Bah- Humbug!

Bah- Humbug...or Why I love Yule.

I don't come from a traditional lot. I also come from divorced parents. This meant that my festive season wasn't busting with twice the fun, just two lonely cynical people did crazy and sometimes drunkenly argumentative crap and I had to be the grown up.

No turkey for me. Sometimes it was pizza. Sometimes something gourmet (dependent on which parent I was with). The white synthetic nightmare (and probable fire hazard) that was our tree for a few years was the best of the trees I got (needles in the carpet) until I was old enough to get my own. Oddly my evil ex's whole family also sucked at Christmas. I mean at least they did the meal but they just brought a fully decked tree home from where they sold them. Everything was still fake,

I have fond memories of the huge trees in churches which I often did readings and sang in (ooh my little witch heart loved it). I loved the smell. The lights. There was and is something magick about all that green inside. There is a joy to this season, which ever holiday you celebrate that I love. "Sensible" "grown up" people bemoan it's faults (it IS hard work and pine needle DO get in the carpet) and miss the joy, numbing it with expensive gifts, (or massive amounts of alcohol) they miss the collective-ness, community and family, the magick.

Yule is awesome. 

Yule in particular for me is amazing, because we do the major "work" (the first feast, gifts and so on) days before. So while everyone else is running around stressed beyond measure I am mostly done. It is like finishing a test before everyone else. We tend to feast either just as a family or have friends or students eat with us. We tend to cook an evening meal (sooooo much easier than lunch) and have about 3 big meals over the season. Christmas day is "Dr Who and fishfinger sandwich day" unless we were looking after Pop's.... Mini witch gets a gift every day for two weeks. It is odd because you wold think "dragging" it out would make it more stressful but it doesn't. She can have a big gift on Yule or when we manage to get it. (Less pressure). If we have a fuck up of a meal, (not happened so far) we have a do over. Mini witch gets gifts and is grateful for every single one. There is no hierarchy because it all happens at once.

Our feasts are not just about food, but, ya know, YUM! There is something about coming together and eating. We ted to have ducks or pheasant (a goose if we have a lot of people). I also like getting smoked salmon and making a mouse to have with crusty bread and crisp leaves.

Part of me wishes we did Thanksgiving over here. To fill that gap between Samhain and Yule (now-ish) where it is cold and dark and unforgiving. I see why it creeps (it isn't about buying stuff). We want the sparkle, the light to remind us of the magick.

Mini witch and I make our tree decorations every years. We often make gifts for each other too. My BFF told me if I didn't my gifts for her as usual this years she would think I "didn't love" her anymore! Whether it is Yule-mas cake, or giant chili chutney jars, food hampers of spices and unique foods, paintings and poetry; making gifts started as a need but moved into a tradition.

So long as there is a tree, an orange pomander and sparkling lights, and each other it is a good Yule.

Oh I should mention the shop... buy stuff here...or don't!