How to Throw a Pagan Christmas (Winter Solstice) Party

If you are learning more about Wicca and Paganism you may want to start celebrating the solstices. Now we are getting closer to Christmas, it could be time for you to think about celebrating Yule and the Winter Solstice, and what better way than to throw a Winter Solstice party. Here are some ideas on how to celebrate.

Set the Date for Your Yule Party

Firstly you need to work out when the Winter Solstice is! It is always going to be sometime around December 20th-22nd. If the Solstice falls on a night which isn’t suitable for your guests, you could always have the party on a weekend night instead.

How to Invite People to a Pagan Christmas

Whether you send written, email or verbal it is best to explain to your guests what to expect from your party. Some of your friends may be nervous if they have not celebrated the Winter Solstice before. Make sure you explain that you are not planning on making them dance naked around a cauldron (unless you want to!). Tell them that it is about celebrating the longest night of the year and the start of the days getting longer.

If guests want to bring anything then great. Suggest they bring seasonal food or drink. If they want to being a present suggest holly or another seasonal plant which can be used as a decoration. Another idea is to ask your guests to bring a can of food with them which you can then donate to a local food bank.

How to Decorate with a Yule theme

There is nothing more welcoming at a party than going to a well decorated house. If you have already decorated for Christmas celebrations you may find that a lot of the decorations are suitable for Winter Solstice as well. Traditional Winter Solstice decorations include candles, holly, mistletoe, evergreens, wreaths and don’t forget the Yule Log.

Winter Solstice Food and Drink

Yule is traditionally the time to celebrate the foods which are stored to eat over winter. Ideas for party nibbles include:

Bowls of nuts, dried fruit and roasted seeds
A cheeseboard and homemade breads and crackers
Mince pies or slices of fruit cake
Gingerbread- try and make into seasonal symbols
For drinks the traditional seasonal tipples of eggnog and mulled wine are still in keeping.

Or make a big hearty bowl of soup and freshly baked bread for everyone to share.

Choosing Your Yule Entertainment

Think about what music you will have playing. If you have a friend who plays guitar ask if they can play some folk based music for the evening. You can also get CD’s of traditional Pagan music.

Another idea is to do storytelling. Ask friends to come along with a folk tale, ghost story to or story of their past to share. If you have the space, light a bonfire in the garden and sit around it sharing your stories.

Get crafty and make wreaths, candle holders or decorate gingerbread men. Your guests will also have their own party favour they can take home with them.

You can always end the evening with a Wiccan Yule Log Ritual to hope for peace and happiness in the future, and to celebrate the return of the light after the longest night.

Holly is a writer who specialises in writing about Paganism, folk tales and also writes fiction. Her magical interests include herbalism and tarot. When not writing Holly works in a museum. Holly loves walking, nature and watching horror films. Visit hollyknowles.co.uk for more.