New Years Eve

 

Twelfth Night - December 31st

 The Twelfth Night, December 31st, brings the festivities to a close and is associated with Wassailing, the wishing of good health in song, and the drinking of wassail, a warm alcoholic concoction (which in more recent times has become a Christmas tradition of carol-singing and the drinking of mulled wine punch).

Twelfth Day of Christmas - December 31st

  On the twelfth day of Christmas,

my true love gave to me
Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!

 when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.

It means that the most obvious answer is usually right.

 It helps us stick to the truth. 

. When I hear hoofbeats, horses. I always think horses. Even when I shouldn't.

Things are not always what they appear to be. 

They're often an indicator of something bigger going on, deep underneath.

 Symptoms. Red flags. Warning signs. Things we should pay attention to. Things we shouldn't ever ignore. Things that are bad. Things that could really hurt us. 

Things that it might be just too late to fix.

 

Live your life without regret 

  Don't be someone who they forget

December 28 - Childermas - the Feast of the Holy Innocents

 On the ninth day of Christmas,

my true love gave to me
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

Observed on December 28 this year, the Feast of the Holy Innocents honors the memory of the infants who were slaughtered by King Herod following the birth of Jesus. Though the Holy Family escaped Herod's wrath by fleeing into Egypt, the innocent baby boys of Bethlehem fell victim to his manic fear of losing power.

Herod, the king of Judaea, watches as his soldiers slaughter the innocent children of Bethlehem in an attempt to kill the infant Jesus, whom Herod feared would eventually seize his kingdom. According to Boccaccio, 144,000 children were murdered.

The Gospel of St. Matthew tells the story of the Massacre of the Innocents. King Herod ordered the killing of all boys under the age of two born in the Bethlehem area, for the Magi had told him that a child destined to become the king of the Jews had been born in the city.

At one time, the day known as the Feast of the Holy Innocents or, alternatively, as Childermass, was considered cursed — "so much so," according to Francis Kildale's 1855 Glossary of Yorkshire Words and Phrases, "that the day of the week on which it falls is marked as a black day for the whole year to come."

On December 28th, Spain celebrates Día de los Santos Inocentes. This holiday, similar to April Fools' Day, encourages pranks and jokes, known as inocentadas.

This is one of the most popular and entertaining Christmas traditions in Spain. December 28 is the day when everyone is allowed to play practical jokes and when it is customary to buy prank items at Christmas markets like the one in the Plaza Mayor in Madrid.

Prayer: 

Dear Holy Innocents, 

you were treated with the utmost cruelty even before you were capable of understanding such cruelty. 

God permitted your suffering, and now He exalts you forever as the first witnesses to Him who shed your blood

Let us pray. O God, whose praise the martyred Innocents this day proclaimed not by speaking but by dying, put to death all vices within us, that Thy faith which our tongues profess, our lives also by their actions may declare.

December 27 - Feast Of St John

 St. John the Apostle  was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and traditionally believed to be the author of the three Letters of John, the Fourth Gospel, and possibly the Revelation to John in the New Testament.

The night of Saint John originates from Ancient Greece where they had multiple festivals to honor the god Apollo (the god of music), when they would celebrate the summer solstice, called “the door of men”. Later on, the Romans also adopted this tradition.

In Greece the festival was 23rd to the 24th of June 

 the feast of St. John, the Apostle, "whom Jesus loved." A beautiful custom is some old countries is the drinking of "St. John's love" on that day. Wine, blessed with a special blessing and prayers, is served in the home before the main meal: the father lifts the cup towards the mother.

Consider going to Mass on your saint's feast day as well and offer that Mass in thanksgiving for their intercession. Celebrate that evening with your family by serving a special meal or dessert and telling the story of the saint you are celebrating! Honor the saint and give thanks for the consolations they provide you

Boxing Day

 

The name comes from a time when the rich used to box up gifts to give to the poor. Boxing Day was traditionally a day off for servants - a day when they received a special Christmas box from their masters. The servants would also go home on Boxing Day to give Christmas boxes to their families.

Once Christmas Day is out the way the festivities do not end across the UK. The following day, known as Boxing Day, is a bank holiday with many families using it to extend the celebration and spend more time together. Taking place on Monday, December 26, the holiday has been officially celebrated since 1871

Saint Stephen's Day

 Saint Stephen's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Stephen, is a Christian saint's day to commemorate Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr or protomartyr, celebrated on 26 December

Saint Stephen was one of the first ordained deacons of the Church. He was also the first Christian martyr. The Greek word from which we derive the English word martyr literally means witness. In that sense, every Christian is called to bear witness to Jesus Christ, in both their words and their actions.

Christmas Day

 

Christmas Day

 

Every year, around the world, people celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day, 25 December. 

It's a day – and season – filled with Christmas carols, tree decorating, gift-giving and parties.

The "Calculation hypothesis", suggests that 25 December was chosen because it was nine months after a date chosen as Jesus's conception (the Annunciation): 25 March, the Roman date of the spring equinox. The hypothesis was first proposed by French priest and historian Louis Duchesne in 1889.

Although some evidence suggests that Jesus' birth might have occurred in the spring (why would shepherds be herding in the middle of winter?), Pope Julius I chose December 25. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival.

Santa is called "Noel" because the word comes from Old French "Noël," meaning Christmas, which itself derives from the Latin "natalis dies" (birth day) for Jesus's birth, linking the gift-giver directly to the holiday's meaning of "birth" or "nativity". This is seen in names like Père Noël (Father Christmas) in French and Papá Noel (Dad Christmas) in Spanish, uniting the figure with the celebration

According to Christian tradition, January 6 marks the day the three kings actually arrived in Bethlehem and signals the end of the Christmas celebrations.

Christmas Eve

 

  pain is the most important thing in the universes. 

Greater than survival, greater than love, greater even than the beauty it brings about. 

For without pain, there can be no pleasure. 

Without sadness, there can be no happiness. 

Without misery there can be no beauty. 

And without these, life is endless, hopeless, doomed and damned.

 Failure is an inevitability. 

Every scientist was told no, over and over. 

The ones we remember, the ones who changed our lives: the Curies, the Salks, the Barnards. They're the ones who wouldn't take no for an answer.

 Failure is inevitable. Unavoidable. But failure should never get the last word. 

You have to never take no for an answer and take what's coming to you. 

Never give in. Never give up. Stand up. 

Stand up and take it.

Winter Solstice - The Wild Hunt - 21st December

Across Central, Western and Northern Europe, the Wild Hunt is a well-known myth.

 A ghostly leader and his group of hunters and hounds flying through the cold night sky during the winter solstice, as the winds howl and the cold seeps through the bones

A Great hunting party of the gods across the sky led by Odin and his horse Sleipnir, who can leap incredible distances.

The hunters are generally the souls of the dead or ghostly dogs, sometimes fairies, valkyries, or elves. 

Seeing the Wild Hunt was thought to forebode some catastrophe such as war or plague, or at best the death of the one who witnessed it.

Herne

Like Cernunnos, the Celtic god often called the Green Man, Herne is a horned god associated with the Wild Hunt.

Artemis

Artemis, in Greek religion, the goddess of wild animals, the hunt, and vegetation and of chastity and childbirth; she was identified by the Romans with Diana

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Artemis is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. In later times, she was identified with Selene, the personification of the Moon.

Many of the traditional rituals honor the energy of rebirth, transformation, creativity, new beginnings, and the release of unwanted habits. During the Winter Solstice, we focus on what we would like to bring forth with the return of the light and our hopes and dreams for our highest expression.

One of the ways in which neopagans celebrate the Wild Hunt is by walking a route through the forest during the day, and then racing through the same circuit at night. If you can navigate it in time, you will be seen as having gained the trust of the wood spirits, and can cut down wood for their own use.

The Wild Hunt of Odin shows a hunting party of airborne horsemen who move across a dark sky. They are accompanied by ravens and owls and seem to emerge from clouds in the background. All horses are black except for one white horse at the front

Winter Solstice

 

Winter Solstice - December 21st

 

As winter approaches, the Northern Hemisphere prepares for the solstice on December 21 at 10:03 a.m. EST — the exact moment the Earth's axis tilts farthest from the Sun. 

This event marks the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

On this day, known as the winter solstice, the Sun in the sky is the farthest south and travels the shortest path through the sky. Therefore the day has the least daylight and the longest night.

Darkness lasts longer than any other night, making it a powerful moment in Earth's yearly journey around our star

Contemporary pagan and communities observe the Winter Solstice as Yule, emphasizing themes of rebirth, renewal, and the return of light. Rituals involve lighting candles, meditation, and acknowledging the cycles of nature.

Embrace deep jewel tones such as sapphires, and dark colours such as navy and black, which are reminiscent of the night sky that is the canvas for the glowing stars.

Winter solstice rituals focus on welcoming back light and renewal through traditions like lighting candles or bonfires, feasting, decorating with evergreens, creating altars, and practicing reflection or gratitude for the turning of the season from darkness towards longer days, with many pagan, Yule, Dongzhi, and Shab-e Yalda-inspired customs. Common practices involve bonfires, Yule logs, lantern walks, and symbolic release rituals, such as burning intentions for the new year

The Winter Solstice spiritually signifies the rebirth of the sun, a turning point from darkness to increasing light, symbolizing death, rebirth, and renewal, making it a powerful time for deep reflection, letting go of the old, and setting gentle intentions for the future's growth, honoring cycles of rest and resilience. It's a cosmic pause for introspection, honoring the Earth's rhythms, and welcoming new beginnings with hope, often marked by light rituals

Midwinter is the middle of the winter. The term is attested in the early Germanic calendars where it was a period or a day which may have been determined by a lunisolar calendar before it was adapted into the Gregorian calendar.

In the Norse tradition, the Winter Solstice celebrated the rebirth of Sol (the sun god) with offerings to Freyr (the god of fertility)

To celebrate the Pagan Winter Solstice (Yule), focus on welcoming the returning light with warmth, reflection, and nature, through activities like lighting a Yule log/candles, feasting on seasonal foods, decorating with evergreens (holly, ivy, mistletoe), creating an altar, setting intentions for the new year, and connecting with ancient traditions like honouring ancestors or nature spirits