Yule

In olden times, Yule (also called Winter Solstice, Midwinter’s Day, Mother Night or Return of the Sun) traditionally marked the shortest day and longest night of the year; a time when the Sun returned after the winter’s cold and darkness. In Old England, womyn left their lamps burning all night at Midwinter. It was later custom for a single candle to burn in the window on Christmas Eve, lit by the youngest child in the house. In Sweden, it was traditional for the oldest daughter in every household to wear a candlelit wreath on her head, make coffee and gingersnaps, and wake her parents announcing: “Saint Lucia invites you to breakfast!”