by Jess Howe

Created on: October 04, 2009   Last Updated: October 10, 2009

In this article I'll show you how to decorate your altar for Yule. I'll go through the do's and some of the don'ts of it, as well as some possible concerns. Yuletide is on the Winter Equinox, i.e. December 21st. This is a bit different from Christmas on the 24th, has slightly different meaning to it, and as such your altar should have a different feel to it. The rebirth of your God, whichever you choose him to be, whoever speaks to you loudest, is not something small. Both Wiccans and Druids see Yule as a sacred holiday, and as such you need your altar spiffy.

GENERIC YULE ALTAR

This kind of altar would be for a non-specific culture; it's good if you are just starting out as a Pagan, whether it be Wiccan or Druidic or something else. It's also good for children.

Basically, this is winter. It's getting cold out, and yet there's a new god being born: So you want to welcome him with a nice altar. Put up symbols of the season. This could be a sleigh, a few paper snowflakes, or some paper mistletoe. Kids could make a paper chain to put around the altar - not near any candles!

A good idea if kids are making their own altar for Yule, or if this is to be a family altar - or, if you're in the dorms at a college and the rules don't allow candles - is the electric candles that are sold very cheaply in stores now. Put at least one of these on an altar, preferably red or green. If you're using this option in fact, you could give it a personal flair by making a decorative paper holder for it.

Another thing to put on your generic Yule altar is candy canes, and maybe a pentacle. That makes a very pretty altar, and is very non-specific, not dangerous.

CELTIC WICCAN YULETIDE ALTAR

For the Celtic Wiccan out there, this is the rebirth of Lugh, the sun god. It's also called "The Festival of Light." You want candles, candles, candles. Use the electric ones if the place where you live doesn't allow for other kinds, or if you feel that's wrong for your energy you could also put out candles that are unlit, something I used to do in college.

Colors for the Celtic festival are red and gold, silver, green, white and even blue, so put several of these on and around your altar. A decorative idea might be to use small colored scarfs and drape them around the altar, and in back of it - always being conscious of where the flame might be. You could also have construction paper in these colors around the altar, or make snowflakes in them and hang them from the ceiling around it.

Put

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