Winter Holiday Traditions, Old and New

At this time of the year we decorate with strings of lights and wreaths, if we are cold we turn up the thermostat; if we are going out we put on our warm coats, gloves and hats. We go to the grocery store and buy our Christmas feast, we turn our ovens on in our nice warm houses and bake our Christmas goodies.  It was not so for our ancestors. This time of the year they lit fires for warmth and light, and wondered what the winter would bring.
Yet if one removes the trappings of  modern society we still wonder what the winter will bring. This is the season that mysteriously brings together death and birth. Death of the the old year, and the birth of the new,  the beginning of longer days on Dec 21 with the return of light.
In Ireland's case the Christian customs have blended over the centuries with the ancient customs associated with Alban Arthuan, the Festival of the Winter Solstice.
The date on which we celebrate Christmas is linked to the religions of the ancient Druids and Romans. At the time of the winter solstice on ancient calendars was December 25, as compared to the modern December 21-22.

Alban Arthuan

The winter solstice, observed on December 21, was the shortest day of the year. The name 'Arthuan' is interesting in relation to Arthurian legend, as King Arthur was believed to have been born on the Winter Solstice in Castle Tintagel in Cornwall.
Alban Arthuan ("The Light of Arthur"), also was referred to as Yule, Mabon, Jul, Saturnalia, or Christmas. This feast took place on December 21 and marked the longest, darkest night of the year. Alban Arthuan was a festival of peace and a celebration of waxing solar light. Many honored the forthcoming Sun child by burning an oaken Yule log, and honored the Goddess in her many Mother aspects. The Father God was also honored in various forms: as Santa Claus, the Old Sky God, Father Time, and the Holly King. It is said that the Horned God was born this night.

Alban Arthuan is also known as Yule, derived from the Anglo-Saxon "Yula," or "Wheel of the Year" and marked the celebration of both the shortest day of the year and the re-birth of the sun. Alban Arthuan was also believed to be a time of increased fertility. The custom of burning the Yule Log, the Yule-associated tradition that is most familiar to people today, was performed to honor the Great Mother Goddess. The log would be lit on the eve of the solstice, using the remains of the log from the previous year, and would be burned for twelve hours for good luck.
 Decorating the Yule tree was Decorating the Yule tree was also originally a Pagan custom; brightly colored decorations would be hung on the tree, usually a pine, to symbolize the various stellar objects which were of significance to the Pagans - the sun, moon, and stars - and also to represent the souls of those who had died in the previous year

To the Druids, it was holly's evergreen nature that made it special. They believed that it remained green to help keep the earth beautiful when the deciduous trees (such as the oak, which they also held sacred) shed their leaves. The holly berries were thought to represent the sacred menstrual blood of their Goddess. In addition to these uses, some ancient religions used holly for protection. They would decorate doors and windows with it in the hopes that it would capture any evil spirits before they could enter the house. In effect, it was used as flypaper for demons.
 So as you're hanging that holly wreath on your door, or placing it around the house this Christmas, think a little about the roots of this tradition. In addition to honoring your Celtic heritage and making your home look nice, you may also be performing the invaluable service of providing shelter to tree fairies and protecting your home from malevolent spirits
 According to Francis X. Weiser, in his Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs:
The Mistletoe was a sacred plant in the pagan religion of the Druids in Britain. It was believed to have all sorts of miraculous qualities: the power of healing diseases, making poisons harmless, giving fertility to humans and animals, protecting from witchcraft, banning evil spirits, bringing good luck and great blessings. In fact, it was considered so sacred that even enemies who happened to meet beneath a Mistletoe in the forest would lay down their arms, exchange a friendly greeting, and keep a truce until the following day. From this old custom grew the practice of suspending Mistletoe over a doorway or in a room as a token of good will and peace to all comers. [p. 104]

Alban Arthuan is a celebration of the return of the Sun, but its namesake is a bit more elusive. Alban Arthuan means the Light of Arthur. The most obvious answer would be Arthur, King of Camelot and head Knight at the Round Table. However since Soltice has been celebrated beforeKing Arthur was said to have existed, well into the BC era most believe it is after one of the ancient Gods.
What were the celebrations of the winter solstice in pre-Christian times, is nowadays mostly known as Christmas.

A Few Modern Winter Traditions from through out the Celtic Lands :

Little Christmas (Ireland):

Little Christmas, or NollaigBheag in the Irish language, is one of the
traditional names in Ireland and Italy for January 6, more commonly known as
the Epiphany. It is so called because it was, until the adoption of the
Gregorian calendar, the day on which Christmas Day was celebrated. It is the
traditional end of the Christmas season and the last day of the Christmas
holidays for both Primary and Secondary schools.

It is also known as NollaignamBean (Women's Christmas), so called because
of the tradition (still very strong in Cork, though only just surviving in
the rest of the country) of Irish men taking on all the household duties on
that day and giving their spouses a day off. Most Corkonian women will
either hold parties or go out to celebrate the day with their friends,
sisters, mothers, aunts etc. Bars and restaurants across Cork have a near
100% female clientele on this night. Children often buy presents for their
mothers and grandmothers and it closely resembles Mother's Day in this
respect

CANDLE IN THE WINDOW (Ireland):

Many homes in Ireland still today will show a lighted candle, or perhaps todaysequivilent, and much safer, electric lights, in the window of their home on Christmas Eve. This stems from the custom that to show a light in the window lighted the way of a stranger out after dark. It goes back to most ancient times, when the laws of hospitality were stronger and not abused. To have a light in your window on Christmas Eve to welcome the stranger meant that you were welcoming the Holy Family too. To have no light meant that you shared the guilt of the Innkeeper at Bethlehem who said, "No Room"!

PLYGAIN(Wales):

Plygain is unique to Wales, and fits well the nation of songsters. 'Plygain' means 'Cockcrow'. This service took the place of the Cockcrow Mass, or what we call, Dawn Mass early on Christmas Morning. Many of the carols and songs are very old indeed, and the music is pure polyphonic harmony, traditionally sung by men and without accompaniment. Though this is changing now.
During Christmas night, the women stayed at home, baking, and the men went off to their chapel and sang hymns, secular songs and read psalms and bible readings. During the long night the women also made 'Taffy' a treacle toffee, and played divining games. But that is the old tradition, probably dating back to the 17th century. In the 19th century there are accounts of women and children joining their menfolk at the Plygain service, and decorating the church with beautifully decorated candles (See Plygain in Monmouthshire Christmas).

MARI LWYD (Wales):

The Grey Mare visited houses throughout Wales well into the 1960's. Then it began to die out as another rough custom. The Men would dress in disguise, and accompany the Mare, which was a horses skull, covered with a sheet, bedecked with ribbons. This sheet would be long enough to cover the operator, who would click the jaws together by means of a wooden pulley.
The custom is ancient, and has its roots in other pre-christian customs. The ritual was that the group would visit each house, giving a challenge in verse, to enter the house and bring their luck. It was extremely unlucky to refuse the Mari Lwyd, but the clever householder could occasionally outwit and outverse the entourage in this challenge and answer game. It was carried on until one could no longer think of a good answer, then the Mari Lwyd either gave its blessing and went away, or was granted entrance. Once inside the group would entertain the household, in return for food and drink. The Mari Lwydwere some times called Mummers.

Luminarias(Spain and the New World) :

The tradition of lighting small bonfires, called luminarias, on La Noche Buena was brought from Spain to Old Mexico in the 16th century by Franciscan monks. They were set alongside roads and churchyards to guide people to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. This custom then traveled northward with the Spanish into what was to become New Mexico. This custom, which date back to the bon fires of our Celtc ancestors in Spain, is still alive and very popular through out the South Western U.S.

Black Bun (Scotland):

Originally Twelfth Night Cake. It is a very rich fruit cake, almost solid with fruit, almonds, spices and the ingredients are bound together with plenty of Whisky. The stiff mixture is put into a cake tin lined with a rich short pastry and baked.
This takes the place of the even more ancient Sun Cakes. A legacy from Scotland's close associations with Scandinavia. Sun cakes were baked with a hole in the centre and symmetrical lines around, representing the rays of the Sun. This pattern is now sometimes found on the modern Scottish Shortbread.

Hogmanay (Scotland):
The Scottish people have their big celebrations on New Year's Day, called Hogmanay. A long time ago there is a superstition that it is bad luck for the fire to go out on Christmas Eve, since it is at this time that the elves are abroad and only a raging fire will keep them from coming down the chimney.
There are many customs, both national and local, associated with Hogmanay. The most widespread national custom is the practice of first-footing which starts immediately after midnight. This involves being the first person to cross the threshold of a friend or neighbour and often involves the giving of symbolic gifts such as salt (less common today), coal, shortbread, whisky, and black bun (a fruit pudding) intended to bring different kinds of luck to the householder

These were just a few modern versions of old traditions, and is by no means a complete list. If you have other traditions you feel we should include, please contact us,and it will be included in an upcomming article.

NollaigShonaDuit!
Happy Christmas!