The winter solstice, Yule (ewe-ell) to the pagan and Wiccan among us, on Saturday, Dec. 21, is the shortest day and longest night of the year. The word yule is derived from the ancient Nordic word, jul, which means “wheel of fire.” It is a celebration of the rebirth/return of the Sun, who is personified as the Oak King, consort to the Great Mother, the Goddess of Nature.

As the Oak King (sun) grows stronger, the hours of daylight grow longer, the year passes from winter to spring, then summer. At the time of the summer solstice, or midsummer, the Oak King is at the height of his power and strength. The solstice, too, marks the passing of the Holly King, who rules the dark time of year (Litha, the summer solstice to Yule). Both the Holly King and Oak King are the dual sides of the Greenman and the rebirth of the Oak King. The Greenman is the Lord of life and death, of the Great Hunt, of the forest and all vegetation.

During celebrations, often Celtic in origin, a solstice candle is lit. When I have them (like this year!), I like to use a pure bayberry candle. Not only does the scent remind me of childhood and Christmases past, as it burns, it cleanses the home. The solstice candle is usually white or yellow, with or without carvings. A black candle is lit for the parting Holly King, and gold and silver or red and green, candles are lit for the God and Goddess, respectively.

The Yule celebration includes acknowledging and honoring the Holly King's passing and honoring the Goddess who has given birth once again to the Oak King, the return of light, which will bring about the rebirth of nature in spring. It is a time for giving thanks for one's blessings, it is a time for singing songs, dancing, feasting and making merry!

Evergreens, holly (for the Goddess) and mistletoe (for the God, particularly that of the oak tree, the most sacred of all trees) are hung in and outside of the home, Yule trees, not all pagans or wiccans have one, but if they do, decorations include lights (usually white) and ornaments of the earth (pine cones, holly, cinnamon stick bundles, snowflakes, birds, animals) and sea (shells, sea glass), celestial bodies, the sun (God) and moon (Goddess), planets and stars.

Mistletoe was sacred to the ancient Druids and represented the winter solstice as a symbol of fertility. This symbolism over the years led to the kissing under the mistletoe in modern times.

Candle colors are red, green, white, gold, and silver and Yule incense can be bayberry, pine, frankincense, cinnamon and myrrh, or a combination thereof. I always add sandalwood, just because it's my favorite.

In the days of old, bonfires were lit across the countryside in merry olde England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, to stave off the darkness and any negative entities that might be traveling during the long night. Today, outdoor fires are possible in fire pits or in locations that are well tended until the embers die down, but more likely the fireplace will be a-burning.

As the glow from the fire, candles and Yule tree warm the heart and spirit (perhaps the “wassail” helps a bit with that, too!) Yule is a night for magical works. Divination is popular, and, because it is a solar festival, often small fires in cauldrons or those in a fireplace are used. Special homemade incense of bay, holly, juniper, mistletoe, cinnamon, bayberry and pine, mixed with herbs is scattered over the flames before the foretelling. In addition to fire, runes, tarot cards or tea leaves are used.

In this season of giving, friendship, love and light, here's a mulled cider (the wassail of modern times) recipe to serve at your celebrations — whether they be Yule, Christmas, or Kwanzaa.

Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again!

Mulled Cider

(From “Celtic Folklore Cooking,” by Joanne Asala, Llewellyn, 1998.)

• 8 cups apple cider
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• 6 inches of stick cinnamon
• 1 tsp. whole allspice
• 1 tsp. whole cloves (plus more for studding)
• 8 orange wedges, rind attached
• Cheesecloth

In a large saucepan, combine cider, brown sugar and nutmeg. Place cinnamon, allspice and 1 tsp. whole cloves in cheesecloth and tie with string.

Add spice bag to cider mixture, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for another five to ten minutes. Remove spice bag and discard. Serve cider in mugs with a clove-studded orange wedge in each.

Serve with cinnamon sticks, if  you wish.