Christmas: the word brings to mind chill winds, falling snow and long nights spent near a thick fir tree covered in ornaments and topped with a star, the gentle twinkling of its soft lights and the abundant presents lying bright and quiet beneath it holding an unspoken promise of hidden joy.
Christmas: the word calls up the fragrances and images of wreaths woven of holly, ivy and pine, of Yule logs of oak or apple snapping in a cheery fire, of ginger and butter and cinnamon cookies left out on special plates by hopeful children, a gift for a whimsical old elf warmly wrapped in red and white, who shimmies down chimneys in the oddest sort of way.

Yet, for Christians, the season revolves around the birth of the Child of Light, the Unconquered Son born beneath a brilliant star while lying in a hayrack in a humble animal's stall: the Light of the World born to save all mankind from the Darkness of an endless night. How, one might wonder, did the most sacred event of the Christian year become firmly entwined in the minds of most people with the holly and the ivy, the wreath and the decorated tree, Santa and his reindeer? The answer is one which some Christians might find uncomfortable, though that discomfort is unnecessary: indeed, the Coming of the Light has always been celebrated at this time of year, probably since the dawn of mankind, and the Christian Birth of Jesus is a lovely and grace-filled accompaniment to the ancient hope and wonder of the season.

The Romans called the period of the year between our December 17 and January 6 SOLSTICE, or "Sun Stands Still." There is a Solstice-tide in summer, also, between June 18 and July 9. These two pivots of the year mark the ultimate return of longer days and warmer seasons (this occurs at the Winter Solstice, which is the topic of this article) and the eventual return of the long nights and short, snow-shrouded days of winter (this occurs at the Summer Solstice.) All peoples in all places of the world mark the coming of the Solstices with celebration, and it is the revolution of time from Winter Solstice to Summer Solstice and back again which gives us the symbol of the WREATH: woven from evergreen boughs which do not die in winter and decorated with those plants which put out fruit in the chill season (holly and ivy,) the wreath symbolizes the endless cycling of the undying year, a token of hope in the snow and ice of Northern climes (for the making and hanging of evergreen wreaths is part of the Norse celebration of YULE) that summer will return again, as surely and intractably as the spinning of a wheel.

It is in the depths of winter that the human heart has always yearned for the sun, the "Pure Light of High Summer" as the Greeks called that sacred child of the most high Zeus who was born and laid in a winnowing-basket in winter (which is the growing season in Greece, a turn-about viewpoint of the meaning of the season.) A few of the symbols of this baby include the ivy, the golden apple, and the pine cone -- all popular symbols with which we grace our homes even today during that period which the Greeks called Lenaia, and during which they celebrated the nativity of Dionysos or, as He was called in some parts of Greece, Bacchus.

The Lenaia celebrations continued throughout medaeval Christian times in a half-remembered, semi-mocking form which was smiled upon by Church fathers: December in parts of Europe (particularly those areas bordering the mediterranean, including France) one thousand years after the advent of Christianity was the month of a special feast known as "Feast of Fools." At this feast, which was held in local churches, a "fool priest" was chosen from among the masses by the clergy itself, and a banquet was held in the church itself, in honor of none other than Bacchus/Dionysos. The "fool priest" held a "fool's mass" prior to the feasting, part of the liturgy of which was as follows:

Introibo ad altare Bachi-
(Let us go unto Bacchus' altar)

Ad eum que letificat cor hominis
(and he who brings joy to the heart of man)

Petemus, aufer a nobis, quesumus, Bacche,
(shall take from us, please Bacchus,)

Cuncta vestimenta nostram...
(these rainments, that we may be [found] worthy...)

Why, one might ask, would the Holy Roman Church have encouraged such proceedings? And encourage it did, up to the time of the Protestant Reformation, when all celebrations of Christmas were banned due to their largely Pagan themes: the celebration of the season languished for nearly three hundred years, until in the Victorian era the celebrations became popular once more. However, the ancient church (between approximately 400 CE and 1400 CE) sought to "adopt" Pagan themes and rituals into its own scripture and liturgy, in order to draw the masses to Jesus and away from such godforms as Mithras (whose epiphany occured as a birth from a rock on December 25; this epiphany still exists in Christianized form as "The Rock of Ages" and the adoption of Mithras' "birthday" as the date of the birth of Jesus.)

The Christian adoption of Pagan symbols and celebrations was a brilliant idea, brought forth by the world's greatest empire when it found itself being torn asunder beneath the weight of invading barbarian tribes. Waves of invasion caused the Roman Empire to lose control of previously-conquered areas of its far-flung ramparts. The popular new religion of Christianity offered the embattled emperors of Rome a handle on the situation: if the masses within Rome, those living in her ramparts, AND the invading barbarians could be converted to this new religion (one of the new tenets of which, under the aegis of Rome, would become OBEDIENCE TO TEMPORAL RULERS), and this religion could be mandated by a Christian emperor or emperors solely from Rome, then loyalty of the converts to their Christian vows and emperor would thereby save the empire from total collapse. This brilliant scheme turned the "Roman Empire" of the ancient and Classical world into the new, "Holy Roman Empire" of the Christianized world, and the Byzantine era was born; an era which would survive, thrive, and rule the hearts, minds, bodies, and lands of the people of Europe for ONE THOUSAND YEARS (apx. 500 to apx. 1500 CE.)

From the Christian Old Testament, too, can be gained some idea of the importance and antiquity of Solstice celebrations to the inhabitants of ancient lands. In Jeremiah may be found the solemn injunction: "thou shalt not decorate trees with gold and silver as the heathen do..." The words PAGAN and HEATHEN were coined by the sophisticated, city-dwelling Christians of Rome sometime in the year 700 CE, to describe (in terms of ridicule and condescention) the country-dwelling people who still held on to the "Old Ways" and worshipped the "Old Gods" -- bumpkins, out-dwellers, simpletons, PAGANI. Prior to this time, these words meant nothing more than "country- dweller", if in fact they existed as actual terms at all. Modern worshippers of the "Old Gods" who follow the "Old Ways" use these terms proudly, to describe a non-Judeo-Christian (also non-Islam) method of worship.

Ancient and Classical Rome, up to about 500 CE, celebrated a Midwinter festival known as "Saturnalia". It is this festival from which the modern custom of giving presents is derived (done in ancient Rome for the dual purpose of honoring the ancestors who bestowed the gift of life, and to teach generosity/banish miserliness -- this message exists in modern times as the delightful persona and adventures of "Scrooge".) Ancient and Classical Romans of all classes would "deck their halls" with evergreen, holly, and ivy branches, and burn abundant candles, following ancient proscriptions to "drive back the darkness: call in the Unconquered Light!" Also from the Saturnalia comes the concept of a "Christmas Break", wherein the season becomes a time of cheer, relaxation, and celebration. These attitudes are a natural response to the season, which is why so much "depression" and "burn-out" occurs when misplaced calls to consumerism overshadow the reflective, prayerful, joyous customs of Solstice, which have been in existence for so long in the history of mankind that they might almost be considered "instinctive."

Many Neolithic and Paleolithic sacred structures have been found to be "Solar Temples", which are constructed in just such a way as to compliment the appearance of light during the Winter Solstice. Many of these structures, which are often dark and forbidding at any other time of the year, contain symbolic, spiritual carvings which are struck by bright shafts of sunlight on the Solstice, the sudden light illuminating specific chambers or stones and turning the mind to the warm half of the year which the light promises and heralds even in the "iron grip" of winter. Such structures exist everywhere: a few well-known ones include Stonehenge, Gavranis, New Grange, Long Kennet, Chaco Canyon, and Kukulkan.

Santa Claus, and other European Christmastime activities, too, appear to be hold-overs from Neolithic Solstice ceremonies. What were the ceremonies, and who were the people who gave us such patently non-Christian and seemingly silly Christmas traditions as Santa, the Hobby Horse, and the Morris Dance?

Roughly five thousand years ago, a large, powerful and aggressive group of people swept out of the enormously wide plains of north-central Asia, over the Caucasus mountains. They were unlike any group of people seen before -- uniformly pale-skinned, with eyes and hair of various colors -- and they brought with them startling new technologies and weaponry, against which the cities of India and Europe, and even Egypt itself, could not stand. One of these technological advances was the horse as vehicle, another was the chariot, and a third -- perhaps the most devastating of all -- was the ability to forge weapons from that impervious metal which would come to be known as iron, after the name of the invaders themselves; Aryans.

It is from these steppes tribes -- whose descendants would be the Scythians and, after invasion of China and subsequent re-peopling of the steppes of Northern Asia by half-asian, half-aryan (or Caucasian) stock, the Mongols and the Huns -- that such Christmastime myths as Santa, the Hobby Horse, and the Morris Dance come. The horse was a sacred creature to the ancient Aryans, the carrier of light and wealth, and to ride one was to experience the feelings of the great gods who, to the ancients of the steppes, were symbolized by light and fire. It is these beliefs and symbols which link the bizzare persona of the "hobby horse" to modern European Christmas celebrations of light, fire, and gift-giving wealth.

Among the steppes people even today, a shamanic religious practice exists in which the shaman sets up a pole beneath the smoke-hole of the main ceremonial hut sometime during midsummer. During the midwinter ceremonies, the shaman climbs this pole in order to mount the smokehole and sit atop the hut, where he will receive visions for the future of the tribe. Subsequently, he climbs back down the pole through the smokehole (the hut's "chimney") and "gifts" the tribe with his visions. The colors RED and WHITE -- as in Santa's infamous suit -- are sacred to the people of the Asian steppes, as well as to the people of Lapland who are their close cousins, because these colors are the hue of that plant which the shamans of the people use to help them gain their Solstice visions: the Amanita Muscaria mushroom. Further midwinter ceremonies performed by the tribe's shaman or group of shamans include ceremonial dances with rattles tied to the feet or body; the dance itself is done to enchant the light and persuade it to come back, the rattles used to drive away the darkness of midwinter. The bell-jingling "Morris Dances" held in modern times throughout Europe are a survival of this practice.

Further, the people of the Asian steppes and Lapland rely heavily to this day upon a certain animal which they have utilizes as a source of food, clothing, and shelter for millennia: the REINDEER, completing Santa's interestingly queer habit of flying on a sleigh ("chariot") pulled by -- of all creatures! -- rendeer.

Also close cousins to both the steppes tribes (via the Burgundian royal house which united with the Huns prior to the invasion of Rome) and to modern Laplanders and Finlanders, are the Germanic and Norse people, whose ancient midwinter celebration gives us the alternate name commonly used for "Christmas": YULE. It is from the Norse traditions that we derive the "Yule Log" ceremony which, when properly done, consists of burning an oak or fruit-tree log three-quarters to ash in the Yule fire. Its core, or other unburnt but still flammable part, is decorated after the season has passed, and is carefully kept to kindle the Yule fire of the following year.

Yule, to Norse Pagans, is in fact NOT a single holiday, but a SEASON OF THE YEAR which stretches from approximately the middle of October to the beginning of January, and celebrates the pre-winter slaughtering and hunting season, and the laying-up of provender for the following winter. During this time anciently, a male piglet was hand-raised and deeply loved by each family: prior to the Solstice itself, vows were taken on the "bristles" of this boar. To many ancient peoples, the pig was considered a messenger to the gods once it was killed (the bear took on this role among various other peoples, such as those in Northern Great Britain or the Ainu of Japan): it was also anciently believed that pigs could take away and cleanse evil from people. Therefore, this beloved pig was sacrificed and became the centerpiece of the Yule dinner for the ancient Norse, who understood implicitly that in order for the self to live, something else must die. Blood from this sacrifice was sprinkled about the family hall (to sprinkle with blood was to bless in the ancient mind: indeed, Jesus Himself is known as "the Lamb of the world who dies for our sins", and many Christians call the knowledge of their Lord and their acceptance of His sacrifice "Being washed in the Blood of the Lamb.")

From many cultures, but most notably the Norse and the Celts, we derive the symbol of the Yule tree hung with ornaments. This practice derives from hanging trees with baubles which symbolized that which was wished for in the coming year: the tree itself derives, again, from the practice of shamans climbing up and down the smoke-pole, which in shamanic cosmogeny represents the "world tree", or that axis around which the upper, middle, and lower "earths" revolve.

For Christians and Pagans alike, this time of year is a time for giving gifts in memory of gifts received, a time for joy and thanksgiving, rest and peace on earth. The symbols of the Season, whether one calls it "Christmas" or "Yule" or "Satunalia", are beautiful and ancient, and speak deep truths to the souls of all of us. My family celebrates a certain ritual which I would like to share with you: it is the ritual of giving gifts in the name of an ancestor (grandmother, grandfather, father, aunt, etc.) and of the giver whispering into the ear of the recipient a special blessing for the coming year. The giving of gifts is an after-dinner treat, prefaced by the following Solstice Tale:

"We are met here at the still point of the turning year, in a space between the Worlds, to celebrate the passing of the old year and the birth of the new, the turning of the Wheel one notch further, the re-enactment of the age-old Mystery of the return of the sun...

"Never let us forget the time- before-time, when we shared the earth with the gods and spirits, and spoke the language of bird and beast, when we danced and sang the songs of creation and remembering...

"Back through the years, across the bridge of Time, we call out to the Rulers of the Four Winds of winter to come forth and join us in our celebration. Come, bright Lords and Ladies, Ancestors, Creatures of fur and feather, horn and scale; come bird and beast, sun and star; come evergreen tree and swiftly-fading flower in the grass...

"In this place and time, joy shall abound and sorrow be cast underground! The ivy that hangs by the door shows the path between the Worlds, where the sun eternally rises to warm those who seek the wisdom of the Shining Ones and who sing in chorus and in carol to usher in the newborn year...

"Frost and ice muffle the Earth in impenetrable cold, but be still and you may hear the beating of the steady Heart of Creation which beats, too in the chests of all those who go in search of the ancient Solstice traditions. The greatest of the gifts which our ancestors gave us was the belief that all is gained when all seems lost; set your teeth to face the wind, beat down the snow and tread the frost!"

After this preface, gifts and blessings are given, and we settle in to enjoy Yule cookies with coffee or eggnog, and to enjoy each other's company even more!


BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SUGGESTED READING:

"Discovering Christmas Customs and Folklore." Margaret Baker, Shire Publications.

"4000 Years of Christmas." Earl W. Count and Alice Lawson, Ulysses Press.

"The Solstice Evergreen." Sheryl Ann Karas, Aslan Publishing.

"The Winter Solstice." Shirley Toulson, Jill Norman & Hobhouse Publishers.

"The Winter Solstice: The Sacred Traditions of Christmas." John Matthews, Quest Books (thanks for much of the inpiration for our Christmas gift-giving ritual goes to this book, its author and publisher: an EXCELLENT book with many wonderful Solstice and Christmas traditions waiting to happen!)

"When Santa Was a Shaman." Tony Van Renterghan, Llewellyn Publications.

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