Herbs used during Yule
Many herbs are associated with the festive season of Yuletide, but perhaps the most well known is pine - the Christmas tree that is the heart and center of traditional Christmas celebrations. This actually does date back to the times before Christ, when the winter solstice festival, known as Yule, was celebrated with log fires and evergreen plants that continued to bear leaf through the cold months.
The Christmas tree was already an old tradition in Germany, when Prince Albert, the consort of England's Queen Victoria, introduced it to Britain in the 19th Century. Now the original live tree, cut down and brought into the house, has been largely replaced by artificial trees, but the smell of fresh pine is still strongly associated with Yule. A pot pourri consisting mainly of pine needles and pine oil scent will add this traditional touch if you use an artificial tree.
Mistletoe berries fruit at this time of year, and so are strongly associated with Yule. The ancient druids believed it was a sacred herb because it came to life when almost everything else in nature had died away. Mistletoe is a parasite plant that grows on host trees' with the seeds being carried to the hosts by birds. Traditionally mistletoe represents peace and goodwill (associated with the white berries) and it became customary for people to kiss under the mistletoe bough and put aside their differences for the season.
The holly and the ivy are associated with Christmas through the well known carol, but their association with the winter solstice goes much further back. Both are evergreens, and it is from the red and green of the bright holly bush that we get the traditional Christmas colors. The berries appear in the depth of winter, and like mistletoe, this was seen in ancient European cultures as being evidence of its magical power.
Ivy is also an evergreen, a vine that refused to die back even in the depths of winter. Like holly and mistletoe, it is used for decoration, to bring the green of nature into the home during winter. None of the herbs so far mentioned are used for cooking, but this does not mean that no culinary herbs are associated with Yule.
Sage is traditionally associated with the Yule festival, being one of the main ingredients in stuffing. Dried sage holds its aromatic qualities well, and has added flavor to a plain mixture of breadcrumbs and onions for centuries. The advent of Christianity and the adoption of the Yule festival as the celebration of the birth of Christ added many more herbs, and more lore to this time of year. Rosemary became associated with Christmas because legend said this plant got its blue flowers when Mary laid her cloak over it to dry.
Spices have also become associated with the winter festival, with cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg being the favorites to spice puddings and wine. As these come from the holy land they have also been accepted as part of the Christmas festivities. So whether you call it Yule or Christmas, whether you live by Christian traditions or Pagan, the herbs used at this time of year can be shared by all.
Herbs used during Yule
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