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Yule: A Celebration of Light and Warmth | 
 enlarge | Author: Dorothy Morrison
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $2.00
You Save: $12.95 (87%)
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Rating:  41 reviews
Sales Rank: 250573
Media: Paperback
Pages: 216
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.6
ISBN: 1567184960
Dewey Decimal Number: 394.261
EAN: 9781567184969
ASIN: 1567184960
Publication Date: September 1, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Shipping: International shipping available
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Those who yearn for spiritual meaning but aren't strongly affiliated with a specific religion sometimes feel left out of winter holidays. Yule is like a hot toddy for these chilled and isolated souls. From mistletoe to gift exchanging, Yule explores and exalts the pagan and regional roots to many of our contemporary rituals and celebrations. For example, lights were historically used to decorate winter homes in order to "frighten negative entities and urge the sun to shine," according to author Dorothy Morrison. Many people believe that Santa's reindeer "represent the stags that drew the chariot of the Norse gift-giving goddess, Freya." Beyond all the fascinating trivia, this is also a book that offers fresh approaches to old traditions, such as having a cleaning ritual that ceremoniously sweeps out the old and makes room for the new season or conducting a reverent "tree blessing" ceremony. Morrison also suggests numerous homemade crafts and gift ideas (many are suitable for children), inviting seasonal recipes (such as Yuletide Ambrosia and Dragon's Layer Cake), and a December calendar that lists traditions and rituals for every day of the month. --Gail Hudson
Product Description
There''s just something magical about the Yuletide season, no matter where you live or who you are. As bright candlelight mingles with the smells of pine and warm cookies and we perform our yearly rituals of song and family gatherings, the spirit of peace and goodwill seems to reach the heart of even the most cynical Scrooge.
In the pages of Yule, Dorothy Morrison presents a wonderful potpourri of holiday lore from around the world and throughout history, along with fun crafts, delicious recipes—even a calendar of celebrations for every day in December.
Learn where the traditions of the season originated—for instance, did you know that the ringing of bells was meant to drive away the demons who inhabited the darkest days of the year? That leaving cookies for Santa mirrors the old tradition of leaving a loaf of bread on the table overnight to bring prosperity in the new year? That the Yule log can be traced back to the ancient Greeks?
Need a recipe for wassail or plum pudding? Tips for your holiday party? Want to make the season special by making your own decorative crafts and gifts? That''s just a sampling of what''s inside.
Best of all, Yule shows that the spirit of the season is universal and, however we chose to celebrate and worship, we can all join together in the spirit of peace, love, and harmony at this special time of year.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 36 more reviews...
 wonderful September 15, 2007
H. Hawkes (AZ)
I really like this book. It will be very useful this Yule. Great craft ideas, blessings and stories. Wonderful for the whole family.
a treasured gift of celebrations May 23, 2007
Heather Froeschl (Callaway, Virginia)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
As Winter approaches every year, so too does the magic of Yuletide days. Children are filled with anticipation and wonder. All over the world people are celebrating and embracing their beliefs. More often than not, these celebrations involve candlelight in some way, and family gatherings.
What else do the traditions of the world have in common? Where do these traditions come from? Dorothy Morrison explains it all so clearly and with great warmth and respect for diversity, in "Yule - A Celebration..." Here, you will find answers to questions heard in households every December: "Why does Santa use reindeer to pull his sleigh?" or "Where do candy canes come from?" Do you know the origins of the Yule Log? Do you know why the Chanukah Menorah and the Kwanza Kinara hold eight candles?
The Winter Solstice - Yule - has been celebrated for four thousand years! It is a time of renewal and rejoicing, and it is a time to celebrate light overcoming the darkness. There are many historical lessons to be learned here and Ms. Morrison has created a well researched, thorough guide to the significance of the "holidays". Included, is a most wonderful calendar for the month of December in which every day is a festival or celebration around the world, and how you can incorporate these traditions in your life.
Enjoyable are the chapters on trivia, omens and superstitions. Inspiring are the chapters on preparing for the season, gifting, feasting and festing, with recipes and craft ideas. Most inviting are the chapters on creating personal traditions. The world is truly a wonderful mixture of beliefs and customs and no matter where of who you are, this guide to Yule is a treasured gift of celebrations. [...]
Get the whole series May 7, 2007
Zoom (Omaha)
Each Llewellen book has a cool introduction about the history of the holiday. I recommend all the sabbat books in this series - - they have a lot more information than in any individual sabbat book.
 Save your money! September 14, 2006
Kay Hayes (San Jose, CA USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This book offers more information about Santa Claus than it does the gods/godesses associated with the Winter Soltice. The craft projects are cheesey and the recipes terrible. Save your money and do a little research yourself and if you want recipes or craft projects pick up one of those special Christmas magazines for ideas you can adapt for a pagan holiday theme.
 It Could Have Been So Much Better August 8, 2006
Heather Fulkerson (Austin, TX)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
First off, let me point out that I have high standards when it comes to pagan books. I expect for my faith to be presented to the general public as something that should be taken seriously, not poked fun at. I realize that these may be high expectations, but nonetheless... The first chapter was funny to me because although I could understand where Dorothy was coming from in her explanation of the history of how Yule came to be I could almost hear the right-wing Christians raging on their pews. It was the way she explained it that seemed a bit of a stretch. On the other hand, I liked the way she presented the symbols of the season and where they originated. There were some good prayers. Also helpful to me were the recipes for the Yule Log Rolls and how to make a real Yule Log. Other than that I decided against purchasing this book. I'm hoping to find a concise book on Yule that digs deeper into the history and gives me a clearer picture of how people practiced Yule. (A NOTE TO EDITORS: If you are expecting to sell more pagan themed books of this kind, you need to start including full-color photos. If I am going to pay money for a book like this I want to see photos that go along with the recipes-what would a typical Yule table from 2006 look like for example?- and photos that go along with the craft projects. You cannot expect people to try the craft projects without knowing what they will look like.) This book is helpful for beginner pagans or nonpagans who just want a look at some fun history facts.
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