The Celebration of Yuletide

Source: SS Family Handbook

 

 

When Neblung (November), the month of the dead, has passed, the time of Yuletide is starting, with its knowledge of the rising of the sun from its sleep, of the renewal after the wintry death, of the birth of light from the darkness of the long nights. Although we Germans no longer live in the far North, and although we can alleviate the depressing feelings through light and heating, the old experiences of our ancestors are very strong and vivid in us. We still feel that Yuletide is the greatest celebration of our year. Therefore we make every effort to celebrate it in style with our family.

 

Yuletide Songs And Stories

 

Jul time is especially a time for children. Parents can't do enough to brighten up these dull days and long nights.

 

Just think about it: Where do our deep rooted feelings for Yuletide come from?

 

Mostly they are memories from our childhood days. First impressions last longer and leave the deepest sense for these celebrations in our young folk. All later festivities are only meaningful if this initial understanding is awakened.

 

Because in Germany every generation has passed on the old traditions to their children, we now have the German Yuletide, which is envied by all other Nations.

 

We also have to ensure that these old traditions get handed on in a true and unchanged way, so that they will awaken in our children a strong feeling for their Homeland and their Folk, which will provide them with a sense of security in this modern and stressful world.

 

At Yuletide children should sing our old Yuletide songs. This requires the mothers to learn our old songs and teach them with all their hearts and souls. A joint evening at your local school will help all those parents who were not taught properly in their own childhood to get it right for their children.

Our best Yuletide songs are:

 

1.                      High Up In The Winds

2.                      O Yuletide Tree, How Green Are Your Branches

3.                      Sacred Night Filled With Stars.    

 

The Yuletide season is like no other a time for telling stories. The nucleus of our fairytales is thousands of years old. If you are able to read between the lines the deeper meaning of the happenings at the Winter Solstice, you will not only make the children happy with these stories, but increase your knowledge of the deeper meaning of Yuletide and your racial inheritance.

 

It is customary now to tell one story every Jul Sunday which tells of the Solstice and the coming year.

 

·  1st Jul Sunday: Little Red Riding Hood -- The child with the red cap (Sun) goes into the dark wood to visit old mother (Earth Mother) and is swallowed up by a monster; the young hunter brings her freedom and with it the rebirth of the year.

 

·  2nd Jul Sunday: Snow White -- The princely child goes into the deep wood, reaches the kingdom of the Gnomes (Mother Earth) but is killed by the bad one (step mother); she sleeps on a mountain in a glass coffin (the ice winter) and is freed and brought home by a young hero.

 

·  3rd Jul Sunday: Maiden Marleen -- The princess with the golden hair (Sun) is incarcerated in a tower (death of the Sun); the world becomes barren and empty; the prince tries to free her but is thwarted by the bad bride (the bad one), until the time is right and he recognises the right bride and brings her home.

 

·  4th Jul Sunday: Sleeping Beauty -- The princess reaches the tower of the spinning old woman (the bad one); she falls into a deep sleep; the world becomes barren and empty until the young prince comes and freely walks through the rose hedges because the time is ripe (Winter Solstice); he wakes the sleeping girl with a kiss, the world awakes and radiates in new light.

 

See also the old Saga of Sigurd and Brünnhilde in the Waberlohe -- Magic Fire story.

 

The Yuletide Tree

 

After the men of the SS have stood on the mountains around the fires during the Winter Solstice and listened to the words of contemplation and warning, they bring home one of the little trees which have seen the fire. It is put into the hub of the Jul Wheel and decorated with the Lights of Yuletide. Therefore the evergreen Tree Of Life stood in the living room, telling of the dark winter's death and the shining rebirth of the coming time.

 

The Yuletide Celebration

 

We celebrate Yuletide in the evening, not in the morning. Yuletide is the feast of the newborn light and the renewing life. Therefore it is the feast of the commemoration of the birth of the child, of thanks to the mother, of good wishes for the growth of the whole Folk. The reason for our giving presents at Yuletide is to show respect to other members of our Folk for the part they play in its continued existence.

In Germany Yuletide is therefore a feast for the closer and wider family, which tends to exclude outsiders but for which a long lost son or one living far away is always welcome to return.

 

The presents, which are only valuable if the giver has himself worked on them, are secretly put under the Tree by the father. When everything is ready the family gathers in the adjoining room for the evening meal. The table should be festive and laid with care. This is the start of the Yuletide celebration.

 

The meal is substantial and the main course should consist of carp, goose, boar, or hare. These animals have traditionally been eaten at the Yuletide meal and should never be replaced by other food.

 

The meal should begin with a short speech by the father and end with a reference to the coming delights.

 

Not only the presents but the whole celebration should be full of surprises for all the members of the family. The father lights the candle in the Jul Earthenware Candlestick, from which the tree candles get their light. On the Tree should be 13 (12 months plus the 13th renewing) or 27 (3 lunar weeks each with 9 days) candles. He leaves three candles, which are close together, unlit. He now calls the wife, the children, and any other family members into the room using a little bell. As they admire the Tree the father lights the last three candles and says:

 

This light should burn for our ancestors who are with us tonight. This light should burn for my dead comrades from the War, and this light should burn for our millions of German brothers all over the world, who all celebrate Yuletide with us tonight.

  

After this all should sing the song O Yuletide Tree, How Green Are Your Branches, without which the Yuletide Celebration is unthinkable, and open their presents. The evening should be quiet and sincere. At the appointed time the whole family will listen to the Yuletide address of the Deputy of our Leader and will feel through it a bond reaching out from the close family to encompass the whole Folk of German brothers. During the evening the family photographs should be shown, old family stories told, and thoughts about the success of research into the family history exchanged.