December 15,1999
|)o>ftkuth (Dhevruvr---------------
Page 7
The winter solstice and the original meaning of C hristmas
BV
S a u . y M< S weeney
In current times, the Solstice is
resolutely linked with Christmas,
but this was not always so. We often
muse on the reasons for the tree, the
mistletoe and the identity o f Santa,
but the answers get lost in the hustle
o f activity. The m yths o f the
celebration are known deep within
us and even though we sing about
the 12 days o f Christmas, we know
little o f their beginnings.
The U niversality of Solstice
We have celebrated this festival for
nearly 2 millennia, absorbing the
changes o f the times and cultures it
has touched, yet at its heart is an
o ld e r, sim p le r m essag e th at
resonates in our souls if we take
time to listen - the message of
re b irth .
L o n g b e fo re
the
establishment o f Christianity, the
W inter Solstice in the season of
Yuletide (from the Norse “lul”
meaning Wheel) had been honored
as sthe dying o f the old year and
bringing in the new light, the
promise o f new beginnings and
remolding o f old ways. All over the
world, the rising o f the sun was
celebrated w ith fire, greenery,
restoration o f deity images. The
movement o f the earth around the
sun creates the solstices, when the 2
hemispheres o f the globe stand at
opposite extremes in relation to the
solar body. The word Solstice comes
from the Latin “sol stetit” sun stands
still - they divide the year into 2
halves o f light and dark, waxing
and waning. Throughout Europe and
the US, a number o f ancient sites
are oriented to catch the sun’s rays
as the Solstices; Stonehenge and
New Grange being the most famous,
and at C haco C anyon in New
M exico w here the shape o f 2
daggers o f light are created across a
spiral carved high on a cliff face.
Santa and St. Nick
The Christmas spirit known as Santa
(meaning spirit) was once the Pagan
god o f Yule; to the Scandanavians,
he was known as “Christ on the
Wheel”, an ancient Norse title for
the Sun God reborn at the Solstice.
In Russia, he wears a coat o f dark
fur, in France as Perre Noel his coat
is white, and as Father Christmas in
England, it is red. In Germany, he is
called Weinachtsmann and his coat
is often patched. He usually is
depicted with a sprig o f holly in his
hat which identifies him with the
Holly King o f the old year, and in
his hand, he carries a bundle of
birch twigs as does St. Nick. In
much o f Europe and particularly in
Holland, a holiday takes place on
St. Nicholas’ Eve, December 6.
St. Nocholas ofPatara, a 3rd century
bishop who was known for giving
to the poor, comes each year on a
magical ship, mounts a white horse
and visits each child. To those who
are good, he gives a gift and to those
who are not, he delivers a light
smack with a bundle ofbirch twigs.
Children set out a clog or a shoe
beside the fireplace containing some
hay, breaad and a carrot to reward
his horse, in the hope that a present
will be left. Presents are made rather
than bought, and disguised in well-
wrapped parcels each containing a
poem or riddle about the sender and
signed“St. Nicholas”. Therecipient
has to guess who sent what. The
idea o f Santa coming from the North
Pole is connected with the early
shams o f Lapland and Siberia who
also wore bells on their costumes
and climbed the central poles of
their tents above the fires to return
with gifts ofprophecy and wisdom.
Red was an important color in the
shamans’ costume - it represented
the life blood o f the tribe and fire,
the eternal light and warmth that
was the gift o f the shaman to the
people in those cold lands. The
reindeer o f our modem Santa were
also important to those original
peoples, as a source o f food and
clothing; it takes little imagination
to see how the character who
descends our chimneys, evolved.
The Holly and the Ivy
E v e rg re e n s
re p re se n t
the
continuation o f life during winter
and the bringing in o f the boughs
and trees ensure that same o f the
life o f the household through the
cold est and barren tim es. “A
Bayberry candle burned tot he
socket, brings food to the larder
and gold tot he pocket” .
The waxy, dark leaves o f the holly
are the symbol o f the
Holly King in his
w an in g
from
midsummer to Yule,
at which time he is
replaced by the Oak
King, the Sun God
o f the waxing year.
The words o f “The
Holly and the Ivy”
are very old in theme
and com pares the
various features o f
the ancient, sacred
tree to symbols o f
Jesus in an attempt
to replace the gods
o f the Old Religion
with that o f the new.
D e c o r a tin g the
Christmas tree
T he tra d itio n o f
decorating the tree - a miniature
version o f the World Tree - is a
custom which evolved from the pine
groves associated with the Great
Mother Goddess. The lights and
ornaments hung on the tree as
decorations are symbols o f the sun,
moon and stars as they appear in the
C osm ic T ree o f L ife. Sacred
presents - which evolved into whole
evergreen is found all over the world
and was made popular in England
again, by Queen Victoria’ s husband
Albert in 1841.
The earliest reports come from
Mesopotamia in 2000 B.C., where
beribboned branches were carried
in procession in honor o f the gods
and goddesses o f fertility and life.
In Rome, green branches were hung
with masks and flowers in honor of
Bacchus, the god o f wine. The first
written record o f a fir tree being
decorated comes from Riga. Latvia
in the year 1510. It was adorned
with paper flowers and a dance was
performed about it just before the
merchants set it ablaze.
The fairy at the top o f the tree, just
life Mary in the crib scene, is a Holy
Mother recognized in all customs
which also honor the Son. She offers
the greatest gift o f all, life everlasting
in the sacrificial offering o f him.
The star, or course, has a deep
c o n n e c tio n w ith p ag an ism ,
representing a unity o f all elements
plus Spirit. Pine cones were symbols
o f the Faeries o f the wild pine forests
o f Germanic countries and perhaps
it is for this reason that the first
made molded-glass tree ornament
in village o f Lauscha, was in the
shape o f a pine
cone. Along with
the acom, the pine
cone is a symbol o f
fertility and the
cycle o f rebirth. At
the turn o f the last
c e n tu ry
w hen
g la s s -b lo w n
ornaments became
the norm.
H an gin g
the
Mistletoe
The h an g in g o f
mistletoe over the
doorw ays in the
form o f the Kissing
Bough, is a favorite
tradition rich in
Pagan symbolism. It was considered
very magical by the Druids who
called it the “Golden Bough”. They
believed it possessed great healing
powers and gave mortal men access
to the Underworld. In Old Norse,
the name for mistletoe is Mestel-
tein; the suffix teinn links it to
German, Irish and Comish words
that all mean sacred tree and Hlauat-
tein means a piece of wood upon
which sacred runes have been
inscribed. The Green Branch o f
mixed evergreens was hung over
the lintel o f the door outside,
indicating hospitality ad was one o f
the oldest signs o f an inn. Candles
upon the boughs, in the windows
and on the tables would focus
attention upon the symbolism o f the
decorations and Jewish households,
(Please see ‘X -m as’ page 8)
THE LAST bhOLD SCHOOL GROOVE* OE THE
CENTUR/II
«0
Featuring D J . Michael Vance!
1 8 *, 1999
3 9 2 0 N. Kerby Ave.
•1 2 In « f e n m /t lS
Tickets on sale new at SB!!!!
A U
h
For m o to hrfa
Mo«,
i x e - i r s i x > i