Yule: A Celebration of Light and Warmth (Holiday Series)
Those who yearn for spiritual meaning but aren't strongly affiliated  with a specific religion sometimes feel left out of winter holidays.Yuleis like a hot toddy for these chilled and isolated souls. From mistletoe to gift  exchanging,Yuleexplores and exalts the pagan and regional roots to many  of our contemporary rituals and celebrations. For example, lights were  historically used to decorate winter homes in order to "frighten negative  entities and urge the sun to shine," according to author Dorothy Morrison. Many  people believe that Santa's reindeer "represent the stags that drew the chariot  of the Norse gift-giving goddess, Freya." Beyond all the fascinating trivia,  this is also a book that offers fresh approaches to old traditions, such as  having a cleaning ritual that ceremoniously sweeps out the old and makes room  for the new season or conducting a reverent "tree blessing" ceremony. Morrison  also suggests numerous homemade crafts and gift ideas (many are suitable for  children), inviting seasonal recipes (such as Yuletide Ambrosia and Dragon's  Layer Cake), and a December calendar that lists traditions and rituals for every  day of the month.--Gail Hudson