| The wiccan winter solstice (from the Latin sol for sun | | | | representations of the god Cernunnos. |
| and sistere to stand still) is one of the eight sabbats | | | | When the new Christian religion was trying to |
| celebrated in wicca today. It occurs at the time in | | | | convert the peoples of northern Europe it found the |
| the northern hemisphere when the sun appears at its | | | | easiest way was to incorporate many of the old |
| lowest in the sky and marks the end of one year | | | | pagan ways into the new religion and many of the |
| and the beginning of the new. | | | | traditions of the wiccan winter solstice were amongst |
| From the moment of the wiccan winter solstice the | | | | these. The old pagan name of yule is still |
| sun is reborn and the wheel of the ritual year begins | | | | interchangeable with Christmas, whilst the holly and |
| again. Of all of the evidence left us by our ancestors | | | | the ivy are pagan symbols of fertility, representing |
| of their religious beliefs the best still to be seen are | | | | male and female, which are still seen decorating |
| the neolithic monuments at Stonehenge in England | | | | homes. |
| and New Grange in Ireland. Both were clearly places | | | | We still have a tradition of a long midwinter break for |
| where what we now call the wiccan winter solstice | | | | rejoicing and celebration (the wicca sabbat is from |
| were observed, with their central elements exactly | | | | the French sebatt meaning to revel) and we still hope |
| facing the midwinter sunset and sunrise respectively. | | | | to receive a visit from a man in red pulled by stags |
| Throughout the world people of all races have seen | | | | or reindeers. Of course it just would not be yuletide |
| this time of year as one of rebirth and a time for | | | | without a nice decorated tree brought in from the |
| celebration and many of the traditions we now | | | | woods and maybe a seasonal yule log in the grate |
| associate with the Christian festival of Christmas | | | | (actually a dedication to the Norse god Thor). |
| have their roots firmly in pagan northern Europe. | | | | A common way for the modern coven to celebrate |
| In Celtic tradition the wiccan winter solstice was one | | | | the wiccan winter solstice is for the circle |
| of the two climactic points of the ritual year in the | | | | representing the solar year to be decorated with |
| battle for predominance between the Oak King and | | | | holly, ivy and mistletoe, for the cauldron containing |
| the Holly King, with the Holly King dominating during | | | | kindling to be placed to the south to represent the |
| the time between the longest day in June, | | | | sun and the presiding priest to wear a horned helm in |
| representing the time of growing and harvesting, and | | | | honor of Cernunnos. |
| the Oak King dominating after the shortest day and | | | | In many ways the celebrations of the wiccan winter |
| representing a greater reliance on hunting. The Holly | | | | solstice and its offspring the Christian Christmas are |
| King dressed in red, was festooned with holly and | | | | the clearest and strongest link between the peoples |
| was said to be drawn by eight stags whilst the Oak | | | | of today and their ancestors. |
| King was also known as the Green Man. Both were | | | | |