No matter which was you cut it and no matter how you celebrate it, there is no doubt that Yule is a time of year steeped in tradition. Some of this will be unique to your own family and some will be more generally known. Other symbols and motifs occur frequently and are either timeless or have been changed and appropriated in other ways over the years.

In this edition of The Folklore Podcast, creator and host Mark Norman examines some of the customs, traditions and beliefs surrounding the festivities of Christmas, Yule and/or the Winter Solstice (to name but three variations). From candles to trees, reindeer to mistletoe and Santa to Krampus, learn some of the ancient roots and origins of the imagery that endures to this day. You may be surprised by some of the history of your favourite Christmas symbols.

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Belief in fairies and other creatures of the fae is ancient and deep-rooted in cultures around the world and hence there is a multiplicity of folklore and tradition surround our interactions with the fae as human beings.

Widespread belief in fairies generally died out around the 19th century, but that does not mean that people do not still report seeing or interacting with fairies in more modern times. In this episode, host Mark Norman discusses this subject with social historian Jo Hickey-Hall and they look at how modern fairy beliefs tie in with the older lore.

A Facebook group to accompany this research can be found here

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