While it may be mostly Pagans and Wiccans who celebrate the
Yule holiday, nearly all cultures and faiths have some sort of winter solstice
celebration or festival. Because of the theme of endless birth, life, death,
and rebirth, the time of the solstice is often associated with deity and other
legendary figures. No matter which path you follow, chances are good that one
of your gods or goddesses has a winter solstice connection.
Ameratasu (Japan): In feudal Japan, worshippers celebrated
the return of Ameratasu, the sun goddess, who slept in a cold, remote cave.
When the the other gods woke her with a loud celebration, she looked out of the
cave and saw an image of herself in a mirror. The other gods convinced her to
emerge from her seclusion and return sunlight to the universe.
Baldur (Norse): Baldur is associated with the legend of the
mistletoe. His mother, Frigga, honored Baldur and asked all of nature to
promise not to harm him. Unfortunately, in her haste, Frigga overlooked the
mistletoe plant, so Loki - the resident trickster - took advantage of the
opportunity and fooled Baldur's blind twin, Hod, into killing him with a spear
made of mistletoe. Baldur was later restored to life.
Bona Dea (Roman): This fertility goddess was worshipped in a
secret temple on the Aventine hill in Rome, and only women were permitted to
attend her rites. Her annual festival was held early in December.
Cailleach Bheur (Celtic): In Scotland, she is also called
Beira, the Queen of Winter. She is the hag aspect of the Triple Goddess, and
rules the dark days between Samhain and Beltaine.
Demeter (Greek): Through her daughter, Persephone, Demeter
is linked strongly to the changing of the seasons and is often connected to the
image of the Dark Mother in winter. When Persephone was abducted by Hades,
Demeter's grief caused the earth to die for six months, until her daughter's
return.
Dionysus (Greek): A festival called Brumalia was held every
December in honor of Dionysus and his fermented grape wine. The event proved so
popular that the Romans adopted it as well in their celebrations of Bacchus.
Frau Holle (Norse): Frau Holle appears in many different
forms in Scandinavian mythology and legend. She is associated with both the
evergreen plants of the Yule season, and with snowfall, which is said to be
Frau Holle shaking out her feathery mattresses.
Frigga (Norse): Frigga honored her son, Baldur, by asking
all of nature not to harm him, but in her haste overlooked the mistletoe plant.
Loki fooled Baldur's blind twin, Hod, into killing him with a spear made of
mistletoe but Odin later restored him to life. As thanks, Frigga declared that
mistletoe must be regarded as a plant of love, rather than death.
Holly King (British/Celtic): The Holly King is a figure
found in British tales and folklore. He is similar to the Green Man, the
archetype of the forest. In modern Pagan religion, the Holly King battles the
Oak King for supremacy throughout the year. At the winter solstice, the Holly
King is defeated.
Horus (Egyptian): Horus was one of the solar deities of the
ancient Egyptians. He rose and set every day, and is often associated with Nut,
the sky god. Horus later became connected with another sun god, Ra.
La Befana (Italian): This character from Italian folklore is
similar to St. Nicholas, in that she flies around delivering candy to
well-behaved children in early January. She is depicted as an old woman on a
broomstick, wearing a black shawl.
Lord of Misrule (British): The custom of appointing a Lord
of Misrule to preside over winter holiday festivities actually has its roots in
antiquity, during the Roman week of Saturnalia.
Mithras (Roman): Mithras was celebrated as part of a mystery
religion in ancient Rome. He was a god of the sun, who was born around the time
of the winter solstice and then experienced a resurrection around the spring
equinox.
Odin (Norse): In some legends, Odin bestowed gifts at
Yuletide upon his people, riding a magical flying horse across the sky. This
legend may have combined with that of St. Nicholas to create the modern Santa
Claus.
Saturn (Roman): Every December, the Romans threw a week-long
celebration of debauchery and fun, called Saturnalia in honor of their
agricultural god, Saturn. Roles were reversed, and slaves became the masters,
at least temporarily. This is where the tradition of the Lord of Misrule
originated.
Spider Woman (Hopi): Soyal is the Hopi festival of the
winter solstice. It honors the Spider Woman and the Hawk Maiden, and celebrates
the sun's victory over winter's darkness.
source - paganwiccanabout.com
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