Yule

Yule (Old English: ġēol, Old Norse: jól) is a winter festival and time of the year historically observed by heathen Germanic peoples that was later merged with the festival of Christmas during the process of Christianisation. The oldest accounts describe two Yule-months around the winter solstice in early, and sometimes explicitly heathen, Germanic calendars. Later, and more extensive, Old Norse sources also describe a Yule festival occurring during this period, which possibly began on Hǫkunótt and continued for several days. During it, feasting, ceremonial drinking and oath swearing was central, and plays and games likely took place. Tales set at this time frequently feature supernatural beings visiting halls and farms, such as trolls and undead draugar. Such traditions closely resemble folk practices and beliefs from the modern period such as julebukking and the Wild Hunt, which may have partly heathen roots. Because of the blending of the festival period and Christmas, Yule and its cognates are still used to refer to Christmas and the season of Christmastide in English and some other Northern European languages, including Swedish and Finnish. In addition to this, adherents of some new religious movements, such as Modern Germanic paganism, celebrate Yule as an independent festival to Christmas.