Christmas Day

Today is Christmas, but only the first day of Christmas (what Norwegians would call 1. juledag, or "First Christmas Day"). 

This is the start of the twelve-day festal tide adopted by the Christian Church: In 567 C.E. church leaders proclaimed the days from December 25 to Epiphany as a sacred, festive season.

Now my preparations are finished, and I can relax with my family, do a puzzle, eat, drink, and generally wallow in joyful abandon. 

In some old traditions, this whole season was seen as a sort of Sabbath: Prepare ahead of time and then spend the Twelve Days doing as little work as possible. It's a good time to rest, reflect, and find peace within.

Agenda:
1. Open Gifts
2. Have a feast
3. Christmas pudding
4. Continue the Festal Tide

Christmas Eve

Tonight is Christmas Eve. In Norway, folks open gifts tonight, but we usually wait until Christmas morning. That means I have one more day to finish and wrap gifts!

Agenda Today:
1. Advent Prayers
2. Make Danish Prune Bread
3. Put Baby Jesus in the manger
4. Hang our stockings with care
5. Christmas Novena, day 9

4th Sunday of Advent

The fourth and final part of advent begins today. This is the day to take a deep breath and go back to the beginning, back to the spirit of love that brings me to this place of light and grace; back to living in the Spirit, and being Spirit. 

When I observe advent well, I find that I am now mostly prepared for Christmas- my house is fairly clean, shopping is almost finished, and the cupboards are filled with delectable food. I need to complete only a few finishing touches.

I need only to keep my focus on the Spirit of Love that guides me.

Agenda:
1. Awareness Walk
2. Deliver cookies to neighbors
3. Advent wreath ceremony
4. Plan ways to give attention to Light and Love
5. Christmas Novena, day 8

Full Cold Moon

Tonight is the Full Moon! The full moon of December is called the Cold Moon (for obvious reasons). Nature is resting now in preparation for the growing season, and so should I be. No matter how busy I feel, I can slow down, rest more, and pay better attention to the inner growing that is going on.

The turning point of solstice is past- the light born out of the darkness- but it's only the very beginning, not anything complete. I can feel my own tiny inner growing- a flicker of compassion, a butterfly of creativity, a sprout of wisdom.

Agenda today:
1. Journal queries
2. Update my altar
3. Practice at my theme of stillness
4. Mountain pose meditation
5. View the full moon
6. Christmas Novena, day 7

Winter Solstice

The winter solstice occurs this afternoon at 2:23 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the December solstice happens during the coldest season of the year, when the sun is at it’s lowest angle and is seen for it’s shortest period. This is the turning point, the moment of new beginnings- the darkest time, with the brightest hope. 

Many ancient solstice traditions are adopted and absorbed into Christmas festivities. I mark the solstice separately from- but linked to- Christmas. This is when I honor the sun, and remember that in spite of our technology, we are still dependent on the sun for life. Our world does revolve around the sun!

Agenda today:

1. Say a prayer of thanksgiving
2. Paint a plum tree calendar
3. Make Norwegian donuts
4. Christmas Novena, day 6
5. Solstice fire!

Yule and Mother's Night

Yule (Jul) is a midwinter festival that was celebrated by the indigenous Norse and Germanic peoples, and is still celebrated by pagans today. It begins on the night before the winter solstice.

Modern scholars believe that some kind of a winter solstice celebration was an important part of European traditions since at least 2400 BCE, and has been commonly recognized as Yule since before 1000 AD. 

Many of the customs associated with Christmas are borrowed from Yule rites and customs. Yule, as it is observed by neo-pagans, is the celebration of the rebirth of the Sun, and the beginning of the cycle of the year. The name Jul might mean “Wheel of Fire”.

Agenda:
1. Make little solar crosses
2. Have a bonfire and burn a yule log
3. Make a Mother's Night offering
4. Christmas Novena, day 5