Yule (along with comparative holidays such as Christmas) is coming up soon at the end of December. Such holidays customarily feature big feasts, singing and festivities, and gift exchanges. The mythology focuses on the depths of winter and the shift to lengthening days. Consider what message you want to send, and choose foods and decorations that match your theme.
Yule Foods
Traditional Yule foods include festive meats, winter vegetables, and colorful preserved fruits. You may find some useful color hints in my earlier post “Red, White, and Blue Foods for July 4.” Many Yule recipes (including some vegan ones) are available online or in cookbooks such as Cooking To The Wheel of the Year
Apples for Yule are usually red ones, and often preserved in some way. Whole spiced crabapples or sliced apple rings come in jars, to be served alongside the meat dishes. Dried or fresh apples are also chopped and combined with nuts in many fillings.
Dried fruit platters appear at many holiday parties. These often include a selection of figs and dates in addition to the more familiar apricots, pears, and apples. Many holiday dishes also feature chopped or stewed dried fruit.
Nuts are a popular type of winter food. These include hazelnuts, acorns, and walnuts in particular but there are many other types. (Avoid tropical nuts unless you live where they grow.) Many stores sell mixed whole nuts at this time, and it’s fun to crack them.
Root vegetables including turnips, onions, and potatoes store well through the winter. Some potatoes have red skins; red onions and beets are red all the way through.
Winter squash ripen late in the season and have strong rinds for storage. They may be peeled, chopped, and mashed; split and baked in their shells; or used to make stuffings. Here are some resources.
Meat for the Yule table is usually domestic but occasionally wild. Ham and goose are classics. Historically, whole suckling pigs — or even adult hogs — were roasted and brought out on platters. Venison is sometimes served too.
Candy and other sweets are a mainstay of Yule celebrations. These include candy canes, ribbon candy, cookies, etc. Many traditional “Christmas cookies” are in fact holdovers from much older traditions. Look for colors, shapes, and ingredients that match your beliefs and/or holiday theme.
Yule Log cake is an iconic centerpiece, for which there are many recipes. This is most often a rolled chocolate cake filled with jelly or cream, but you can also find log-shaped pans for solid cakes. Decorations are elaborate and include sculpted bark made of frosting or fondant; marzipan sculpted into birds, animals, holly or mistletoe sprigs; and chocolate shavings.
Fruitcake is another classic, although more people like to make it than like to eat it. This is usually a mass of dried or glace fruits held together with a small amount of cake (and often a large amount of alcohol). An amusing guide to fruitcakes, with recipes, is here.
Eggnog, a Yule favorite, is a rich beverage made from milk, eggs, and often alcohol. Modern versions include other flavors, even chocolate; you can find recipes online. Remember that eggs are a symbol of rebirth, suitable for honoring the sun’s return.
Wassail is another famous holiday beverage, a hot spiced punch. It may be made with fruit juices and spices, or with alcohol. Wassail is also a traditional offering to encourage fruit trees to grow and yield, as described in many wassailing songs.
Yule Decoration Ideas
Consider your Yule theme when selecting decorations. It’s better to have a few tasteful items that cooperate rather than a chaos of lights and bangles and doodads. Some helpful books include Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Samhain to Ostara
Colors: Red and green are the classic colors of life in deep midwinter, as combined in holly berries and leaves. White and silver stand for snow, purity, and daylight. Deep blue is the color of midnight. Gold represents the sun and abundance.
Plants: Greenery is more apt for the season than flowers; evergreen boughs are ubiquitous. Holly and ivy are also used to make wreaths and garlands. Mistletoe is tied in small bunches to hang. Pinecones may be hung as ornaments or stacked in bowls. Most of these are masculine symbols. The poinsettia and Christmas cactus are more feminine; bright red ones can stand for the fire of the sun, while white ones represent the purity of the Goddess.
Incense: Frankincense and myrrh give and intense, spicy fragrance with a long tradition. Cinnamon, clove, and orange are popular fruity-spicy choices. Pine and bayberry are more resinous and woodsy. Consider the woodsy-musky oakmoss if you’re honoring the Oak King.
Music: The primary music of Yule is vocal, so collect some Yule carols for people to sing. Favorite holiday instruments include bells, flute, harp, lute, and piano or synthesizer keyboard.
Altar Tools: Candles, candle holders, and candle snuffers appear in most Yule rituals. You may also want a mirror or other shiny things, sun symbols, animals to honor the deities, divine icons, etc. Cakes and ale are often presented on elaborate dishware: a platter of gold or silver metal or glass, or ceramic made to resemble an evergreen tree or poinsettia flower; and a chalice of silver, gold, or crystal. (You can get these things on sale for a few dollars between Christmas and New Year.)
Yule Log: This comes in at least four types. The traditional Yule log is a giant hunk of wood left burning in a fireplace for a whole festival lasting several days. A modern variation is a small log sliced flat on the bottom and drilled for several candleholders on top. Then of course there is the Yule log cake. I’ve even seen some cast of hollow chocolate and filled with candies!
Bells: A rope or strap of bells, either round sleigh bells or trumpet bells, is a traditional holiday decoration. Bells produce a cheerful sound that lifts the spirits and drives away malicious influences.
Snow: Decorate with artificial snowflakes, glitter, or other materials that mimic snow. If there is snow on the ground, you may wish to build snow gods and goddesses, or snow lanterns.
Lights: Holiday lights are a modern alternative to open flames. They come in all colors so you can choose them to match your theme. The new LED lights use much less energy and are very beautiful.
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