Yule. In Old English, December was called Ærra Geola, meaning Before Yule. Geola refers to the midwinter festival. The exact meaning of the word is debated, although some people link it poetically to the turning wheel of the year. Yule was a multi day feast marking the deep winter season, when one cycle faded and another began. It was a time of superstition, when people felt the weight of the dark more keenly and the spirits of ancestors seemed close. Fires and candles were kindled against the l