Yule 2021

It was Yule/the Winter Solstice last Tuesday (21st December). I normally post on Sunday or Mondays but since Christmas was the weekend this year, I'm posting a bit later. :) 

As I mentioned in my Yule Round-up (also a Christmas baking post), my usual celebration is having a chocolate Yule log. I most often buy one, although occasionally I make them! This year's was from Marks & Spencer. I've had better ones  (the chocolate topping didn't taste that great, though the cake itself was quite nice), but never mind! I put two candles on top to represent the growing light after the shortest day. Here's a pic: 

I also lit a red candle. I usually have red and/or green, for Christmas as well, and this year I had a red one for Yule and green for Christmas. Here's a photo:

The mistletoe heart is one I knitted the other year. :)

 

I also made some hot chocolate in the evening, based on my favourite recipe for French hot chocolate. I used chocolate chips instead of chopped chocolate. You can see the recipe here: https://www.wellplated.com/french-hot-chocolate/

So now we're officially in winter! This was the final sabbat of 2021 and the next one will be Imbolg/Imbolc in February.  We've also just had Christmas. I'm planning to do a post about the brown butter pecan cake I baked for Christmas next week or the week after, and it will probably be a double one with my autumn-winter update as well. 

I'm not keen on this time of year, since I don't like the cold and winter can be quite dreary. But I try to enjoy every season. And it's good to have festivals to celebrate. :) This year has been better than 2020 in some ways (although not for everyone) but still quite hard. It does help me to think that the days will gradually get longer from now on. In my area sunrise is about 8.03am and sunset is 4.02pm at the moment. It's getting dark nearer 4.30pm now.

Hope you had a good Yule (or Litha for those of you in the Southern Hemisphere). Happy Winter (or Happy Summer!). :) Hope everyone also had a good Christmas or any other festival you celebrated. Happy New Year! :) 

If you'd like some New Year and winter inspiration, check out these posts:

New Year traditions and magic from Otherworldy Oracle: https://otherworldlyoracle.com/new-years-traditions-magic/

My Winter Round-up + Inspiration post from 2018: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/12/winter-round-up-inspiration.html 

More Winter Inspiration + Winter Tag (my post from 2019): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2019/12/more-winter-inspiration-winter-tag.html

Jazmine Reed-Clark (cupcakes and cashmere) shares how she copes with seasonal depression during the holidays: https://cupcakesandcashmere.com/series-stories/how-i-cope-with-seasonal-depression-at-the-holidays

How to really enjoy- and not merely survive- winter (Rain or Shine Mamma): https://rainorshinemamma.com/how-to-really-enjoy-and-not-merely-survive-winter/