a Soup Kitchen or a Food Bank. The local animal shelter needs people to come down and interact with the animals to help them be more familiar with people and possibly adopted. Tell someone they left their bread at the end of the register. Hold the door for someone who is busy with their kids.

It's easy to continue the giving traditions of St. Nick, Odin, Father Christmas and Santa Claus. We have the ability to open our hearts and give back.




Wishing each of you a joyous holiday season.

Namaste & Blessed Be!
Sosanna
)O(

Whether you cover your tree in tinsel or leave it off. Choose to use a star or an angel; each Christmas Tree is individual and represents it's owner. It has been called by many names, Yule Tree, Christmas Tree and Holiday Tree.

As a kid, we always had a tree.


That me, the tall one, without the big pink fuzzy feet.


I still love this time of year. I love the chill in the air and the crunch of the ground beneath my feet. I love the Yule time season and I do still love a Christmas tree.

The history of the Christmas tree has Pagan roots. (Pun intended) Druid priests in Great Britain used evergreen plants/trees in Yule ceremonies to celebrate the Winter Solstice. In the 1500's German's began using evergreen trees as a symbol of hope for the coming springs.

The modern Christmas tree is a descendant of this same tree used in Druid ceremonies. It's thought that the first was introduced to the US by German immigrants in the mid 1700's. Today there is a great deal of controversy over the words Holiday vs. Christmas tree. In order to be more inclusive of those around us, some in the US have started to use "Happy Holidays" and "Holiday Tree" to make those who have other holidays in December feel included.

For more information on Christmas around the world check out this cute site. I have even found a great page on the History Channel, that has lots of info on the history of Christmas.

Here's a great video on the life of a Christmas Tree.




Wishing you all a GAGA Holiday Season!




Namaste & Blessed Be!
Sosanna
)O(

Too many of us the term "Yule Log" refers to a tasty rolled cake usually made with chocolate and a rich cream inside that is amazingly tasty. I make a yule log out of pumpkin flavored cake with a cream cheese frosting that is completely to die for. I use this recipe but I add a bit of cinnamon to my frosting as well and I leave out the walnuts.



Another type of "Yule Log" is a piece of wood burned in a hearth or fireplace to celebrate the passing of the Yule season. Sometimes practiced on the Winter Solstice or during the twelve days of Christmas. A small piece of the log is removed from the fire and kept to burn in the following year's Yule celebration. At least that's how one story goes. It says the fire should be tended all night and kept burning, if it went out on the first attempt at lighting or through out the next twelve hours it would be a bad sign for the year to come. Most agree that the log should never be purchased however some say it should be taken from a neighbor's property as opposed to it's owner's yard.

Sometimes when a fireplace isn't available a yule log is set with candles and the candles take the place of the actual log burning.




Yule is the celebration of the Winter Solstice, as the Yule Log represents this time, we have Holly, Mistletoe, Rosemary, Oak, Spruce, Pine, Ivy, Fir and Poinsettia that also claim a spot in this holiday. The colors are red, green, white, silver and gold, or what I like to call Christmas colors. Most traditions celebrate with a meal and gift giving.

Some forms of Wicca celebrate this time as the rebirth of the Great Horned God, seen as the new sun, which interestingly enough can be seen in Christianity as well, where they celebrate the birth of the "son of God" in the form of the Baby Jesus in a manger.



There are many customs around the celebration of the Yule season as well as around the month of December. Just have a look at these:

Pancha Ganapati - This is a Hindu festival from the 21st - 25th that celebrates Lord Ganesha

Winter Solstice - a Celtic celebration from 21 to 23 each year in the Northern Hemisphere, and June 20 to 23 in the Southern Hemisphere

Yalda - a Persian celebration on the 21st in celebration of the Winter Solstice

Saturnalia - Ancient Roman festival held in honor of Saturn originally celebrated on the 17th

Boxing Day - A gift giving day observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and other areas

Flying Spaghetti Monster Day - Pastafarians have this day to reject all religious dogma, so yes, Virginia even Atheist's have "Pasta Claus"

For a list of some of the winter celebrations check here.

The point here is that as different as we try to be, the more similar we become. Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas? Really is it that big of a deal. Just live and let live.

For my family, we'll be having our first Yule log burning, as we just got a lovely wood stove. I'm not sure how I'll handle fishing out part to save for next year, but I will certainly do my best.

For those that don't have a fireplace, here's a video of a fire burning for your enjoyment.





I'll also be making the "other" Yule Log to take to Grandma's. So if you'd to see how to make one I found this video on YouTube.



For my fellow Pagans, I'd like to share this really nice Yule song I found on Youtube.




Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(

This series I'm working on isn't to say who's right and who's wrong. It's not about "get your facts straight" or "That's our holiday". The entire purpose here is to point out the similarities between the different customs and show that we're really not all that different.

We don't have to have quoted the correct website or have the exact same traditions in order to be given respect. We are all different and our lives are made up of many threads from all around the world. By saying "This is the right way" or "This is the only way" so much of this wonderful view is taken from you.

This is MY take on what I've read about Holly.

Llex Aquifolium or Holly has over 300 species which includes climbers bushes and trees. It is an evergreen that is characterized by shiny leaves with thorns. The berries usually red in color ripen in the winter and are slightly toxic to humans when eaten but are a food source for birds in the winter months.

During Saturnalia festivals Holly was used as it is considered the sacred plant of Saturn. Gifts of Holly were used for decoration and as offerings during this time of year. Some Christians associate holly with "Christ" relating the thorns to the crown he wore and the red berries his blood.

From the Druids who used the plant for protection, to the Romans who used it as an offering Holly has made it's way around the world. In parts of Britain holly was called "Christmas" and in pre-victorian time holly bushes were called "Christmas Trees". Some Germanic cultures believed that stepping on the berries was bad luck, but placing a bough of the plant in a barn would help your livestock to fatten up and be prosperous though the winter.

Our ancient pagan ancestors were said to have made wreaths of ivy and holly for decorations in the winter months. Ivy with its ties to Bacchus, the Roman God of Wine and the holly for Saturnalia.

Even the name Holly, was thought to be the root of the Christian word "Holy" taken from the Pagan's who believed that "Holly" was sacred.

Today I decided that for my landscaping needs I plan to plant some holly around my property.

Sharing a wonderful salute to Holly by Loreena McKennitt.





And for those of us that are a bit more childlike (like me)





Namaste and Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(

There's a lot of talk now about the "War on Christmas" and "Happy Holidays" vs. "Merry Christmas". I had a thought this morning about taking some of our traditions and looking at how they came into being. I'm not trying to say "We invented Christmas" or "You stole our traditions" more so trying to show that this time of the year is indeed an amalgam of traditions from various parts of the world mixed together in this big ole melting pot we call humanity.

Today let's talk mistletoe.

First what the heck is mistletoe anyway? Mistletoe is a semi parasitic plant that lives within bushes and plants. Mistletoe has a large family of plants in it with up to 900 species. The berries of the Mistletoe are poisonous. The berry juice is extremely sticky and when eaten by birds, they pass through their system and are then deposited on tree branches as the birds perch. The word Mistletoe is from the Anglo-Saxon word, Mistel for "Dung" and Tan for "Twig" which translates to "Dung on a Twig". The ancient Druids honored mistletoe as a sacred plant. Some would place the plant over a baby's cradle to prevent the child from ever being kidnapped. In much the same treatment as the Yule Log, a branch of mistletoe was kept year after year, burning the previous year with the new harvest to bless the next years harvest.

The tradition of "Kissing under the Mistletoe" is thought to come from Scandinavia where it was said that if you were out in the woods and you found yourself standing under the mistletoe and you encountered a foe, you both lay down your weapons until the next day. This is thought to have come from old Norse Mythology. Balder was son of Odin (King of the Gods) and Frigga. Frigga fearing for her son's safety asked every thing to promise not to harm her son. This included animals, stones and trees. Frigga missed out on the mistletoe plant which allowed Loki the God of Mischief to use the plant to create a spear and trick Hod, Balder's brother into throwing it and killing Balder instantly. The Gods eventually restored Balder to life and Frigga proclaimed the plant to be sacred and that two people passing under it should celebrate Balder's resurrection by kissing.



Here's Amy Winehouse with "Mommy Kissing Santa Claus".




Wishing everyone, a wonderful holiday season.

Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna


***Please note, I am sure all traditions much like most magic and lore have a varied background, meaning this posting is only one view of the legend or myth around the specific tradition. I am not claiming that this is the be all end all of this tradition.