As I am preparing to acknowledge and celebrate the Winter Solstice again, for the 2nd time, I’ve been watching a bunch of YouTube videos on the subject so I get an idea on how this was done historically as well as what people are doing now.
It’s very eye-opening, how many beloved Christmas symbols and practices actually arose from earlier religious practices and were neatly folded into the Christian celebration of Christ’s birth (spoiler: most probably didn’t happen on December 25).
For instance, the following arise from pagan traditions, and were co-opted by Christians:
- “Christmas” colours – red, green, gold, silver
- Yule log
- Wassailing
- “Christmas” tree
- “Christmas” lights and candles
- “Christmas” wreath
- Hanging of mistletoe
Don’t get me wrong. I am not knocking Christmas. I grew up with this holiday and have many fond memories of magical Christmases with family and friends. But I’m at a stage in my life where Christmas is more a remembrance of those I’ve lost and as such, more reflective and less celebratory. It’s just not the same anymore. I don’t have any little people in my life right now – and may never have and that’s OK – so Christmas is no longer all that and a bag of chips, for that reason either.
(Plus I’m not a Christian so there’s that. I guess you could say I grew up as a cultural Christian, rather than an observant one. Historically, the Christian religion has only brought strife, division and pain to my immediate family… only my one sister has found any solace in it.)
But celebrating the Winter Solstice really resonates with me. I am becoming more and more tuned to the natural world once again so marking the shortest day of the year and welcoming a new solar year just makes more sense for me than a Christmas or New Year’s holiday celebration.
So I’m busy working on my intentions for the Solstice, and also learning what I can about this ages-old tradition of humans (especially those from northern Europe – the bulk of my genetic background) marking this special time of year.
This week, I was watching a cute video in which a guy played himself and a long-lost Viking explaining how to celebrate Yule. Video ended and I dove into my journal to write some thoughts down. Meanwhile, YouTube cued up and started playing another video (as it does) that I had not selected to view. In it, a cute little 20-something blond girl (hair in a braid, even) is discussing the myths of Santa Claus, etc. Innocuous, right?
Wrong! This video, produced by something called Red Ice TV, quickly devolved into a neo-Nazi, white supremacist rant about how us (Us? Not sure I want to belong, now) “hard-working, resourceful Northern Europeans” have had our culture appropriated by “lazy southerners” (Huh? Code for people of colour and Jews, I think) and we need to take back Yule traditions and make Christmas WHITE again. (Which doesn’t make sense, I know, but that’s what little Miss Hitler said.)
HOLY SHIT! I couldn’t have been more shocked if the video had turned into some wild porn orgy instead. In fact, I could have handled that a lot better than what I saw and heard.
I can’t stop thinking about it and that stuff like that exists on Ye Olde Interwebs, to infect people’s minds with hatred. I mean, I knew intellectually that fake news and hate speech exists in cyberspace. I had just never searched it out or come across it in any way until this week.
And now I feel so dirty.
I’m not going to link to the offensive video, as I don’t want it to get any more views than it already has.
All I can say is: Be careful out there, gentle readers – I’d hate for you to come across vile filth like this.
Stay safe, and rock on,
The WB
Honestly, I was intrigued by your post’s title and then horrified to learn what it was about. Coincidentally, I acquired a new follower, who, upon investigation, turned out to be a misogynist and the post I read was so woefully ignorant and horrible that I wanted to quit the blogosphere. The internet can be a shocking place sometimes.
On the upside, way to reclaim Yule! To the comment that I so frequently see “Jesus is the reason for the season” I say, nope. You can thank the pagans for that one. You can thank the Christians for cultural appropriation! 😉
Thank you Susanne! I had a similar experience when I went to check out someone who had liked a post of mine. *Shudders* to think of what and who are out there behind their keyboards!
Happy Solstice! I call myself an agnostic and for a good reason. I have lived with a judgemental Christians all around me all of my life. Granted, there are many “degrees” of Christians just as there probably are different degrees of any belief system. I’ve seen some of those Neo-Nazi people on various politic sites trying to ‘white wash’ Christianity for themselves and they are scary people. I absolutely HATE people who say there is a war against Christmas. I wrote about one I ran into for my Wednesday blog. You could talk until your blue in the face trying to get people to see how much of the holiday traditions have nothing to do with the church and have everything to do with trying to mesh the early church into pagan festivals but they won’t believe you.
Quite right Jean! I’ll always remember a wise therapist who told me to stop wearing myself out speaking reason with unreasonable people; logic with the illogical; sense with the senseless…I could go on!
I loved your post! So right on….the whole ‘war against Christmas’ has either had me steaming or laughing and this gives context and thought. Thank you – and Happy everything.
Thank you, and happy everything to you as well!
Religion has caused so much killing and hatred over millennia that I’d be glad celebrate the Winter Solstice and the changing of the seasons with all the harmony in nature that man so often tries to destroy.
That’s the way I feel about it too Mary. Thanks!
*Shudders to think of what and who are out there” is so true! I’ve had a bunch of new followers recently who do not seem to be connected to any of my regular sites, or to anyone I know. I was suspicious (but too much of a lazybones to investigate further). Now I am even more suspicious!
I so wanted to leave a comment expressing my disgust after inadvertently watching that video, but then I had a vision of being harassed on my blog by a bunch of Nazi trolls so self-preservation prevailed.
Wise choice!
This started off so nicely – winter solstice, pagan practices, Christmas … and then it went sideways in a landslide. Yikers … I’ve never encountered one of these white supremacist rants and I hope I never do. What a rude way to rock you off your jolly.
I’ll be celebrating the winter solstice again this year – outdoors, sitting around the fire pit with an adult beverage in hand and a warm blanket, welcoming the new year of light. If you were closer I’d say, please join us! Merriment is meant to be shared 🙂
Happy Winter Solstice, Badass!
Thanks Joanne. Someday I may take you up on that 😉. It’s a work day for me, and probably a long one as farmers want to get their tests done before the holidays. But I’ll get home eventually, and sit in front of my pseudo-fire with an adult beverage also! Happy Solstice to you as well, Blaze!
😁😁😁
What a terrible surprise you had, Deb. I can’t imagine your horror when you heard the content of little Miss Hitler’s message. *shudders* I celebrate Christmas and I’m a Christian – so I keep up with not only the pagan rituals – trees, wreaths, etc. but also the religious significance of the advent season. I’m sorry you’ve had a bad experience with Christianity within your family unit – there are so many within our faith who misinterpret the true message. Happy Solstice to you! I rather enjoy the dark days and today it is snowing – so lovely and I’ve no place to go. I’ll wrap my day in coziness!
Thank you Molly! I do know a few Christians who I really admire for walking the talk, truly. They tend to be those who very quietly go about living and working their faith, which makes me even more cynical about the rest. I wish there were more quiet ones. Merry Christmas to you, so-not-shallow Molly!
Thank you, Deb. You are so right about the many Christians who live their faith. Unfortunately, I see the press is more than happy to publicize the ‘nuts’ out there who are misinterpreting the message and acting like buffoons. I believe they are the minority that hurt the rest of us. Yes, you are on to me – I’m not-so-shallow. Haha!
I’m sorry you encountered that, and I hope you reported the video.
I love hearing about people’s traditions, so I’m glad you’re sharing what the solstice means to you.
Oh dear, I don’t know how to report it to YouTube. But I’ll investigate. The really sad thing too, is that this channel has 26K subscribers. 😒
OK, so I tried to report this to YouTube but it didn’t meet their conditions so I couldn’t check off a box and get any further than “hateful” – none of the types of “hateful” applied. No violence, terrorism, infringing of my rights, harming of children and animals etc. And it’s not 26K subscribers, it’s 281K!!!! Gawd, I really feel like I need a shower now…
I’ve been contemplating how to celebrate the Winter Solstice….I feel called to do that this year. Personally I like that the Christian celebration of Christmas is linked to the Winter Solstice. I, however, recognize that the solstice came first and Christmas took on many of the elements. 🙂 I am looking forward to more light coming into our world…in many ways.
You and me both, Pat! Let’s look forward to more light and less darkness for 2019.
Oh dear! What a scary experience. The deliberate targeting of a festive tradition ( no matter which origins you prefer), as a propaganda advertisement for white supremacists. Indeed it is scary. Clearly, there are such stuff out there. Can you report it somewhere? Lodge a complaint?
I tried, but the content doesn’t meet YouTube’s criteria for reporting so I couldn’t get so far as lodging a complaint. Freedom of speech means freedom to publish this crap, I guess.
Ah! Freedom to pollute minds with rubbish! I guess it is a free society, although Youtube doesn’t seem to be that interested in facilitating social responsibility! Perhaps they mean to make it difficult to complain? Is there any other way to contact them?
Well, given how easily people are offended these days, I can understand why YouTube won’t allow reporting unless certain criteria are met. Which this video did not meet.
True enough. I guess it would take a lot of respurces to respond to every person’s objections.
Deb, isn’t the hate and evil in the world horrible? And isn’t it so painful to realize that those who profess religion can perpetuate such hatred? And isn’t it amazing how some can stay so stuck in ignorance that they can’t see the forest for the trees – even trees with lights that were co-opted from pagan ritual. 🙂 I hope you enjoy your celebration of Winter Solstice (which happens to be one of the biggest celebrations in some parts of China – even more than the Lunar New Year) — may the turn of solstice bring new beginnings, fresh awareness, and peace.
Thank you Janet! Yes, I find it painful to have to deal with hypocrites, especially religious ones. And when they incite hatred against other groups – well, that is beyond comprehension. And even more so that these people have followers. How can humans be so blind?
I’ve been so busy “Grinching” the last few years I’ve overlooked the idea of celebrating Winter Solstice. What a good idea! Thank you! It’s tomorrow!
I hope you celebrate, Tracey! Thank you!
I’m with you about Christmas. I wouldn’t celebrate it, if my wife didn’t like it so much. But the solstice has both literal and symbolic meaning. It literally signifies the return of longer, warmer days, while symbolizing the renewal of life. Simple, yet ingenious.
As for White Supremacists, I once considered them to be a joke. But after our country elected one president, I’ve stopped laughing.
Thanks TG. Yeah, I’m not laughing either 😔
Deb, I celebrate Christmas as a cultural rather than a religious tradition. However, as I have been ranting lately, I am not happy with the huge emphasis on material consumption that marketing departments and corporations have attached to Christmas. It is especially anachronistic now that we truly understand the negative impact on global sustainability of our excessive, wasteful consumer ways.
Celebrating the return of the light? Well that certainly is something to celebrate in northern countries like ours!
Jude
Thanks for the comment, Jude. I had a roommate this fall who identified as a “cultural Jew” rather than a religious one. This was a new concept for me, to identify as being, and having grown up as a “cultural Christian”. Which I guess I always have been – I just didn’t realize there was a label for it. But now I don’t want to be THAT even, for the same reasons as you mentioned: the emphasis on consumerism AND the underlying hypocrisy of Christianity as it is practiced by most, especially the far right.
Admit it. Your are not a Widow Badass…you are a Witch.. Oh and I mean that in a good way. I have also stumbled upon that video. Ridiculous.
Thank you Keith! I take you calling me a Witch as a wonderful compliment. 😁