Deck the Hall with Boughs of Holly! In ancient times in Britain and northern Europe, the great hall of the manor house or the farm would be hung with greenery befitting the season, the season being Yule. This winter celebration derives from Germanic pagan practice. It was later co-opted into Christmas tradition, when the church moved its date to December. Yule - a time of warmth, jolliness, feasting and stories by the fire, extending from mid-November to the New Year. The association of holly with winter celebrations almost certainly pre-dates Christianity. Druid priests wore holly wreaths on their heads. Old Man Winter is often depicted wearing a holly wreath. The Yule Log was a huge tree trunk, placed endwise into the hearth. Once the fire was started at one end of the log, it would be moved into the fireplace day by day, until it finally burned out. it is possible that the twelve days of Christmas derived from the length of time a good sized tree-trunk would take to burn completely! Each year, the fire was lit with a remnant from the previous year’s log, signifying the circling of the seasons. Montrealer Julian Neel presents Deck the Hall in three-part harmony! https://youtube/watch?v=AhsZ2hUBais
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 02:22:12 +0000
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