Catholic Dictionary

Find accurate definitions of over 5,000 Catholic terms and phrases (including abbreviations). Based on Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

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YULE

A Teutonic term identified with the twelve-day Scandinavian feast of pre-Christian origin celebrating the turn of the year. In Old English it corresponded to the season of December and January. Later, in Anglo-Saxon countries, it was associated with the season of Christmas. Found in such combinations as Yuletide, Yule greetings, generally in contexts where the Christian meaning of Christmas is missing or consciously ignored. (Etym. Middle English yole, yule, Old English geol, geohhol, originally a twelve-day heathen feast, from common Germanic jehwla, jejwla.)