Tonight is 12th night. It is a celebration of all the godesses and gods. A meal of ham or pork is served. The mead is broken open and a pot of wassail is put on the fire.
It is also a time for beginnings and endings.
It is a night of making oaths and swearing over an oath ring.
This is the last night of the yule log. A portion of the coal is saved to start the yule log next year.
Everyone feasts and praises the gods as they ring in the new year at midnight.
Þórr and Sif are honored and asked for blessings on the home to drive out the last of the wandering yule spirits and to protect the house for the next year. The tradition of banging pots and pans comes from driving out the last of the yule spirits that may be lingering and could cause trouble in the coming year.
Although we bang our pots and pans a day before (because of the way our calendar falls - the Norse followed the sun and the moon), we still celebrate a new beginning. So warm up some wassail, fire up the oven, and share a feast with your neighbors and friends.
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