Tis the Season for Yule Decorating

The New Year is here and I've been looking around my house at all the decoration that need to come down and be put away for another year.  My oldest daughter wrote a poem about me, which stated I had OHDD (Obsessive Holiday Decorating Disorder)  It's true I do love to decorate and Yule is one of my favorite holidays to go all out.  I've been collecting winter holiday decorations since I was a child, so you only need to imagine what every available space in my home looks like.  So before everything comes down and I go thought the tedious task of putting it away, I thought I'd share some of my favorites.



Maiden, Mother, Crone and re-born Sun God




Pagan Nativity Scene

 







 





   
   I just made and added this "Nativity" scene this year.  I've been holding on to an incomplete Christian Nativity set my mother gave me when I was a child.  It just rolled around in a box because I only had these four pieces left.  With a little bit of time and some craft paint, I brought new life this special  childhood memento.



    I painted the Maiden, Mother, Crone triple Goddess white, red, and black.  Their faces are silver for the moon.  I still need to pick up some gold paint for our re-born baby Sun God, so for now he is just yellow.  We added the Stag to the group for the Horned God.  I planning to add more animals to the scene next year.





this year we used bright fun colors for light side of sun



Every year since my oldest was 3 years old my children have made sun decorations for us to hang from the ceilings.  We color or paint one side black to represent the days getting shorter and darker.  The other side we use yellows and oranges to represent the re-birth of the Sun God and the coming brightness.  I try and make our craft a little different each year.  We have used glitter, paint, crayons, foam to decorate.  To make the sun we have drawn our own, used a paper plate, or printed out pictures to color in.

   While working on our craft, we talk about Yule and what it means to us.  We'll re-tell the story of the Sun God is getting old and tired.  How during the longest night of the year he sleeps in the arms of Night, to be re-born bright, shiny, young and new!  This time we spend together has become a fun and wonderful family tradition.

My dancing reindeer definitely isn't a Yule specific decoration but he is one of my favorites.  The kids can't stop playing with him through out the entire month of December.  The funniest times are when my little guy and the baby I watch start dancing too!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!