Plant plants. Depending on where you live, this may or may not be a good time to plant plants outside. You can also start seeds inside if it’s too cold outside to plant anything yet.
Dye eggs. Eggs have been a symbol of death and rebirth for over 60,000 years. However, dying them is one of the few traditions that do have Christian origins. It was the early Christians in Mesopotamia that dyed eggs red to symbolize Christ’s blood. Though there are a few sources that link it to Germanic Pagan practices as well. Either way, you can still enjoy dying eggs. There are many online tutorials explaining natural dying methods, or you can get a kit from the store.
Have an egg hunt. Whether it’s plastic eggs with toys or candy inside or actual eggs, this can be a lot of fun, especially with kids.
Balance an egg. I know that this seems weird, but it can be done! Supposedly this is one of two days a year where this is possible.
Go for a walk outside. No matter what climate you live in, this is a great way to connect with nature and whatever Ostara feels like where you live.
Decorate your home or altar with flowers. Flowers are another symbol of the fertility of the season.
Go flower picking. Many areas have flowers that grow naturally. Go for a walk and find them!
Make flower crowns or necklaces.
Make foods related to the time of year. Make and eat foods with eggs, baby greens, veal, rabbit, or any foods that are in season for you right now.
Plan a garden. This is a great time to plan a garden, unless the planting season has already begun.
Decorate a tree with wooden painted eggs. Many people decorate outside trees with plastic eggs, but wooden eggs are an environmentally friendly alternative.
Decorate your home with symbols of new life. Bunnies, chicks, baby animals, seedlings, flowers are all fun things to decorate your home with.
Have some intimate time. Fertility is a big part of this holiday, though there are some superstitious people who don’t do it during this unless they’re trying to conceive.
Bake. Challa, hot cross buns, bunny or egg shaped cookies are all things that are appropriate for this season.
Read stories about the season. Read about the Green Man or Persophone. There are many stories about this time of year.
Do animal magic. This can be anything from pretending to be an animal with young kids to doing actual shamanic work.
Go bird watching. Birds tend to be more active this time of year. You may want to learn some nice calls as well.
Dance. Find some music and let yourself go!
Do an Ostara ritual. One of these days I will get around to writing some rituals for each sabbat. When I do that, I will post the link here.
Dress in new clothes. This is an old custom for this time of year.
Make a Swedish Snow Lantern. This is a fun way to enjoy the snow, involve kids, and candles. If you live somewhere there is snow, this is a great way to spend the day.
Make a Brigid’s Cross. The Goddess Brigid is always a big part of Imbolc. This cross is usually hung over or near the entry doorway for protection?
Light candles. Candles are used as a form of sympathetic magic to help bring the sun and the warmth back after winter.
Clean your home. A long time ago, our ancestors that lived in colder climates, virtually spent all of their time indoors. As a result, their homes were well-kept during this time.
Declutter your home. Again, one of the themes of this day is about hearth and home. If you have more items than you need, take the time to figure out what you no longer need and donate, sell, or give it to someone who needs it.
Cleanse your home. Every so often, homes have negative energy build up. Now is a great time to cleanse your home of that negativity.
Do guided meditations. A lot of this day is about stillness as well. Search YouTube and find some guided meditations that you like.
Do inner work. Do lit work. Do shadow work. Learn to lucid dream, astral project, or shamanic journeying. The important this is to improve your spirituality by learning something new.
Unplug all electronics for the day. This should be a day of calm self-refllection. Electronics tend to ruin that. Turn off all electronics. If it’s something that you find difficult to do, you may want to make it a habit. Back when I was learning to meditate, I was encouraged to do it during down time like waiting in line at the post office or grocery store. However, that’s the time when most of us pull out our phones now, robbing us of those opportunities.
Light your home by candlelight for the night. I always loved candlelight. It really seems to make things seem special. It gives enough light for interactions with family and friends, but not really enough for solo activities.
Make and eat foods made with milk and dairy products. This is probably the least-celebrated of all of the Sabbats, historically. I think there were only two cultures that celebrated it, back in the day. Those that did, celebrated it because after a long and hard winter, the goats started to lactate again, giving everyone milk and cheese to eat. You don’t have to go out of your way to get goats milk and cheese, but if you do, my favorite is gjetost, a Norwegian goat cheese. But really anything to do with dairy is great. We have a homemade Mac & cheese recipe we like. Ice cream or cheesecake are also fun options. Here is a link to some other cooking options for Imbolc.
Make your own cheese. Making your own cheese is surprisingly easy. The tough part is finding creamline milk that hasn’t been ultra pasteurized. I am lucky that I have a dairy up the road that sells milk like that! Here is a how-to guide on making simple cheese at home.
Read books to improve your spiritual knowledge. There are so many great Pagan books out there. There is also a lot of fluff out there too. In order to find a good book nowadays I usually go off the recommendations of friends or go to an actual bookstore and flip through the book first. You can also try the inter-library loan system. Unfortunately, where I live, they don’t have a lot of Pagan books, even for inter-library loan.
Feed animals who might be struggling through the winter. Those of us whose ancestors lived in cold climates struggled with having enough to eat throughout the winter. Animals still experience that struggle. If you live in a cold climate, consider leaving out some food for them.
Take a walk in the snow (if your locale permits). Even if you live in a warm climate, it’s still a great idea to take a walk in nature and experience what weather is typical for Imbolc in the climate you live in.
Create a corn dolly. This sounds odd because corn is associated with Lughnasadh, but the husks need to be dried first. Apparently Imbolc was a time they were made, possibly in keeping with the need for fertility for planting at Ostara. Here is a tutorial on how to make one.
Create a protective sigil. Home magic is something that is great to do on this day. Here is a guide to making your own sigil.
Do divination. Divination is something else that was commonly practiced historically. Usually questions were asked about the harvest and community, but feel free to ask what you want to know. Don’t have a form of divination? Now s a great time to learn! Tarot, runes, pendulums, palmistry, tea leaves, scrying, the choices are endless!
Tell stories. Now is a great time for storytelling, preferably by candlelight. Pick stories that teach a lesson, teach about your religion, or traditional stories from your people.
Do a ritual. Spend time honoring your personal God’s and beliefs in a ritual.
As a Wiccan and a music teacher, one of my favorite things about the holiday season are singing holiday songs. While some people enjoy them, there’s nothing that bothers me more than Christmas songs that have had their lyrics changed to Pagan words. I think we have many other options of both traditional and original music that there really is no need for it. Here is a list of songs you can sing during Yule. I have also created a playlist for them all on YouTube so you can play through them to set a holiday atmosphere this Yule!
Traditional “Christmas” carols that are really Pagan
1.Deck the Halls – Most people think of it as a Christmas song, but there is no mention of Christ or Christmas. The lyrics of the first verse portray decorating the house with Holly, wearing festive clothes, and singing carols. The second verse refers to the Yule log and “Yuletide treasure”. This is definitely a Pagan song.
2. Here We Come A-Wassailing – This “Christmas” song is about the tradition of wassailing in Great Britain. It stems from the idea that fuedal lords shared their exceeds with the peasents. Most people think of the holiday tradition of wassailing where people go caroling from house to house and are given wassail to drink. There are also traditions in cider producing regions of England that are more in line with Mabon where they crown a king and queen who bless the fruit to ensure a good apple harvest.
3. Boar’s Head Carol – This lesser-known carol gives the details of a feast featuring a boar. There are a few Latin phrases, but none of them really translate to anything related to Christmas.
4. O Tannenbaum – Most people think tannenbaum translates to “Christmas Tree”, but it really means fir tree or pine tree. The rest of the carol talks about how the tree stays green all year round and how beautiful the tree is. How Pagan can you get?
5. The Holly and the Ivy – It is very clear that this song was originally Pagan. The entire first verse is full of nature references . It mentions the rising of the sun, a popular Solstice theme. It also references the battle between the Holly King and the Oak King, though he is referred to as the ivy in this song. For example, “of all the trees that are in the woods, the Holly wears the crown.” Only the subsequent verses are Christian in nature, leading us to believe they were added to the song after the fact. The comparisons of the holly to Mary and the Christ child in the following verses are really a pretty far stretch. We don’t have any historical evidence that I am aware of with other lyrics for the other verses, but I think that the first verse does well on its own.
Honorable mentions: Patapan – Who can resist a carol with Pan in the title? It’s mostly about celebrating with music. There is a mention of Noel in the original language, which could translate to either Christmas or Yule, though all of the modern English versions opt to use Christmas. Another honorable mention: In The Bleak Midwinter – the first verse is full of beautiful winter imagery, but the rest is all about Christ. All of the lyrics were written at the same time, so it was definitely intended to be a Christmas song. Even so, the first verse might make a beautiful addition to your carols.
Traditional “Christmas” carols that are really just winter songs
6. Jingle Bells – A lot of people think of this song as a Christmas song, but there is no mention of the holiday at all. The lyrics merely detail a sleigh ride.
7. Let it Snow – This song describes a common feeling many of us have if you live anywhere that it snows. It is the feeling of being warm and comfortable and watching it snow.
8. Winter Wonderland – The idea that the season of winter changes the landscape into a wonderland is definitely a Pagan one.
9. Jingle Bell Rock – This is a nice upbeat song about nothing in particular. It certainly doesn’t mention any holidays, Christian or Pagan.
10. Frosty the Snowman – What Pagan doesn’t love the idea of personified snow? It’s a great song for kids, though the lyrics don’t exactly make it easy for kids to remember.
Honorable mention: It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – I think the title of this one describes this song nicely. There are references to holiday traditions, but there is one mention of “Christmases long long ago”. Other honorable mention: Baby It’s Cold Outside – I don’t particularly like this song because to the modern ear it sounds a lot like date rape. However, in the context of the time it was written, it was more likely meant as a woman who was reluctant to leave and felt the need to say she had to go because of societal expectations of the time.
Modern original songs about Yule
11. The Christians and the Pagans by Dar Williams – This song is a favorite of mine. It tells the story of Amber and Jane who were visiting a town for Solstice and decide to visit Amber’s “Christ-loving uncle”. It is an upbeat feel-good song with some amusing moments about the meeting of cultures like when Amber’s cousin asked if she was a witch.
12. Santa Claus is Pagan Too by Emerald Rose – I almost didn’t include this one in the list because it mentions Santa Claus. However, it’s clever and catchy and explains the Pagan origins of Santa.
13. Solstice Carol by Wyrd Sisters – This simple song is easy to sing along with and is written in Dorian mode, which seems to be a standard for Pagan music.
14. Solstice Evergreen by Spiral Dance – There is some nice imagery in addition to a singable tune.
15. On Midwinter’s Day by Damh the Bard – This upbeat song mentions other Pagan holidays and ideas, while celebrating Midwinter’s day.
Modern popular music that could be used to celebrate Yule
16. White is In The Winter Night by Enya – This song evokes thoughts of celebration and the winter holidays without directly mentioning any of them. Mistletoe, holly, candles, and colors of the season are all mentioned in this song by Enya.
17. Song for A Winter’s Night by Sarah McLaughlin – Her haunting voice really evokes the sense of winter, even though the vocals often dwell on other things.
18. Winter by Tori Amos – I chose this song because it mentions some of the symbolism of winter. Winter is a time for introspection (“Mirror mirror, where’s the crystal palace? But I can only see myself.”). Winter is also considered a time symbolizing old age (“Hair is grey and the fires are burning. So many dreams on the shelf.”). Tori Amos isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, mostly because it’s abstract and full of symbolism, but that’s why it makes this list.
19. Solstice Bells by Jethro Tull – It’s tough to believe that popular bands were playing music about the Solstice for this long, but Jethro Tull was ahead of it’s time. It is sad that in the mix the instruments overwhelm the vocals.
20. Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles – While not really a song one tends to associate with the holiday, it’s lyrics very much describe the coming of the sun.
Here is the playlist containing my top choices for each category including instrumentals, for your holiday celebrations. I tried to choose videos that didn’t have to ensure songs played consecutively.
Do you know of a song that should make this list? If so, leave it in the comments below!
As I think I have stated before, we are trying to celebrate the Pagan sabbats (holidays) more as cultural holidays. For Imbolc, we planned to do a thorough cleaning of the house, to purify it, and have a dinner with my family with Imbolc-appropriate foods. My husband and I spent the first half of the day dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping our house. Even though there were still several areas that needed work, the areas that had been attended to (clothes, books, and papers) were starting to be happy areas amid the rest of the chaos. I was actually starting to be happy with how our house was looking!
Afterwards, we all went to go see two houses that were for sale in our area in our price range. Our price range was low and everything was in a “fixer-upper” category. We’ll see how the process goes!
We got back later than expected. I was going to make cheese pull-apart bread and my husband was going to make sugar-free brownies. He was also going to make homemade cheese curds for poutine (french fries with gravy and cheese curds). He did make the fries from scratch though. They were delicious! Everyone but me had iced cream for dessert.
In talking over the holiday with my mom and step-dad, they seemed to think that there should be something more to the holiday than they saw. Not being Pagan, I expected them to just want to eat dinner with us. However, I guess they wanted some weird Pagany stuff. I told them that divination was common and I could get out my tarot cards if they wanted (I’m really very bad at them, but I’m working to get better). Luckily for me they declined. Lighting candles is a big part of Imbolc, but I couldn’t figure out what we were going to do after those candles were lit! Although at the end of the evening, I realized story telling was also a good idea, so maybe we will try that next year!
I have mentioned before that I am working on starting family traditions while my son is still young. He’s 16 months old, so I figured now is the perfect time to figure all of this out. My husband and I both want to celebrate Yule, but our families both celebrate Christmas. In no other religion that I know of do you have to create new traditions when you join. One of the things I love about being an Eclectic Pagan is is that I take whatever works from whatever religion I like. I like it because there are so many good things in so many religions worth “stealing”. However, when it comes to figuring out how to celebrate holidays, it makes things tough.
My husband and I had the “Santa Claus” talk. I was in favor of telling not telling our son about Santa, he wasn’t. His argument had nothing to do with “the truth” or getting to participate in the “magic” of it and everything to do with how our son wouldn’t know about Santa when he entered school. Because of this, I started researching some options for our family. Here are some options of Santa Claus alternatives for Pagan kids.
A depiction of the Holly King
The Holly King – In Celtic traditions, there is a story of the Oak King and the Holly King. The Holly King rules the cold part of the year with the height of his power being at Yule. At the equinoxes, the power switches hands. The Holly King also looks quite a bit like Santa Claus.
Mother Berchta – She rides her goat with a sack on her back full of foods. She goes to houses, roasts the goat and gives the food. The bones go back in the bag and out jumps the goat good as new! One time a child purposely broke one of the goat’s bones and she put the child in the bag and took then away. So now she brings gifts to good kids and takes the bad ones.
Odin – Odin had a lot of characteristics of what we think of as Santa Claus now. His name in Old Norse even has the first syllable of “Jul” ( pronounced Yule in English).
Odin on Sleipnir
The Yule Lads – It’s a Scandinavian tradition (in Scandinavia, they still call Christmas, Jul) where the kids leave their shoe on the windowsill for the last 13 nights before Yule. If they were good, they get a treat. If not, they get a rotten potato.
A depiction of some of the Yule Lads on a Scandinavian milk carton
This is also a great article about some lesser-known festive traditions!
What does your family do? Tell us in the comments below!
