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One big Issue for the Scandinavians around Jul is to
EAT… this is really BIG TIME feasts and they are held
at work schools friends families and whoever is in for
the grand buffet and its endless flow of liquids. And
most places they start already in November.. because
every Wekend is set aside for a feast somewhere and as
there are so many different places you have to attend
to.. its heavy duty.. imagine going friday night and
saturday.. and you eat and drink for hours.
Very important at these feasts is the beer and the
little digestive "snaps". Snaps is a follow up for the
beer and the very very heavy foods. Its much like the
Samoan Umu, the food is just as rich and plenty, maybe
Joe should come at this time of year.. its sooo much
food...
As you might know the Danes love beer..and Xmas is
just the excuse to bring out another seasonal brew. Ar
christmas the days are celebrated when the Breweries
send out the annual Christmas brew, a darker sweeter
but stronger beer. This is however very much a
commercial thing today. But its looking at our history
not surprising I guess.
In the Nordic Countries Jul has always been celebrated
even before Christianity was introduced.
Jul has nothing to do with Christanity, its an old
heathen word and means as much as "feasts". Not the
ultimate Feast, but several Feasts which were held at
this time of year.
There is an OLD danish word .."BLÓT" which was a feast
were you scrificed to the Gods and it was done … both
in te homes with the families where they sacrified for
themselves and in the "HOVENE" the churches where the
priests would give sacrifice to the Gods.
The Gods which were celebrated then were among others
Odin, Njord and Frej.. some of our most important
Gods in that time, however it was mostly in the
Churches this was done. It was to ensure a good
prosperus year.
Jul started around the 13th of January!! At this time
it was important to commemorate deceased family
members.. …as they were believed to live as a kind of
housegod or a living close by in te nearby hills.
Another important role in this time had the " VÆTTE"
he is later to be known as Elfin.. or as we know him
Santas helper…lol…
So in a way it possible see the line which leads us
all back to our very first families…
The feasts, the beers and the special brews sweeter
and darker…the Elfins on the lofts… even the
Rice-pudding which is still today put up on the Loft
to keep the Elfins happy.
Christianity came to Scandinavia around 700- 800 A.C.
The Priests accepted the Jul-feasts as long as they
were celebrated the night before the 25th of December
and if Virgin Maria and the little baby Christ`s
health were toasted( well to some I could say they
were supposed to drink their "SKÅL" and you would
drink the sweet MJØD(beer)
The Christians did try to change the word Jul, as it
was connected to the heathen times….
In England the word Christmas was accepted fast
indicating Mass for Christ…
as just an example.
Many people think that the old Jul is the old way of
celebrating the Sun… and its return to longer days
again… Actually this is not true..
It was celebrated around the 13h of January…right..?
At that time you could not really tell by te eye…or
measure that the days got longer again.. But at this
time the farming was done and the animals were all in
stable and everything was resting.. so this was the
time that you actually had for the family and
yourself..
What the Christians did manage to bring into our daily
lifes was the Giulian calendar, named after Julius
Cesar(Giulio Cesare to be correct), this calendar
places the birth of the Sun on the 25th of December..
the ancient Romans celebarated the SOL INVICTUS.. I
think it would be as much as the invicible sun?? They
said that they celebrated Him who created the Sun…
So this is one theory on Jul…and why we celebrate it
on the night of the 24th of December, and not on the
25th.
this is how I have heard it anyways… I like it and I
can see some similarities.. from then to now.
Its not my work …this research… but I like it and
think its plausible
Love, Trine
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