My Yule

Yule Greetings to everyone. Decorating for Yule at my house is based on using items that are readily available to make Yule more about the joy of the season than the stress of making things perfect. I learned that elaborate does not make the holiday magickal. For me what makes the holidays magickal is the energy, the love, the light and pleasure of family and friends sharing time together. I shall endeavor to make my home shine this yule with pine boughs, pine cones, and loads of candles throughout. My one weakness is the Yule tree. It must be fresh cut, fragrant, and 6 ft. tall. This too is a family event, first it must be unloaded from the car and allowed to fall over and roll in the snow. Then after the required time standing outside the bottom is trimmed with me admonishing the trimmer to be careful, not take too much off and make sure the cut is straight. The normal rejoinder is “would you like to do this?” With a shake of my head I leave him to it. Now it is time to fit it into the stand, that means one of us must hold it while the other crawl around on the floor under the illustrious evergreen and make the adjustments and secure it. I tease the ever patient holder of the tree while I scoot around on the floor securing it, “never say you have not had a woman groveling at your feet since I do this every Yule”. He responds with a long suffering sigh.

Now we are ready for the part that I enjoy truly, lighting and decorating. We put up a very eclectic tree, most times we begin with all white lights. Then we place the ornaments, handmade stars, crescent moons, pentacles, traditional glass balls, old world Santa’s, crocheted snowflakes, ornaments that list children and grandchildren, ok so your get the idea. I choose one area of decorating to go all out and make everything else simple; the Yule tree is that area for me. I feel that it is normal for me to place my decorating focus there because for as long as I can remember the Yule tree was the focal point of our home during the Yule season. What really matters is that you let your joy in the season shine in all that you do. Enjoy yourself; enjoy your family and friends and give stress a vacation. Remember it is not about elaborate or perfect it is about family and love.

Wishing all of you a blessed, bright and peaceful yule full of love.