Subject: Solstice and Christmas links
Winter Solstice (also called Yule) occurs between December 21 and
22. Yule is the time of greatest darkness and the longest night of
the year. This site will lead you to a scholarly discussion about
Pagan influences on the Christian Christmas holiday, with just enough
historical information to keep you interested.
<http://www.witchvox.com/basics/yule.html>
This is a good place to learn about celestial geometry and the tilt of
the Earth's axis. It's quite scientific.
<http://www.phys.virginia.edu/teaching/solstice/home.html>
This site talks about the solstice celebrations of the last 4,000
years, and even gives you daily sunlight information and tips on
celebrating the solstice yourself.
<http://www.candlegrove.com/home.htmlg/solstice/home.html>
An Old-Fashioned Solstice talks about the origins of Yule and invites
you to learn more about the Pagan origins of December 25th, Christmas
trees, presents, santa claus, reindeer, wassailling, ornaments and
lights, mistletoe, and holly and ivy.
<http://wcsb.org/~sote/Solstice.htmllg/solstice/home.html>
The Winter Solstices Pages at
<http://www.circlesanctuary.org/pholidays/WinterSolstice.html>
will guide you through The Sacred Plants of the Winter Solstice and
the Winter Solstice Celebrations for Families and Households page will
help you plan your celebrations.
Ben & Jerry's for the holidays
Check out Ben & Jerry's Ecumenical Holiday Page, with info on
Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, and Yule. Maybe pick up some ice cream
while you're there ...
<http://www.benjerry.com/yule/index.htmls/WinterSolstice.html>
Winter Solstice and Holidays
----------------------------
Winter Solstice, also known as Yule, Christmas, and Saturnalia, occurs
in mid December. It is celebrate the birth of the new Solar year and
the beginning of Winter. The Goddess manifests as the Great Mother and
the God as the Sun Child. The God also appears as Santa Claus and Old
Man Winter. Colors are Red, Green, and White. This is a festival of
inner renewal.
Strengthen bonds with family and friends by visiting and/or exchanging
gifts and greetings. Decorate your home with lights, greens, and
holiday colors. Bless your home with a Yule wreath on your front door
and sprigs of mistletoe inside. If you are part of a group, take up a
collection of food and/or clothing at your Yule gathering and give
what you collected to a social service agency to distribute to the
needy. Place sunflower seeds outside for wild birds to feast upon.
Greet the Sun at dawn on Solstice morning by ringing bells.
>From TODAY on The WORLD, Vol. 3 #354, Sunday, December 21, 1997
Sinterklaas
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St Nicholas was a 4th century bishop from Turkey who became the
basis of the legends of Santa Claus. Check out a brief biography
and what the Christmas traditions are in Holland.
<http://www-astro.physics.ox.ac.uk/~erik/sint/sint.htmle.html>
Christmas Stories
-----------------
This site links to the texts of:
Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus
The Gift of the Magi
The Night Before Christmas
Christmas Angels
The Most Beautiful Thing
Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect
The Cobbler and His Guest
The X(mas) Files... in Search of Santa
<http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/5989/stories.htmll>
>From TODAY on The WORLD, Vol. 3 #353, Saturday, December 20, 1997
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The above are a few selected seasonal items from an e-zine called
TODAY on THE WORLD, published by The World, an Internet Service Provider
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Happy Holidays.
Yours truly,
Ross M. Donald