The end of the calendar and the beginning of the cold, dark, and barren season of Winter signalled a fearful and challenging time for people throughout most of human history—but especially to those living in the far north of the world, where mere geography made the season that much colder, that much darker. Indeed, in Anglo-Saxon society, age was spoken of not in 'years' but in 'winters': "She is five winters old….He had seen many winters before he fell."

So it is little surprise that this time of year has always excited man’s imagination across the wide spectrum from despair to hope. This dichotomy, this pair of complementary opposites, is everywhere celebrated or at least acknowledged by custom. Just look at the two-faced Roman god Janus, looking at once behind and ahead, who gave his name to the month of January.

Old/new, death/life, good/evil—all are part of human existence, and their inclusion is an area of commonality between England's and Germania's two main historical celebrations at the end of the year: pre-Christian Yule/Jól/Jul, and Christian Christmas. Let's take a look at a few end-of-year customs or ideas that were the occasion of a relatively happy blending between Yule and Christmas. (We'll count down to increase the suspense!)

12. The Tree

In the running for the most popular Winter tradition today, the Christmas tree augments houses everywhere with (if it's real) the fresh smell of pine and lots of annoying little needles, and (real or not) lights, ornaments, and symbols of whatever is important to the household.

Yule: People in northern Europe used to leave offerings to the gods under trees—usually a particular tree considered sacred.

Christmas: Allowed to continue in modified form, this custom involved moving the tree inside, and became an opportunity to hang symbols of Christ on a tree—sort of a happy Yuletide to celebrate the reason for Christ’s birth: another hanging on another tree (the cross).

11. Santa Claus

Coming from various sources, the tradition of a father figure dispensing gifts has myriad names: Santa Claus, Sinter Klaas, Father Christmas, etc.

Yule: In Germanic pagan beliefs, it was thought that Odin (= Woden, Wotan) would ride his eight-legged horse Sleipnir and deliver presents to his followers at Yule. One description of him has a "big, busy beard and a green cloak trimmed with fur".

Christmas: The name Santa Claus comes from Dutch Sinter Klaas, a shortened form of Saint Nicholas. The historical St. Nicholas of Myra was a fourth-century bishop from what is now Turkey. He was particularly known for his generosity to the poor, and even today, many families celebrating gift-giving not on December 25th, but on December 6th, the Feast of St. Nicholas.

10. Food

No celebration is complete without great food! Both Yule and Christmas have been the occasion for the creation of great seasonal foods (check out, for example, Anarane Burgundian’s Yule Shoppe.)

Yule: To pick one food among many traditions, Scandinavians held a procession to sacrifice a wild boar to the god Ing (=Frey) at the heathen temple in Uppsala. Some Norse believed they could gain the strength and tenacity of the boar by eating its flesh.

Christmas: Aside from the many foods at family dinners, the most important Meal for the Christian is the Mass, where it is also believed that consuming the body of Christ confers the spiritual life of Christ Himself. For this reason, Mass is the highlight of the Christian celebration of Christmas.

9. Drink

Ditto the previous item's comment about no celebration being complete without it. In fact, the tradition of concocting special winter drinks is so well blended between Yule and Christmas that I’m not even separating them here. But consider these: Sanniklaus, called the strongest beer in the world (27 proof), and Julmust, are both Swedish types of beer brewed only during Yuletide. It was believed that ale brewed during Yule possessed magic powers, so it would be brewed in large quantities and saved for throughout the year. Today, aside from the powers of alcohol, there is definitely something about the season that has the power to show the heights the human spirit can rise too.

8. The Ride / Hunt

Yule: Held on December 26th, this was an ancient Swedish custom where young men would don straw costumes and paint their faces black, and were led away, often to a river or other water. This Wild Ride or Wild Hunt symbolized the dispersing of evil spirits.

Christmas: This custom was redubbed "St. Stephen’s Ride" St. Stephen was the first Christian martyr, and the Christian scriptures make a point to mention that in attendance at his stoning was Saul, famous for later hunting down Christians until his own conversion and name change to St. Paul. The Christian Church used even little opportunities like this to help people remember what they’ve been taught. The black face-painting can be seen on Sinter Klaas' helpers in the Netherlands.

7. Bells

This is another example where the Yule and Christmas traditions blended so smoothly, it's difficult to distinguish the two. Traditions of bell-ringing exist in most if not all Germanic countries. At first performed to ward or scare off evil spirits, their beautiful metallic quality is often used to represent the brilliant but non-human beauty of angels, as well as at the most important times of the Mass.

6. The Solstice

Yule: The 21st of December began the 12-day celebration of Yule, and on this night merry celebrations were begun with singing, feasting, and ceremony. This night was also called Midwinter.

Christmas: In Christian times the preparation for Christmas that Advent began came to a greater intensity on the 21st, which is the Feast of St. Thomas. Perhaps an appropriate association that the apostle of Christ known for having his doubts and weak faith strengthened ("Doubting Thomas") should be remembered and celebrated at the beginning of this season of dichotomy, of light and darkness, of fear and hope.

5. Gifts

Yule: Germanic society was a sociey of gift-giving, even outside of Yuletide, but it was a crucial feature of Yule celebrations especially. Here again we see meaning in the pagan belief in Odin's Yuletide ride to give gifts to his followers. What is more, Odin also was thought to listen secretly to the conversations of people near campfires during Yule to see if they were happy. Also, during this season some Norwegians leave food and drink for the 13 Jólasveinar, spirits who were believed to bring harvest: each day of Yule another arrived to bring gifts. Finally, it was believed that the more presents one gave during this season, the better and more fertile the coming year would be.

Christmas: Christians also believe in the value of giving and self-sacrifice, primarily as exemplified in their Savior. Moreover, both the feast of St. Nicholas on the 6th and the feast of the Epiphany (when the wise men arrived to present the baby savior with gifts) are also natural occasions of gift-giving, and it is likely that gift-giving as a custom became associated with Christmas, which was surrounded by these two feasts.

4. Light

Light is a symbol of hope, of clarity, of strength, and of passion (fire).

Yule: Fires were lit at this time in honor of Thor, who by some reckonings was the head Germanic god (others had Odin at the top). Also the Yule Log was lit and kept burning throughout the season, perhaps as a symbol of continuity in the midst of a season of change.

Christmas: Light of course was always used as a symbol of Christ, and most societies and religions place great symbolic meaning to light.

3. Mistletoe

Yule: Mistletoe was a plant revered by the Celtic Druids, especially when found on oak. For its significance in the Germanic pagan tradition, check out this answer to the latest Germanic Trivia question.

Christmas: For a while mistletoe was forbidden on Christian altars since it was seen as not complementary but a a distraction to the Christian celebration and a reversion to pagan beliefs.

2. Twelve Days

Both pre-Christian Germanic Yule and Christian Christmas last 12 days.

Yule: Remember the Jolasveinar? (Hint: see #5!). Not only did Yule last throughout their arrival, but notice the cumulative effect: Each day is not just a different Jolasvein, but each of the previous are present as well.

Christmas: The English Christmas carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas", composed as a symbolic way to remind children of various points of doctrine (more information here), also shows this cumulative effect. Both of these serve to show the overabundance and generosity from above that the various traditions celebrate.

1. "Look Both Ways Before You Change The Calendar!"

In the history of human society and religion, everyone has a new year's celebration. But few, if any, have deemed it healthy to look only forward, or only backward. Don't let the significance of this be lost on you: The best way to go forward is with knowledge of where you've been. And crucial to making progress in virtue involves recalling that one is capable of evil and working against it.

Yule: The comments above about opposites fit right in here: Yule was at once a commemoration of the dead, a warding off of evil spirits, and a festival of fertility and life. The ending of the old year and beginning of the new were seen as a perfect time to celebrate the death and life of one’s family, nation, and nature itself.

Christmas: The Christian version of this takes it a step further and invites the Christian to look at the death and life within himself: death from sin and life from grace, whose availability is the central religious element of Christmas. And the Church's liturgical year itself doesn’t begin on January 1st—it doesn’t even begin with Christmas. It actually begins its new year a month earlier, giving its faithful a whole month to prepare for the many significances of the coming celebration—both natural and religious.

Want more? Check out the following links, where most of the above information was gleaned:

http://www.geocities.com/reginheim/holidays.html

http://www.allinfoaboutenglishculture.com/christmas-a.html