Yule, also known as Winter Solstice, is a traditional festival celebrated by many cultures, particularly those with Pagan or Germanic roots. It marks the longest night and shortest day of the year, typically around December 21st of 22nd in the Northern Hemisphere. Yule has both modern and historical significance, blending ancient traditions with contemporary practices. Historically, Yule is about the battle between darkness and light.
Celebrations honor the rebirth of the sun. Evergreen trees, holly, ivy, and mistletoe symbolize birth and renewal. These plants are still used to decorate homes during the Yule season. The return of the sun symbolizes hope, renewal, and the triumph of light over darkness. Yule emphasizes the cyclical nature of life and the interconnection between humans and the Earth. Yule is celebrated worldwide by diverse communities, as a part of their religious practice or as a way to connect with nature and the rhythms of the Earth.
The other key symbols of Yule include bells, which ward off evil spirits and welcome positive energies, and reindeer, sacred animals in Pagan mythology that symbolize strength and survival.
Wyoming History is taught in the fourth grade, it was that year that I learned that reindeer do exist, they migrate to Wyoming from Canada in search of food and habitat. These reindeer, often called Caribou travel up to 840 miles between seasonal ranges, which is a record for long distance migration in North America. Reindeer have incredible endurance due to their large hearts, which carry them further and in harsher environments than any other land animal. They can sprint up to fifty miles per hour and travel twenty miles per hour over long distances. A newborn reindeer is on its feet in minutes and can run as fast as an Olympic sprinter, only a half hour after birth.
Reindeer were a big part of our science curriculum the last week of school before the holiday break. We learned that in summer, reindeer eat a particular red and white mushroom called Amanita Muscaria that grows beneath cedar and birch trees. The Amanita Muscaria is the iconic toadstool portrayed in the Mario video games that Mario eats to “power-up.” This mushroom is poisonous to humans but not deadly. In winter, reindeer feed on Lichen, also called reindeer moss.
Reindeer are the only deer species to be covered in hair from their hooves to their noses. The hair on their nose helps to warm incoming cold air before it enters their lungs. Reindeer have a great sense of smell which helps in food foraging and locating danger.
There is aerial footage of a “reindeer cyclone” on YouTube that shows a reindeer stampede, a defense strategy to confuse predators. The herd of reindeer running counter clockwise protects the does and fawns who run in the middle of the cyclone, making it almost impossible to target an individual.
Reindeer are the only deer species to be widely domesticated, they are used as draft animals to pull heavy loads.
Santa’s reindeer were first mentioned in 1821 when New York printer William Gilley published a sixteen page booklet for children titled, “A New Year’s Present to the Little Ones from Five to twelve.” Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was created by Robert L. May in 1939 as a booklet for Montgomery Ward. The retailer had been buying and giving children little booklets each year and decided that creating their own story was more cost effective. Historians believe that Robert L. May knew about reindeer eating Amanita Muscaria and that gave him the idea for Rudolph’s red nose. All reindeer noses actually are a little red due to densely packed blood vessels, which helps them survive some of the harshest conditions on earth. Rudolph is loved by all, he is a unique individual, who despite the ridicule and isolation in the beginning of the story, his red nose helped him save Christmas. Rudolph’s story embodies the American dream for every child, the ability to express and receive approval for his or her individuality and special qualities.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has prohibited anyone from bringing reindeer into the state without a permit. Although he hasn’t been caught in the act, the NORAD Santa tracker has documented Kringle and his team of reindeer flying over the Cowboy State every year for nearly six decades. Santa Claus is known across the world as Father Christmas, St. Nicholas, and Kris Kringle. If the authorities in Wyoming catch up with him, he might need another alias.
Kate Emery General is a retired chef/restaurant owner who was born and raised in Casper, Wyoming. Kate loves her grandchildren, knitting, and watercolor painting. Kate and her husband, Matt are longtime residents of Cambridge’s West End where they enjoy swimming and bicycling.
