Re: Season Greetings and Happy New Stones Year 2020
Date: December 25, 2019 10:28
In Norway we say "God Jul", which means "Happy Chrismas" sort of.
The term "jul" is short for old Norwegian jólablót, which means midwinter party. The Vikings celebrated midwinter January 12, because then the sun had turned and the days were longer. In real, the sun is turning December 21. To me, and many others, living up here in cold dark Norway, that is an important day, because that is the real midwinter. In the Oslo area, south of Norway, the daylight is 6 hours now, and every day from now on is brighter and longer, until midsummer day, when days are 18 hours and not really dark at night here in the south, in the north they have complete darkness now, and midnight sun in the summer.
Norway got Christened around year 1000. Before that we were vikings celebrating midwinter and midsummer and so on. With Christning they changed the meaning of JUL into celebrating the birth of Christ. For us in Norway the biggest day is Julaften which is December 24. It is like Thanksgiving day in USA, all families are together, the biggest meal of the year, and children open gifts.
Some extremists try to make an issue out of the saying and celebration - or not saying - GOD JUL - i.e. Merry Christmas. I think that is stupid, because Jul i.e. this time of year is a great time for everyone to celebrate family and the year that is passing, regardless of religion, type of food they eat, and where they live. If everyone said Happy Christmas or God Jul or Bon Noel or Fröhliche Weihnacht or Prettig Kerstfeest or Feliz Natal or Feliz Navidad or similar rather than fighting, then the world would be a better place to leave, at least during these days.
God Jul!
Bjornulf