The Haven

Yule, also known as the Winter Solstice, is the longest night of the year.  After the Solstice, the days begin to grow longer again as the Sun begins its return.  Yule is a time for introspection and planning of the future as well as a celebration of the rebirth of the Sun. Customs and Activities: caroling burning the Yule log (or candle) kissing under the mistletoe baking sweets Colors: red, green, gold, white, silver, yellow, orange Decorations: Yule log (or candle) evergreen boughs or wreaths holly & mistletoe candles clove studded fruit poinsettias stars stags Foods: pork or poultry dishes fruits & nuts ginger tea cookies eggnog cider Scents of the season: pine cedar rosemary sage peppermint cinnamon

Join me for a moment in a wonderful fairy tale land. A magical place where it only snows from December to January. The holidays are frosted in white sparkling snow and the air itself glitters with tiny falling snowflakes.  The scents of pine, rosemary, and peppermint linger everywhere in the cold, crisp air.  Everything is decorated and twinkles both day and night.  Happy people bustle about preparing for the celebrations ahead.  It's a place for scarves and mittens, thick sweaters and knit caps, hot chocolate and spiced cider. The various holidays are celebrated with joy and the new year begins. And just like that...the snow is gone.  Leaving everything clean and refreshed, ready to embrace the quiet time and patiently await the return of the Sun. May your days be merry and bright! ~Heathen

From Better Homes & Gardens I may not be around much for the rest of this week.  Busy with last minute preparations and all.  I'll be popping in to read everyone's posts but I may not be leaving comments or writing my own posts.  So just in case, I want to wish everyone a very Happy Yule and Merry Christmas!  Enjoy the lunar eclipse tonight if you're lucky enough to see it.  I don't know if I'll be able to stay up that late...work starts pretty early. Happy Holidays! ~ Heathen

The Holidays mean something different to each of us.  Whether you celebrate Yule, Christmas, both, or something else entirely.  To that end, I'd like to share a few of my favorite things about the Holiday Season. Candy canes, greenery, pomanders, and twinkly lights... Stockings, Christmas trees, bayberry candles, and mistletoe! All these symbols have meaning and work well for either Yule or Christmas!  Enjoy the holiday season! ~ Heathen

This year we will have the Full Cold Moon or Full Long Nights Moon on December 21st, for Yule and the Solstice.  Not only that but there will also be a total lunar eclipse on the 20th, just hours before winter officially begins.  According to the article at space.com , those of us in the states will be able to witness the eclipse either during the middle of the night or in the predawn hours, depending on your location.  The last time these three events happened at the same time was in 1638! I had a bit of a struggle finding additional info on this topic.  However, there's a very informative, and thought inspiring article about this over at Llewellyn.com for more.  I don't want any issues with copying someone's work, so head on over there and give it a read! ~ Heathen

I know, the red cups have been out for a while now.  But there's just something about them!  The minute you see one it feels like the Holidays and you start having visions of sugar plums dancing in your head.  You can almost taste the gingerbread or peppermint (the caramel is a bit too sweet for me).  Even if you aren't a fan, you know what it means when you start seeing the tell-tale red coffee cups.  Personally, we buy Starbucks coffee to make at home, but the flavored drinks...well that's a bit tricky.  I don't even bother trying to replicate them at home anymore.  Besides, even if you get the taste right, it's just not the same without that red cup! ~ Heathen

Image found at Remodeling My Space here . The magical time of year is upon us again.  Life in Florida means no snow, not even flurries, but we still get that tingly and sparkly feeling.  Especially when the decorations start to be seen around town on the streetlights, the red cups come out at Starbucks (there's just something about those silly cups), and let's not forget the holiday music, movies and specials.  While we may not get to go sledding or build snowmen we still get into the holiday spirit.  The decorations have been brought out and the tree is up.  Planning for the holiday meal is in progress.  And there are even a few gifts under the tree already!  The holiday music playlist is ready and the movies have all been queued. This is the time of year when we feel closest to our spiritual path, whatever that may be.  It's a time for twinkling lights, jingling bells, flickering candles, scents of home and the warm feelings that come with ...