Monday, December 14, 2015

25 Days of Blogging - Day 14: Yule

Hi Friends!

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, today is the last day of festivals as I have had a hard time finding enough for the full 25 days.  But don't fret!  I have some great recipes, yoga practices, and more for you over the next 11 days!!

On to today's post: 

Yule is a pagan festival that originated in Germany during the Middle Ages.  The term "Yuletide" is said to have originated in 1475!  In modern times, those who still celebrate Yule do so in many different ways according to their beliefs and practices.  This festival originally lasted 12 days during the end of December, but in some practices, has been shortened to 1-3 days. 

As for food traditions, pagan celebrations often follow seasonal items.  So, for this season, foods like fruit cakes, dried fruit, nuts, apples, spices, beans, and oranges are common choices.  That being said, one of the most common (and popular)  items at a Yule celebration must include Wassail.  Basically, wassail is either a spiced and warmed wine or juice.  This recipe makes a spiced and warmed juice:

Wassail Recipe
Ingredients:
8 cups apple juice or cider
2 cups cranberry juice
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp allspice
2 cinnamon sticks
1 orange
whole cloves


Directions
Turn the crockpot on high and pour in the apple and cranberry juices. Stir in the sugar and allspace, then add cinnamon sticks. Note:  You can also warm this over a low flame for a quicker cooking method.  Stud the orange with the cloves... about 25 or 30 cloves should do the trick.. and toss it in. Cover the pot and cook on high for 1 hour. Change the setting to low and allow to simmer for 3 more hours, then serve.

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