It doesn’t look like anything related to the birth of Christ, right? Right. In archaic-sounding English, we find the word “Yuletide,” and that is where the roots of jõulud also lie.
In ancient Scandinavian, “Yule” denotes the period of the winter solstice. Many of the Christian holidays have been “accommodated” on or near the more ancient celebratory times that had already been observed prior to the spread of Christianity. Christmas is no exception.
It’s said then that the Sun remains in its nest („päike on pesas”), and so should the people: snuggled up in their homes, with fires and candles lit...
