Ever wonder how we got many of the winter
holiday traditions that we know and love today?
In this special HOLIDAY EPISODE; Erin and Linda, voice actors starring in SAVE ERCE, will take you through the ancient celebration of Yuletide with the rituals that have lived on to the present day!
Thank you to our listeners and all who have supported and participated in this podcast.
Wishing you all a Happy Holiday Season and a joyful New Year!
Support us by donating to the non-profit arts organization, Brio Integrated Theatre, who produces this show at briotheatre.org
Episode 8 will out mid January.
Sorry for this delay. Our Story-telling team and writers are working on the next 4 episodes (9-12) and we are also busy recruiting more actors and will be recording & editing these upcoming scenes. Thank you for supporting us and listening to our story.
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Vikings | artist Adam Saban
Deck the Halls | artist Solitude
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Save Erce Holiday Special
LINDA
Hi, I’m Linda and I play Mildred the witch on Save Erce!
ERIN
And I’m Erin, and I play Electra the teen witch.
In the spirit of our witchy characters and the rest of our magical cast …
LINDA
And this holiday season…
ERIN
We are doing a Bonus Holiday Special!
LINDA
It will tide you over until we release Episode 8 in mid-January.
We want to talk about the ancient traditions of the Yuletide
- the 12 festive days starting December 21st, the Winter Solstice.
ERIN
This marks the beginning of winter with the shortest day of the year and the longest night!
LINDA
It’s a time to celebrate the warmth and the life-giving source of the sun with a nice roaring fire!
ERIN
Yes, I like a nice crackling fire to warm me up on those frigid winter days …with a cup of hot cocoa of course!
LINDA
Laughs
And don’t we all! Yule celebrations originated with a Norse festival called Jol and Northern pagan tribal traditions. Like most winter solstice festivals, all celebrated themes of light, fire, and feasting.
Which takes us to the first tradition that we’ll be talking about today.
ERIN
What's That?
LINDA
The Yule Log.
The first Yule Log was probably a thick oak tree trunk used for a communal bonfire that celebrated the death and rebirth of the sun or sun god.
According to Celtic tradition, during the Yuletide, the sun stood still. They believed that a flickering, burning fire for these twelve days would persuade the sun to move and force the days to be longer. They would keep the remains of the previous year’s log to light the new one.
ERIN
Hmmmm! That’s interesting… but I always thought of yule logs as cakes!
LINDA
Well, in the late 1800’s, most Parisians didn’t have a fireplace, so an inventive French baker transformed the idea of the burning Yule Log and made it into a tasty treat for the table. A rolled sponge cake that is made to look like a log, that many of us love to eat during the holiday season.
ERIN
So if we’re meant to keep the yule log burning for 12 days…does that mean we have to slowly eat the yule log cake for twelve days too?
LINDA
I don’t think so Erin!
As time has gone on, we have smaller wood Yule logs to go in our fireplace to burn or are placed on the table with the tapered candles - decorated with foraged pine cones, branches, seasonal berries and holly plus red ribbons.
ERIN
What about hanging wreaths and garlands?
LINDA
Yes, bringing in evergreens and berries helped to add a pop of color in otherwise drab winter settings. And candles lit up the house during dark winter days. The colors of the candles were considered very important. Green: for growth and the coming spring, red for willpower and courage,and white for protection and to symbolize light.
ERIN
So how does mistletoe figure in? Did ancient people kiss under it too?
LINDA
Well, mistletoe has a lot of history. Many ancient cultures prized it for varying reasons. Mistletoe grows on the tree - not the earth, and remains green all year long. The Celtic Druids found that mistletoe could thrive even in the coldest months so they came to see it as representing precious life force.
ERIN
That’s not very romantic!
LINDA
That may be so, but we carry a lot of these traditions onward as a way to make the winter months brighter and filled with cheer! And, it’s important to use the year's end to reflect on the past and celebrate what has brought people together in peace and joy!
From a popular Christmas song:
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
'Tis the season to be jolly
Don we now our gay apparel
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol
See the blazing yule before us,
Strike the harp and join the chorus
Follow me in merry measure
While I tell of Yuletide treasure
Fast away the old year passes,
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses
Sing we joyous all together!
Heedless of the wind and weather
If you are enjoying the podcast, please consider donating to our non-profit, Brio Integrated Theatre at briotheatre.org. By supporting us, you are also supporting an organization that has created opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to participate in integrated arts programs for the past 14 years. Your generous donation will help us continue our mission of making the arts accessible to all. You will find a link in our notesl
On behalf of the cast and team, we wish you happy holidays and a joyous new year!
