Of the Black Hills
Serving the Celtic Communities of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Isle of Man, Cornwall, Galicia and Brittany
/ Yule (Winter Solstice): rebirth - Dec 21stImbolc (Candlemass): quickening
Ostara (Spring Equinox): emergence
Beltane (May Day): growth
Midsummer (Summer Solstice): fruition
Lughnasadh (Lammas): releasing
Mabon (Autumnal Equinox): harvest
Samhain (Halloween): death
A Celebration of Yule
The Earliest form of the Yule celebration does not involve Jesus, a manger or angels. Those traditions were added many years later. The original Yule celebrations involve much more ancient rituals and beliefs. Other names for this festival are: Winter Solstice, Alban Arthan, Finn's Day, Festival of Sol, Yuletide, Great Day of the Cauldron and Festival of Growth.
The ancient ones celebrated the time between Samhain (October 31) and Imbolc (February 1) as the winter quarter. While at Samhain, the aging God died, at Yule, he was reborn from the Goddess. On the Winter Solstice, the darkest of nights, the Goddess becomes the Great Mother and gives birth to the new Sun. On this dark night, there springs a new spark of hope, The Sacred Fire, the Light of the World, the Coel Coeth.
On the eve of the Winter Solstice, December 21, the Yule log is the center of celebration. All light and power is extinguished just before midnight. Then the Yule log is brought inside, lighted on the first try with ambers saved from the previous year's fire. Thus the new hope is spawned from the ashes of the old. Some traditions hold that the Yule Log should burn until the sun returns, others say the Yule Log should burn for 12 hours.
Later in history, the Yule log was replace by the Yule tree, but instead of burning it, candles were lit on it. The evergreen, holly and mistletoe all symbolized fertility and everlasting life - thus the origin of our current day Christmas Tree traditions.
After the Christian takeover of the Yule traditions. the master of the house would place the Yule log on the hearth, sprinkle the trunk with salt, oil and mulled wine, and make the appropriate prayers. Sometimes young girls would have the privilege of lighting the log with the splinters from previous years, sometimes the mother of the house had that privilege. It was said that the cinders of the log would protect the house from lightening and the malevolent powers of the devil.
In pre-historic times, winter was a very difficult time for people in the northern latitudes. The growing season had ended and the tribe had to live off of stored food and whatever animals they could catch. The people would be worried as the life-giving sun sank lower in the sky each noon. After the winter solstice, they would have reason to celebrate as they saw the sun rising and gaining strength in preperation for the new growing season.
Yule incense and oils appropriate to this time of year: rosemary, myrrh, nutmeg, saffron, cedar/pine, wintergreen, ginger, bayberry.
Note: As with all interpetations of historical "Fact" the information above is based on research that can not be fully verified.
Now till December 23rd / Participating Stores / Window Display Contest / Shop downtown - have a look at the Store Christmas Windows, vote for the your favorite and be entered for a $100 Gift Certificate from Destination Rapid City that an be spent in any participating dowbtown store.December 27th, 2008 / Peterson's Home / Hogmanay / Celebrate the Cetlic New Year in the traditional Scottish manner. This is a Pot Luck Dinner with fine fare and finer friends. The Social begins at 6:30 and we all hope to see you there with many friends. Non-Members are always welcomeSee below for directions
January 15th 2009 / Dublin Square / General Social / Program includes a video called "Mystic Celts beat Columbus by 1000 years." Showing evidence of Celtic Ogham in Colorado a thousand years before Chris even thought of making the trip. The General Meeting will be proceded by a Board of Directors Meeting at 6:oo pm
January 24th 2009 / Chop House / Burns Supper / Celebrate the Bard of Scottish Ledgend with good friends and fare. Tickets are available at the Dahl Fine Arts Center 394-4101 and at the Celtic Connection, 517 6th Street, 716-9014 or visit SIS Web Page
February 19th 2009 / Dublin Square / General Social / Program to be set shortly
February 21st, 2009 / RushmorePlaza Civic Center / Lord of the Dance / Tickets go on sale January 26th at the CivicCenter and GotMine.Com. Shows at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm. For More Information go to then click on “Whats Happening”
March 14th 2009 / St. Patrick's Day / There will be a St. Patrick's Day Parade hosted by the Celtic Connection of the Black Hills in the Morning. Call 716-9014 for details. There will be a Dinner in the Evening with details to follow!
To find Peterson’s place.\: go out South Canyon Road to Nemo Road (it just changes names) and take the left up Westberry Hill to get in the Westberry Subdivision. At the top there will be a grouping of mailboxes on the right.
At this T junction, make a left turn. Go to the first street on the right, and turn.This will be Timberline Road West. (You may notice the lanes split around a tree.)Follow this around, down, up and around to 6149 Timberline Road West. The house is on the right between two lit stone pillars and has a long driveway that ends in a circular parking area.....Plenty of parking. Phone number is 343-4011
The year has flown by again. There’s been fun and there’s been sorrow. The Hogmany will be hosted by the Petersons this December 27th. This is a New Years celebration in the Celtic tradition. We hope you can be there. The Board voted to increase the board size from 4 to 5 members. We welcome input from anyone interested in this subject. The next board meeting is scheduled for December 2nd, 7pm, Dublin Square. You don’t have to be a board member to attend. We will be discussing the Burns Dinner as well as the agenda for next year. Elections will be held at Peterson’s house before the party starts or during the party if need be. Jim Byrne has worked up a slate of candidates and we can take nominations from the floor.
John Burke
And finally, our heart felt condolences to Aliyah Sanders who’s youngest child passed away last month.
/ In Loving MemoryLynida Rose Wood
September 15. 1996
Bloomington, Indiana / November 19 2008
Rapid City, Sd