Yule (Scandinavia): How to make a Julbock

The Julbock is a universal Scandinavian symbol of Jul. It is believed that the Julbock is accompanied either by a God, such as Thor or in contemporary times, Santa Claus. A “Tomten”, “Nissen”, or Jul Elves also frequently accompany him.

Yule (Belgium): Speculoos

Speculoos are probably the oldest cookies Belgians have in their repitoire. Speculoos are spice cookies traditionally eaten in Belgium during the Yule season. They are said to go back to pre-Christian time, when they were small animal cakes in the shapes of animals or humans, that were offered to the gods.

Yule (Iceland): The Legend of the Yule Cat

The story goes that the Yule Cat lurks about in the snow peering in the warm Hearths to see if people are being lazy or children are not doing their chores. As a symbol that children were being helpful and doing their work, parents would award them at Yule with new clothes.

Yule: Wrapping paper – The Sparkling Deceiver

The problem we have today is that much of the wrapping paper for sale is made from plastics, foil and waxes – substances that cannot be recycled when they are all mixed together.

Yule: Dough Ornaments

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Rune ornaments for your Yule tree or to hang at your blot site.

Yule: The Story of Mistletoe

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Inside the greatest stories are a hundred little stories that get forgotten. In the story of the first winter, the death of Baldur the bright, there is a story too of little Mistletoe. At Yuletide now we hang mistletoe, and whenever a boy and girl pass beneath it they must kiss, but so many have forgotten why. The tale of mistletoe is one of love and pride, foolishness and forgiveness.

Ostara: Buns

Did you know that sweet cakes, such as hot cross buns, were well known to have been used in Heathen rites? Some sources claim that hot cross buns were a Christian invention but digging a bit deeper one can easily recognise their Heathen origin.

Ostara: Living Ostara Baskets

What better way to honor fair and gentle Ostara, than to leave a natural nest for her Hare! In times past, our Folk left out a nest for Ostara’s Hare to leave colorful eggs and goodies as a reward for good behavior. Children would wake up Ostara morning to find Ostara’s Bunny eggs in their nests!

Ostara: Natural Egg Dyes

There are two methods for producing beautifully colored Ostara eggs at home with natural plant dyes.

Ostara: Flower Wreaths for Ostara

When it comes to making flower wreaths the only real limit is your imagination. They can be big,small, sparse, or bountiful. You can make ones as door or wall decorations, to put around the base of a large candle or bowl, you can even make hair or head wreaths, also called hair garlands.

Ostara: A Child’s Invocation

Odin and Ostara, lead me in the ways of the Gods....

Tips for Mastering Foreign Language

Mastering a foreign language is a tough task for even an adult, imagine a child who barely has a grasp of the English language (or any native tongue for our European brothers and sisters). Actually, teaching a child a foreign language is much more successful then an adult!