Before there was Christmas, there was the Viking winter solstice celebration known as Yule. Many raucous traditions from this pagan holiday evolved into the Christmas rituals we still observe today.

Learn about the pagan holiday Yule, which takes place on the winter solstice, and how to celebrate it today.

Over a thousand years have passed since the Vikings’ pagan belief system was met with the Christian faith — and still, their tradition of yule logs continues to be a part of the Christmas holiday.

The Yule log, another ancient Pagan tradition, made its way into popular culture as a chocolate holiday cake, but for Pagans, it's similar to the Christmas tree.

What does the pagan holiday Yule have to do with the winter solstice? Posted: Dec 20, 2022 / 03:23 PM CST. Updated: Dec 20, 2022 / 03:23 PM CST.

In fact, they originated many components of treasured Christmas traditions. In late December, the pagan Jul or Yule, offers 12 days of celebration that daylight hours are getting longer.

Yule: Yule is a pagan festival with no specific religious ties to Christianity. It often involved various nature-based rituals and celebrations to mark the changing of seasons.

Enter the Yule Viking Festival: a December event dedicated to entertaining and educating audiences about the Yule tradition. “My job is to pull the sun across the sky,” said Bridget Uhles. “I have my ...