The word is jol in Old Norse, jul in Swedish, and juul in Danish, but the actual meaning of the word--except to suggest Christmas--is unknown. Some claim it was actually a word for the harvest festival. Linguists remain baffled.
Wassail traditions
Another word with a blurred history is "wassail." However, we know that the word meant "good health" in Old English.
The tradition is to shout "Wassail!" and drink from a cup. The next person replies "Drinkhail," and accepts the cup, taking a drink from it. He says "Wassail!" to the next person, and passes the cup along, giving a kiss to the recipient. And the next person say, "Drinkhail," and so on.
The Yule Log
Likewise, the Yule Log is a tradition dating back to unwritten history. In the early 17th century, it was no particular kind of wood, but was burned at the holidays to bring prosperity and luck to the household.
More recently, the Yule Log is made of oak or ash, and a piece of it is saved from the fire, to light the Yule Log of the following year.
Mistletoe, and the "Kissing Bush"
Although greenery has long been used in England and Ireland to celebrate this time of year, the "kissing bush," or mistletoe, was introduced in the late 18th century. It's only necessary for mistletoe to be part of the decoration that commands a kiss if you're beneath it.
Celtic traditions suggest a rivalry between the Holly King, who rules the waning year (Midsummer to Yule) and the Oak King, who rules the waxing year (Yule to Midsummer). At Christmas, holly represents the Holly King, and ivy represents his female counterpart.
It is supposed to be unlucky to have more ivy than holly in Christmas decorations.
Traditionally, all Christmas greenery is taken down on the day after Twelfthnight (January 6th), and burned in the fires of Shrove Tuesday's pancake breakfasts.
However, the "kissing bush" remains in place all year, providing magical protection for the household until it is replaced at the following Christmas.
But, not in Scotland
In Scotland, the greenery and "kissing bush" was not a tradition, although holly was placed on houses at New Year's Eve, to keep the faeries out.
Bah, humbug? Scotland was also the country that made Christmas celebrations illegal.
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