No matter which was you cut it and no matter how you celebrate it, there is no doubt that Yule is a time of year steeped in tradition. Some of this will be unique to your own family and some will be more generally known. Other symbols and motifs occur frequently and are either timeless or have been changed and appropriated in other ways over the years.
In this edition of The Folklore Podcast, creator and host Mark Norman examines some of the customs, traditions and beliefs surrounding the festivities of Christmas, Yule and/or the Winter Solstice (to name but three variations). From candles to trees, reindeer to mistletoe and Santa to Krampus, learn some of the ancient roots and origins of the imagery that endures to this day. You may be surprised by some of the history of your favourite Christmas symbols.
An electronic magazine supplement is available for this episode. Please click here to purchase the supplement, or here to become a patron of the podcast and receive all of our future supplements.
The listen FREE to this episode and subscribe for future and past shows, please use the player below.
The Folklore Podcast
New episodes released 1st and 15th of the month. Subscribe now to ensure you never miss an episode.
The Folklore Podcast will always be free, but costs a lot to run. A small voluntary donation will help us do more. Thank you.