Yule

**Yule** (Old Norse: Jól, "Feast") is a festival observed at roughly a week after the middle of December, on December 21.

## Customs

It was held by the Germanic peoples of Earth, their pagan descendants, and the Nordics of Jerde with dinners and offerings to their gods and ancestors (as they have returned to visit the living world), such as Odin and Baldr. Other customs held on Yule include:

* swearing an oath by a roasted ham (or boar),
* burning a log,
* decorating a tree and placing presents under it (sometimes with offerings to Odin and his army of einherjar),
* baking cookies and cakes shaped like animals,
* hosting a toast to the solar goddess Sunna with wassail (hot spiced cider), ale, or any other good-tasting beverage,
* singing festive hymns,
* hosting stage plays about the deeds of the gods (like Thor's and Baldr's victories against monsters and demons, or a comedy about Sleipnir's misadventures),
* leaving hay and carrots for Odin's horse (his flight on Yule is the basis of one of his names, "Jolnir"),
* and sun-wheels.

## In the *Rabydosverse*

Yule (spelled as Jule) is observed among the Nordic peoples of Jerde and their Freyrgardian descendants throughout the Galaxy. Due to the influence of Ardesch during the Sixteenth Age, Yule is observed by nearly every nation on Jerde as a commercial holiday.

### Joleis (Freyrgardian Yule)

Yule was observed by the Fifth Age Freyrgardians with fear. At night, families worshipped in their homes, avoiding coming out as they believed that Odin brought his Wild Hunt to hunt down monsters - and anyone who happened to see him with their eyes would die and join the blessed hosts. At home, they held prayers to honour their ancestors and the Gods.

This, however, drove some inhabitants to come out and continue with their lives, hoping that Odin might take them as blessed einherjar.

### Drondai (Novantirna Yule)

The Novantirnas and the Malendor Supercorporation celebrate Yule, but somewhat differently. They call it Drondai, the Wild Hunt.

In Novantirna culture, which treats Odin as one of its highest and most popular gods, Yule is a happy festival, unlike its human Norse counterpart where people used to not go outside for fear of being killed by the Wild Hunt. Traditions on Drondai include bonfires, mock battles, and costumes of monsters and even fashion shows of monstrous costumes.

Various worlds where the inhabitants use magic celebrate with feasts, dances, and demonstrations of their abilities, a sort of fireworks show but using magical energy. There and everywhere else, the Malendors use a astronomic theme, depicting the night sky and its endless stars and nebulae to honour Odin as the God of Information, the Creator of the Celestials, and the King of the Star Gods.

The mock battles are especially popular in many worlds, but that is where the poorest people in the Supercorporation can get a massive sum from the government just for taking part. No matter whether their team loses or wins, any contestant during the festival gets a cash prize that is worth almost five years or a decade of wages. Because the Malendor Supercorporation was among the richest civilisations in the Galaxy, many of the mock battles and cash prizes on Yule consisted of a small portion of the Supercorporation's massive wealth.

### Jaknara (Nandegakkovian and Resparin Yule)

Odin became a popular deity among the Resparins, and even respected by the atheistic Nandegakkovians as a symbol of their pursuit of knowledge. So his holy day, Yule (locally known as Jaknara, Jekollan, or Janakra) is honoured as a great festival.

Resparin traditions on Yule include running and dancing during a rainstorm or along the beach at night, dancing and spinning with torches, and reciting hymns while looking at the Galaxy or night sky.

In Nandegakko, the Malendor traditions are observed instead. It has become something like Halloween, where youngsters wear costumes of monsters and play mischievous games, while the smarter ones sing songs as they look up to the sky. Others simply go to galleries, explore the Galaxy, or simply have study-parties at their homes, schools, and libraries.

### Madladda (Anchanokke Yule)

The Anchanokke celebrate Yule by building beautiful armour. One custom practiced is dancing in circles and going in trances to allow Odin's inspiration to enter the devotees' minds. For that reason, Yule is known in Anchanok as "Madladda", the "Day of Trances".

### Alirozel (Rukthaneh Yule)

In Rukthan, Odin is worshipped as the King of the Gods, and the Bestower Who granted the Rukthaneh their magical powers. This makes Yule the holiest of all days of the Rukthaneh calendar.

Since the adoption of the Malendor calendar millennia ago, the Rukthaneh have two dates for Yule.

Novantirna Yule, on a changeable date dependent on the capital planet's decisions, is observed at a lesser scale, as a quiet day of prayers, meditation, and the study of the skies and practicing magical spells.

The native date for Yule, on the local month of Aza, is celebrated on a greater scale. Its name is Alirozel, the Day of the Rainbow. Blue lanterns are raised everywhere, and the inhabitants openly demonstrate magical powers. People start to random dance, driven by scenes and dreams of absolute beauty. Study sessions are held everywhere on the planet, putting a halt to most of the gang wars ravaging the planet. Rainbow buntings laced with runic prayers are put up, as in Rukthan they represent harmony, the Bifrost (a bridge to Heaven), and their supreme god, Odin.

Alirozel, begins on midnight, when the autumn stars and the Galaxy's trails are shown in their full majesty. That is when most Rukthaneh stay awake and conjure their magic. Every one of them who has finished their magical training instinctively sends a burst of energy from their hands, driven by their joy to project an abstract shape - representing a dream, a hope, a vision - into the sky as a simple offering to the Allfather.

Because of this overload of magic, demons and ghosts who enter affected areas disintegrate into dust and glass frost, and rainbows can be seen everywhere at night. Some Rukthaneh, especially the more magically-saturated, even glow like Celestials, and they can cast beams that look like fiery rainbows.

However, rites involving killing and murder are prohibited on this holy night, as it distorts the magical energies that pervade most of Rukthan. Several criminal gangs attempted to control the magic through these dark rites, only for them to instead risk demonic incursions and slaughter.

The Haunted Continent, on the other hand, becomes more dangerous, as the spirits there attempt to invade the uncorrupted lands and kill the expeditions resisting them. This is when storms break out, as the expeditions invoke Odin to grant them strength, as they hunt more undead and Terrans who wage war on that world. They were also aided by other servants of the Gods, who help them win back more land from the undead every year. This caused some Rukthaneh to also call Yule as "The Day of Holy Victory".

### Kerasonian Yule (Oknola)

Kerason celebrates Yule as nothing more than a festive season. The inhabitants just say a prayer to Odin, and then party and watch festive races.

Some also continue the monstrous costume parties commonly used in other Resparin nations.

### Names in other languages

* Fifth Age Freyrgardian: Joleis (celebration [of the families])
* Novantirna: Drondai (the wild hunt)
* Nandegakkovian: Jaknara
* Resparin languages: Jekollan, Jankara
* Anchanokke: Madladda (day of trances)
* Rukthanian: Azîrol, Alirozel (day of the rainbow)
* Kerasonian: Oknola

### Equivalents in other cultures

* Kolieda (Slavonian)
* Jalda (Kalambouri, Zarijanian)
* Kūtjos (Marnosyn)
* Thanksgiving (Heronoi, once in every four years)
* Dongzi (Siangwaanian)
* Makara Sankranti (Prisapuran)
* Salcharen (Vilonian)
* Feast of Amaterasu (Pinogunian)
* Arinna's Birthday (Gauvajut, Vozonid)
* Unowane (Igarinoid cultures)

## In the *Collectionverse*

Due to the greater influence of Christianity in this universe, Yule has been replaced by **Christmas**. This celebration of Jesus' birth incorporated pagan Germanic customs, such as Santa Claus' sleigh, roast ham, the Yule log, kissing under mistletoes, and singing carols.

## In the *Rinnarverse*

Yule is observed among the Germanic and Norse pagan communities.

In Bigton and the Rinnarit Republic, it is observed as a separate celebration from the Christian holiday of Christmas which is held three to four days later (on December 24-25). Some Bigtonians celebrate Yule by hosting races or snowball fights between two teams that represent ghosts and Odin's heavenly warriors, the einherjar.