Earthywitch, I do appreciate you taking the time to creating this post. However, I would encourage you to widen your studies to include more of what falls outside of the mythological historical traditions found with Wicca as well as the modern Paganism Movement.

While the mythological history used within Wicca/Paganism creatively fills in many missing pieces, we simply don’t know all that much about what ancient Germans did at their medieval Yule celebrations such as listing menus at their feasts. As for the ancient ‘Yule’ what we have are a few debated earlier sources that allude to some form of a major feast among the ancient Norse and Scandinavian peoples at the winter solstice that began their year. The speculative streams of transmission that eventually evolved into the mythos around the ‘Pagan’ Yule are fascinating to trace back and their origins have mostly been found within the last few hundred years. So whenever discussing the old ways of Yule, please keep in mind that neither Paganism nor Wicca are ancient or medieval. The Wiccan Yule is a living modern rite within a 20th century religion and deserves to be proudly considered in its own right. (no pun intended)

You will find that virtually everything you describe has a long and rich history before being deliberately borrowed and adapted into a modern Wiccan context. The Yule Log was originally a Germanic folk and then a Christian tradition before Gardner borrowed this concept to include within his Religion of Witchcraft’s Wheel of the Year. So too the Yule tree, a Christian tradition found in Germanic lands that was brought to England and hence included in the Victorian Christmas through its introduction by Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s German consort at the Royal Court. Actually much of what we associate with Christmas today evolved out of the Victorian period.

As for the origin of kissing below the mistletoe, in the late 18th century throughout England, a custom called a kissing bush appeared among commoners, mostly for Christmas, sometimes for New Year's Day. Any evergreen from amongst those used for Christmas decorations (including for wreaths) was used to create it and holly and even gorse was used. However because mistletoe was hard to find, holly with a sprig of mistletoe somewhere were the preferred materials to create the bush that was often large and elaborate. The most common forms used were a basin or crossed hoops. Apples, oranges, dolls, candles, coloured paper or ribbons were among the decorations. This bush would later evolve into sprigs of mistletoe hung over doorways by the later middle class Victorians.

If you are interested (or anyone else) in the documented history of transmissions, a good starting point is Ronald Hutton’s “Stations of the Sun”. An Oxford historian, he has traced back all festivals and celebrations within Britain including the sources of what is associated today with the Sabbats.

One final comment. The profound meaning and purpose of any Wiccan Sabbat comes from being a living enactment of faith today and by what it means to Wiccans now. Not from unsupported claims of antiquity found in the mythological history. Always keep that in mind whenever dealing with the myths.

C.H.

Steps one - five are just icing on the cake so to speak. Remember there is a "reason" to celebrate/worship ( I resisted the urge to use the slogan - The Reason for the Season).

Step six is just asking for a stocking full of poop.  In my many long years, family gatherings at the holidays are stressful enough without throwing in multiple religions. Reactions can range from a stoney and painful silence to open warfare. In years past, nothing says Christmas like Grandma opening a can of whoopass on Great Aunt Beulah ;)