Yule

American  

[yool] / yul /

Also yule

noun

1. Christmas, or the Christmas season.

2. an ancient Germanic pagan holiday centering around the winter solstice, now sometimes celebrated by neopagans.

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yule British  

/ juːl /

noun

1. literary (sometimes capital)

   1. Christmas, the Christmas season, or Christmas festivities

   2. ( in combination )

      yuletide

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Usage

What does yule mean? The word yule can be used as another name for Christmas, the Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus.However, yule can also refer to the celebration of the Winter Solstice that’s observed in some Pagan traditions.Like the word Christmas, yule can also be used to refer to the Christmas season—Christmastime. Another word for this is yuletide.When they’re used in reference to Christmas, the terms yule and yuletide are often intended to sound a bit old-timey—yuletide carols being sung by a choir, and all that.Example: I like to spend Yule sitting by the hearth, listening to tales of winters gone by.

Etymology

Origin of Yule

First recorded before 900; Middle English yole, Old English geōl, geol(a) “Christmas day, Christmastide”; cognate with Old Norse jōl, the name of the pagan winter feast lasting 12 days, later applied to Christmas; akin to Gothic jiuleis

Example Sentences

"Yule vacations" were outlawed in 1640 due to Reformation influences and it was only recognised as a public holiday in 1958.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2025

Yule was also an instructor who taught at Juilliard, Columbia University and at HB Studio.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2025

Juovllat, or Yule, was a time to hide from the terrifying stállu, a creature who sucked out the life spirit of the Sámi with an iron tube.

From National Geographic • Dec. 21, 2023

Legend has it that a network executive in search of a Yule Log equivalent proposed unleashing a lineup of fuzzy poopers into a fun-sized Plexiglas "stadium" with a bunch of toys.

From Salon • Feb. 12, 2023

I watch Yule May’s long fingers pinch the dough off a knife and I sigh, knowing right away who she means.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett