Yule/the Winter Solstice is nearly here! This year it's on Wednesday 21st December. In the past I've written several posts with ideas for celebrating and last year I did a round-up linking to them (which also featured some baking ideas for both Yule and Christmas). During 2022 I've been writing posts sharing ideas and links for the sabbats rather than an in-depth post, so here is Yule's (the final one of the year).
Note: If you're in the Southern Hemisphere it's almost time for Litha aka Midsummer/the Summer Solstice. You might like my Happy Litha! post: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/06/happy-litha.html
Yule, also known as Midwinter and the Winter Solstice, is the final sabbat of the calendar year and is considered either the 1st or 2nd sabbat in the Wheel of the Year, depending on your viewpoint (as I've discussed in the 2018 and 2021 posts). I tend to think of the previous sabbat Samhain (31st October) as both the end of one cycle and the start of a new one.
Note: The Winter Solstice is the astrological event and Yule is the modern pagan name for the festival, but many people use both terms.
The Winter Solstice (which is always around 21st December) is the time of year with the shortest day and longest night in the Northern Hemisphere (the opposite of the Summer Solstice (also celebrated as Litha by pagans) in the Southern Hemisphere. The actual (scientific) time of the solstice this year is 9.48pm UK time (GMT). To find the time in your country visit this link: https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/winter-solstice.html
