We mentioned Yule briefly in the History Goes Bump Christmas Special in 2015, but we’ve never just focused on this set of beliefs, practices and traditions. On this episode we are going to peer into the darkness to find the light that will lead us into Spring. Because that is really what Yule is about for most people that observe it. This is an opportunity to take the time during the darkest part of the year and focus on the end of the year and what the future holds and to prepare for the rebirth that Spring brings. This is also a festival of rituals for which much of the traditions and practices of Christmas are rooted. Join us as we explore Yule! The Moment in Oddity was suggested by Mitch Riggs and features A Fateful Pair of Shoes and This Month in History features Orville and Wilbur Wright’s first flight.
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Don’t know if this has been mentioned already, but eating pomegranate at winter is to honor Persephone. Persephone was abducted by Hades when he saw her picking flowers one day and he dragged her to the underworld to be his queen. Persephone’s mother, the Earth Goddess Demeter, discovered Hades treachery. She demanded the gods force Hades to return her daughter, but Persephone had eaten four pomegranate seeds in the underworld and technically couldn’t be freed. It was agreed that she would live on the earth for most of the year, but would return to the underworld for four months every year. During Persephone’s time in the underworld, Demeter mourns the loss of her daughter and winter falls on the earth.
Thanks June! We shared your comments on Ep. 322. Answers our question about why people eat them at Winter Solstice!