How Did Vikings Celebrate Yule - The Winter Solstice?

Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com – Do you know that Nordic folks celebrated a competition just like Christmas lengthy earlier than they grew to become Christian? In fact, Norse Xmas was not the identical as our Christmas competition, however there are various similarities between these two traditions.

That is just because most enduring Christmas traditions grew from adapting current pagan rituals and reframing them with Christian ideas and practices.

Xmas Was A Pagan Midwinter Competition

Xmas comes from a 12-day midwinter competition celebrated by Germanic peoples. Within the northern hemisphere, the Xmas competition is round December 21. Contemplating that the winter solstice is the shortest day of the 12 months, one can simply perceive why this competition was so essential to folks residing within the Northern components of Europe. Throughout this era of the 12 months, the Solar may be seen for only some hours. In some components of the north, it could actually barely be seen in any respect.

To Vikings, Xmas was crucial competition of the 12 months, they usually actually celebrated all of it they may. When the chilly and darkish winter approached, Vikings knew it was time to be with family and friends and luxuriate in scrumptious meals and drinks. Raids and plundering had been not on the schedule.