This December, you might expect many holiday parties. Office parties, family parties, etc.
Christmas is a major holiday in the West and it might be hard for pagans to work around all the Christmas festivities, especially if we are the only ones in our family who have chosen this spiritual path.
That’s why we should focus on the true meaning of Christmas, which is friends and family. No matter what spiritual path you are on, this applies to all. But if you are looking for a way to combine different celebrations, like Yule, Christmas and Hanukkah, which are the big three this time of year, there are plenty of ideas.
This blog is all about ideas and inspirations for hosting a memorable holiday party by blending elements of Yule, Christmas, and Hanukkah, but keeping true to the true meaning of the season- family.
The Big Three: Yule, Christmas, and Hanukkah
In western countries, and especially in the United States, Christmas dominates, especially because it’s so commercialized. You’ve begun hearing about Christmas since October. Every year corporations and markets capitalize on this major gift giving holiday. But what do Yule, Christmas, and Hanukkah all mean?
Yule
Yule is the winter solstice celebrated by pagans, especially of the Norse, Germanic, and Celtic traditions. Many of our modern Christmas celebrations come from pagan sources. In ancient times, the people who relied on agriculture and their natural environment to survive often struggled in winter. If they hadn’t preserved enough of the crop one year, starvation was a real threat. And winter storms were common.
As a result, the festival of yule, celebrating the darkest night of the year, was meant to bring hope and courage through the darkest time of the year. Especially for those Norse people living near the arctic circle. This was a bleak time. And the celebration of family and community offered hope. The main intentions during this time are hope, renewal, and light.
Hanukkah
This is a Jewish festival that commemorates the Jews reclaiming Jerusalem from the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE. It’s observed for 8 nights and because Jewish holidays are based on a lunar calendar, it moves around. It’s usually between late November and late December, though.
Christmas
Anyone who lives in the west is likely familiar with the Christmas story, even if they don’t celebrate it. It falls on December 25th every year and it commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ. Stories are told all across the Christian world of how Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem, the wise men, and the Christmas star.
The date of December 25th has more to do with the Roman Empire than actual knowledge of the date of Jesus’ birth. The date of Jesus’ birth isn’t something everyone agrees on, but the Roman Empire, where Christianity began, celebrated Saturnalia and the birth of the sun god on December 25th.
Setting the Scene for Your Holiday Party
Now that we have some origins covered, it’s time to set the scene before your guests arrive. Think about decorations and home decor. Check out my article on Winter Home for ideas. Think of all five senses, think of the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes associated with December.
Yule Inspired Decorfor your Holiday Party
Yule decor will be the easiest because it’s highly commercialized. Christmas trees, wreaths, ornaments, reindeer, etc. Although we associate these things with Christmas in western culture, they are all pagan. They represent Yule symbolism that was important in ancient times. Check out my article on Yule and Odin for some symbols you can use.
Christmas Decorations for your Holiday Party
If you want to stick with authentic Christmas symbols, think about nativity sets. Depictions of angels and stars are also appropriate, as well as barn animals.
Hanukkah Decorations for your Holiday Party
Use blue and silver color schemes to add Hanukkah to your party. The menorah is a symbol of the eight nights that Hanukkah lasts. If your party falls on one of these 8 nights of Hanukkah, incorporate that into your festivities. And decorate with dreidels as well.
Food and Drink for Your Holiday Party
December foods include roast meats, stews, root vegetables, and lots of sweets. Warm drinks like apple cider, eggnog, mulled wine, and hot cocoa are all relevant as well. You could encourage everyone to bring their favorite dishes and have a potluck, or you could provide all the basics.
Christmas Cookies, Roast, etc.
Prepare the cookies ahead of time. Let kids decorate them. Choose a ham or a roast to share with your guests.
Make Hanukkah Latkes at your Holiday Party
For Hanukkah, prepare the potato latkes and the sufganiyot for all your guests. These are the traditional foods for Hanukkah.
Yule Log
The Yule log represents fire, hearth, and warmth during the cold winter. Traditionally, it’s a log for the fire, or it can be a rolled pastry that everyone can share.
Activities for your Holiday Party
You’ve decorated, you’ve cooked and baked and now all your guests have arrived. How do you entertain them and incorporate all three festivals into your party?
Play the Dreidel Game
The dreidel game represents the persistence of the Jews to continue their traditions despite the rulers of the time forbidding the Jews from gathering. It’s a fun game that you can play together with friends and family. (article)
Light the Menorah
If your holiday party falls on any of the 8 days of Hanukkah, have a menorah lighting ceremony. Traditionally, everyone recites traditional Jewish blessings. But an alternative is that you could have everyone go around and tell everyone what blessings they have received throughout the year.
Light the Yule Log
After the menorah ceremony, it’s time for the second lighting ceremony of the night. Light the Yule log. If you have a fireplace, maybe you could have prepared some yule logs to add to the fire. Consider your intentions as you and your guests all put the log in the fire. If you don’t have a fireplace, you could just light a white candle.
Secret Santa
Arrange a secret santa. Before the party, have all your guests draw each other’s names from a hat. Then they can get a gift for the person they drew. During the party, have a gift exchange where you reveal who your secret santa was and present them with their gifts.
White Elephant Holiday Party
Another gift giving event for your holiday party is a white elephant party. Everyone brings a generic gift all wrapped up and you add it to a pile. Then, when all the guests have assembled, you play a game of revolving chairs where someone grabs a gift, and on the next person’s turn, they have the option of ‘stealing’ that gift or taking a mystery gift from the pile. You can only steal three times before that gift becomes yours. At the end of the turns, everyone unwraps their gifts. Check out the game rules: Here.
Sing Carols
Go around the neighborhood and sing Christmas carols. This is a festive activity that will spread joy all over the neighborhood. Prepare some hot cocoa for everyone before they go out.
Look at holiday lights at your Holiday Party
While you are out caroling, be sure to check out some Christmas Lights. Some entire neighborhoods often get together to put on a show.
Reflect on Symbols at Your Holiday Party
While you and your guests are celebrating the festive season, make time for some reflection and storytelling. Many people have fond memories of Christmas and the holiday seasons, have adults go around and talk about what they remember. And talk about the meaning of the holidays. Yule, Christmas, and Hanukkah share many of the same meanings. Hope, rebirth, light, family, and generosity.
Hope
Have all your guests talk about what they are hopeful for in the coming year. What are they excited about?
Rebirth
Winter solstice is the longest night of the year. From this day on, the days get longer. Because of this, for pagans celebrating Yule, rebirth of the sun is a major theme here.
Light
Light in the darkness. That can be seen as reflected in all three festivals. For pagans, the yule log represents that light- that spark that the sun brings. For Christians, the Christmas star guided people to Jesus. And for Jews, the light of the menorah brought meaning to their struggle.
Generosity
This is a major gift-giving season. See it as an opportunity to give to others. Don’t stress out about giving materialistic things. Help others. Feed the hungry, volunteer at a soup kitchen. This could be a fun activity to get kids involved in and show them to be thankful for what they have and enjoy giving to others. Maybe as one activity, you could have all the kids at your party choose a gift to give to a child in need.
Family
Remember that no matter what spiritual path you belong to, the true meaning of the holidays is family and friends. Incorporate that into your holiday party by inviting friends and family to take part in all your festivities, even if they can’t afford to contribute.
Conclusion
Festivals that celebrate family are what it’s all about this time of the year. Emphasize this through shared traditions.
The holiday season can be stressful for many. It’s become a blur of commercialization in modern times. People often look toward December with a feeling of dread because this can be such a busy time.
But taking time for family and for reflection is important. Whether you come from a blended faith family or if you just enjoy diverse traditions, by combining Christmas, Yule, and Hanukkah, you can create traditions everyone will look forward to every year.
So what activities would you include at a holiday party? What traditions would you incorporate? Let me know in the comments.
And check out my articles about the Winter Home and Yule and Odin. And if you want ideas on how to celebrate other wheel of the year holidays, check out my article on hosting a dumb supper.
