The Christmas classic “Deck the Halls” contains the line “Troll the ancient yuletide carol” (to troll is to sing in a joyful or celebratory manner). Another line in the song says, “See the blazing yule before us.” We sing those lyrics, but often don’t know what they mean, since we never hear the word yule at any other time of year. So what does yule mean, and why is it a part of the Christmas tradition? How did Christmas, the Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus come to be decorated with mistletoe, Christmas trees, and holly wreaths? What is the origin of Santa Claus and the custom of exchanging gifts? Let us look into the history of Christmas to find out which roots lead us back in time to the festival of Yuletide so that we may answer these questions. 

During our hour, I will introduce your student to the ancient Germanic peoples who celebrated Yule. We will travel to the Nordic countries (Scandinavia)  - a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic, where they are most commonly known as Norden ("the North") to view how they celebrated this ancient festival.  We will then fast forward after the birth of Christ to find how the beautiful traditions of Yule survived the ages.  

We will discuss the history in four parts;
Yule or "Yuletide" (Peoples and Traditions - 1st Cen. onward)
The Early Church (Saint Nicholas of Myra, Saint Boniface 4th - 10th c.) 
O' Tannenbaum! (Tradition of the Christmas tree in Germany- 16th - 18th c.)
Home for Christmas (American Traditions - 18th c. onward.)

Videos will be uploaded for students to view prior to the lesson.
Visual presentation slides will be included in the discussion.
Students will be encouraged to ask questions and include what they know about this holiday. 
Students will be encouraged to make a Yule goat decoration at home with a parent, guardian, or older sibling.