Yule

Yule was a Midwinter festival celebrated by the indigenous Northern European people (Sámi) since the 4th century. Yule is celebrated at the time when the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half. The events of Yule generally centered on feasting, drinking ale, and gift-giving. Yule was celebrated for three nights, beginning at Midwinter night (Winter Solstice). During the Christianization of Europe, the Yule Fest was co-opted by the Christian church as Christmas to help convert the Sámi people to Christianity.




Many of the Yule traditions continue to this day, including the “Christmas” tree, which originally symbolized eternal life (the conifer remains green throughout the Winter), and the use of reindeer (to this day, the Sámi engage in reindeer herding). Since many of the Sámi people live above the Arctic circle, the idea of “Santa Claus” living at the North Pole is also part of this mythos.




From a modern perspective, we can surmise that Yule was a festival to help the Sámi deal with what we now call “Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD),” or the Winter blues. After spending several months inside because of the dark and cold Winter, the Midwinter Yule festival helped lift people’s spirits so they could make it to Spring without first committing suicide due to a combination of the long, dark days and “cabin fever” (having to stay inside for weeks at a time).