Heyyy witches! Happy Solstices to you all! I had wanted to get this blog out sooner but losing power really set me back. Better late than never? It’s not all I had planned but maybe next year! I hope you enjoy! There are so many wild and fun winter solstice traditions I wanted to cover some. The winter solstice is so much more creepy than the fall. Not all are creepy though, some are sweet and there’s one thing for sure about humanity we love a good story, eating and a great party.
I’ll start with Mari Lwyd! This is a wassailing tradition dating back to the 1800s from South Wales. During winter celebrations a group of men would follow a leader who would be dressed in a horse skull and sack. They would visit homes and sing songs asking for admittance. This singing battle of verses was called pwngco. The home owners would sing back as to why they couldn’t enter. The song went back and forth until they earned the right to enter. Interestingly, some of the followers also had roles, specifically the well known Punch and Judy. Judy carried a besom and once inside would run around “dusting.” They would neigh and stomp to scare children and sang for drinks, treats and to basically cause havoc. Mari Lwyd is thought to mean grey mare. The followers were often called Yule Lads or just Lads and they transition us into the next fun story!
A song example:
Wel dyma ni’n dwad (Well here we come)
Gy-feillion di-niwad (Innocent friends)
I ofyn am gennad (To ask leave)
I ofyn am gennad (To ask leave)
I ofyn am gennad i ganu (To ask leave to sing)
— A common opening to the pwngco.
Hutton 1996, p. 83.
From Iceland comes the giantess, Gryla and her 13 sons, referred as the Yule Lads! They are out to get disobedient children. Although the Yule Lads tend to be portrayed as mischievous, their mother was said to eat the naughty children in her cave in a gruesome stew. (Be good kids.) She has three husbands and is the proud owner of the Yule cat.
Jólakötturinn, or Yule Cat, is a giant cat in Icelandic lore that eats people who are not dressed for the cold. So people gift warm weather gear to be safe.
Krampusnacht is December 5th in Germany. On this night St. Nicholas and his good friend Krampus head out into night to visit all the children. The good kids receive gifts from St. Nicholas and the naughty ones get a visit from Krampus. Some versions say Krampus eats the bad kids, while others say he steals them in a sack. Unfortunately for the naughty he beats them with sticks. Better watch out, better not cry, better not pout I’m telling you why… Krampus doesn’t fk around.
Next up on the winter of terror list is Frau Perchta. Also known as the belly slitter or Christmas witch, of German lore. She’s often depicted as the female Krampus. Much like Krampus she goes after naughty folks but mostly lazy people. She cannot stand a dirty house and she travels with a knife in her dress, and she uses it on those she deems slovenly. She’s a witch, she’s a goddess I have seen both. She can look like a crone or, interestingly, Frigg and she rides in the Wild Hunt with her army of Krampus like minions. Her night is January 6 so get cleaning. She may actually be more scary than Krampus.
The Indo-European pagan Yule Goat, Julbocken, was made to worship the spirit of the harvest. It was made with the last bit of grain harvested. In 1966 a giant one was created in Sweden and an arsonist burned it down. To this day, it is still a tradition to build and burn a giant hay goat to the ground.
In UK lore the Holly King, who brings us the dark cold of winter and introspection, he will end his reign at the spring equinox. In his place his brother, the Oak King will rule. The winter queen sleeps but she will awaken for spring in the form of a maiden. She rules with both.
The Holly King is very Santa like in appearance and the wisest of the two brothers. They represent dark and light, death and renewal. The scariest part about this is the wife sharing and the fact they have to unalive each other every year to start the seasonal cycle over.
From here things start to get much nicer. The worst thing here on out is the evil spirits who emerge with the darkness. In Italy, La Befana is a goddess/witch who rides around the world on a broom at the solstice. She leaves candies and presents for good children. Putting a rag doll in her likeness by your front door or window invites her to enter your home.
The Festival of Chaomos was a Pakistani celebration where the Kalasha or Kalash Kafir people observed a purification ritual of baths. (Sounds wonderful honestly.) There would be singing, dancing, bonfires, feasting and a torchlight parade. This lasted 7 days and in this time the demi-god Balomain would pass through the Kalash region collecting prayers.
YALDĀ NIGH is celebrated in Iran (Persian) and other historically Iranian-influenced regions. The longest and darkest night of the year, SHAB-E YALDA, is a time for friends and family to gather together. They eat, drink and read poetry all night. Fruits, nuts are eaten and pomegranates and watermelons are particularly significant. A lamp is kept lit all night to chase away evil spirits in the darkness. The red color in these fruits symbolizes the crimson hues of dawn and glow of life. It was also seen as the birth of Mithra, the god of the sun.
Chinese and other East Asians celebrate the Dongzhi Festival on or around December 22. This is also the first day of the Dongzhi solar term. Yin and Yang philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos are a large part of this as the battle of dark and light trying to find balance. Families gather and per usual party. Ancestor and heaven worship is also an important part. There is a legend that says if you eat dumplings on Dongzhi your ears won’t get frostbite and fall off.
Toji is celebrated in Japan and much like other places the light and sun is honored. Citrus fruits are eaten and foods with the “n” sound because it will give you good luck. Also foods of the last harvest. Welcoming the sun, gathering, eating and purifying in hot baths called yuzu are some familiar practices.
Worldwide the celebration of winter solstice has such common themes. The evil rising in the darkness and the sun worshiping to chase them back with lessons like be good, get your work done, wear nice cloths and dress for the weather. I hope you all have a wonderful Winter Solstice!
