My partner and I are looking to pull away from the Christmas traditions we grew up with and are seeking ideas on how to make that transition. I have two kids (16 and 12) from a previous relationship, and a new addition just recently (~5 months old) with my partner. My older kids have grown up with Christmas but my partner and I don’t want to continue that tradition with my youngest. I’m hoping someone here might have some experience with this situation that could give some advice on how to make this transition knowing that the older kids will still be doing Christmas with their mother but I am choosing not to.
I myself was raised athiest, so we always celebrated Christmas as just the Santa Claus–reindeer, and winter thing. Maybe you can start with that, and slowly/slightly incorporate the Pagan/Wiccan along side. I don’t know how much this will help. Have a great Winter.
Most, if not all, traditions around Christmas predate Christianity. Incorporating those older traditions was actually a bit of a marketing ploy to convert the pagan population to Christianity. So, I’d recommend joining the effort to reclaim it. You could look into the traditions of Saturnalia, Yule, and the winter solstice and adapt your own traditions to collect more with those.
We burn a yule log, use natural ornaments we either found or made from wood and straw, gift only handmade gifts, decorate the trees in the garden instead of cutting one down. We do some story telling, sing outside to ward off unwanted spirits, make witch balls, and herbals scent and tea bundles. And around the turn of the year, we hand out spiced wine and baked goods to our neighbours, and take care to feed the birds so they at least have the energy to handle the onslaught of firework.
In a more practical sense, we celebrate the winter solstice on the Dec 21st, which leaves everyone enough space to join extended family and in-laws for their more Christian celebrations.
I hope this gives a bit of an idea on how we approach things.
Surprisingly there is little to change from a Western style Christmas we all grew up in to a more traditional Pagan Yule celebration. With all do respect to Christmas. The primary thing you need to do is remove The Manger and stop telling the story made up by old men in order to controll people. Everything else commonly practiced at this time IS PAGAN. The greenery, the Yule Log, the frivolity, the feasting and even the gift giving. All are Pagan practices co-opted to help make a new religion more palatable. The main focus at Yule is rebirth and renewal. One can focus their teaching and stories on this aspect. This as in all things remember……. One can study, practice and dedicate but without joy and frivolity one can never be complete.
I have family that celebrate Christmas. So what I have done is share how I am celebrating the 12 days of Yule.
I have a Yule tree and decorate it with natural elements, pagan symbols and dried oranges with pentacles sewn into them. Pinecones, cinnamon sticks, log slices with painted or burned symbols of protection. Homemade mother deer ornaments and witch bells.
For lights I use white LED string lights to represent the sun’s return and longer days. You can use LEDS candles too.
I love doing winter solstice simmer pots. My husband is agnostic. So he doesn’t care but really likes the simmer pots. And he respects what I believe and finds it refreshing seeing this time of year celebrated differently. He grew up celebrating Christmas. He finds it fascinating the different days. I also do the 13 intentions and burn 1 each night.
I have a toddler so I am going to allow her to believe is Santa, so not to ruin the magic for other children that believe in Santa. But explain why we leave or do certain things. And when she is at the age where she doesn’t believe in Santa. I will explain the 12 days of Yule and how christianity took over Yule. I’ll also explain each day of Yule to her as well. I will also explain to her how there is other cultures and other religions and that we show respect to them.
As for my family that celebrates Christmas, I respect their views. And they know what I believe and practice. So when they wish me a Merry Christmas, I just say likewise. With my fellow witches, I wish them a Blessed Yule.
Thank you all SO much for all of these ideas and suggestions. I really appreciate it. My partner and I are doing the 12 days of Yule as well as the 13 intentions and burning one each night. It has felt very nice and genuine to our core values and beliefs and we intend to continue this practice from here on out. So thank you all again for all the wonderful suggestions and insights into how others manage this. I hope you all have a blessed Yule
This. All of this! Christians used existing celebratory events to entice pagans to the monotheist practice. You don’t need to give up practices. Simply change your family’s pov on what Winter, family, love, and gratitude means to everyone. This is a time of reflection, planning, and calm. Good luck!
I like how you are celebrating the 12 days and 13 intentions. It got me thinking…..my immediate family, in my home, are not religious, we just celebrate the holidays secularly…easter…bunny and eggs…Groundhog day (didn’t know it was Imbolc)…..anyway, this coming year, I will celebrate only the holidays in our witches calendar. I still will do my veterans day, july 4th….but the “christian” themes/holidays are non grata in my home, from now on. My daughter-in-law is Sikh, so when she gets here, her religious holidays are fine. Only, I’m not going to do any commercial ones for me….just the ones on the “wheel”.
Orion,
