How To Create The Magic Of Christmas?
During the holiday season, we are promised a "magical" or "enchanted" Christmas. But these overused expressions, typically used for advertising purposes, risk making us lose sight of the true meaning of this celebration. We will reveal to you the ingredients to create the true magic of Christmas, far from the commercial aspects of this holiday.
Return to the origins of this celebration.
People who practice Wicca know it well: witches do not celebrate Christmas but Yule, on the evening of the winter solstice. Yule is the second festival of the wheel of the year after Samhain. It has been celebrated since antiquity between December 21st and 23rd, and several pagan rituals of this festival have inspired Christmas traditions.
Even if you are not particularly drawn to Wicca and witchcraft, you can be inspired by this Wiccan festival to return to the origins of our traditions and create the magic of Christmas.
For centuries, these festivities mark the entrance into winter and a turning point in the cycle of seasons. By celebrating at a time when winter sets in, with its cold weather and longer nights, it is to better prepare for spring, the return of light, and the renewal of nature.
Once this solstice is passed, the days gradually lengthen again and the sun returns. This is the miracle that humans have been celebrating since antiquity through the light of candles, the warmth of the hearth, and human warmth.
Preparing the renewal of nature
We are not always aware of it today, but our most popular Christmas traditions originate from Yule celebrations. Even the Yule log that we eat for dessert refers to the actual wooden log that used to be burned in the fireplace.
Long before the Christmas tree, the Celts associated the month of the winter solstice with the spruce tree, symbolizing birth and life. During the solstice festivities, a majestic spruce tree would be chosen from the forest and decorated with candles, fruits, and flowers representing the renewal of nature.
To create this Christmas magic at home, you can choose a potted tree or a living tree from your garden and decorate it with lights and natural decorations such as pine cones, wooden ornaments, dried leaves and flowers, and a straw star.
You can also decorate your door with a holly wreath, as it is said to protect the house and attract good spirits. To celebrate the upcoming rebirth of nature, you can make clove-studded citrus fruits and practice smudging or fumigation with incense or a smudge stick made of cinnamon sticks and pine needles.
Spread the light and joy.
During this period when the nights are long, bring light into your home, both literally and figuratively. To create the magic of Christmas, don't just light candles! Also invite the people you love to share meals and good times with you. Winter solstice is a time when we are less active and can refocus on what's essential by spending special moments with loved ones.
Nowadays, Christmas is mostly associated with material gifts, but don't forget that one of the most beautiful gifts you can give to loved ones is your time. In this period that invites us to think about others, generosity can take different forms: gifts and small gestures for everyone, but also volunteering and shared time with those we love.
In conclusion, know that the joy of Christmas also lies in anticipation and in the time spent with family and children preparing the festivities themselves. From the beginning of December, you can start sowing Saint Barbara's lentils (another symbol of nature's renewal), lighting the candles of an Advent wreath, making natural decorations for the Christmas tree, and of course, baking Christmas cookies and cakes using seasonal ingredients such as spices, oranges, apples, and nuts. Preparations are an essential ingredient for a magical Christmas!
