Trettándablót!! Auspicious YULE THIRTEEN
Saturday December 21
1114 W. 7th Street, Silver City
7:30 PM until very late… or dawn
It’s a rare year when we can do this thing on the actual solstice, and the night is near nigh for LUCKY 13! Old traditions and new, with all of your wild and wooly friends, chomping and romping until dawn – and we will also resume last year’s practice of the BEASTLY WAIL, so make sure you read all the way to the end, for YOUR ASSIGNMENT. WÆS HÆL!
Our annual Yule gathering is a strange and magnificent costume party, where we spoil our guests with decadence and cheer to warm their hearts on the longest night (MUCH better than Christmas will), and where magic both silly and solemn abounds. As per tradition, please arrive bedecked in your finest Yule garb, whether your inspiration comes from pagan style, Norse mythology, Narnia, “Where the Wild Things Are”, or even just your weird and wintery imagination — we expect to see you in your velvet robes and (faux) fur; your icicles and antlers; your flower-wreaths and ram-horns; your crystals, twigs, and feathers — and the more outlandish, the better! Search for pictures of Busójárás, Koliada, Perchten, Kukeri, Mummers, Malanka, and Romanian Capra for inspiration. Whatever your transformation, you will come as YOUR OWN TRUE SELF… the one that is ONLY REVEALED at YULE ❤️
Well-mannered kids are always welcome (they love it) and please bring drinks and beverages of all kinds, but NO FOOD PLEASE — the traditional spread of unheard-of Nordic delicacies will be provided by your loving hosts. If you’d like, you may bring A SACRIFICE (a personal possession that is precious to you that has a good personal story attached to it; but is something that you are now ready to let-go of, and gift to another keeper.) In recognition of the enormous size that this gathering has become, all exchanges of SACRIFICES will be private and casual at your own pace and time. Find your costumed recipient during the night… tell them your story… and pass it along.
Also per tradition, our effigy Julbock (yule goat!) will be solemnly burned sometime after 10 pm, before ramping-up the music and re-stoking the warmth of the outdoor fires that often burn until dawn, for the most committed Yulies!
Generally we allow our invited guests to bring a friend or two, or a family member or two — but please first check-in with Manda or Cristián to declare any extra people you would like to bring along, so that we’ll know what to expect. Then introduce your companions to us formally when you arrive, so that we may both welcome and bless them. This is a gathering of friends in a private home, so we try to avoid an “open invitation” free-for-all that could risk getting a wee bit out of hand… although it tends to get out of hand anyway.
And now for YOUR ASSIGNMENT, for the BEASTLY WAIL (a repeat of last year’s attempt, if you were in attendance). In the weeks and days before this event, you must learn and practice mimicking the night-calls of TWO different animals that are native to our local forests. The two animal calls you will learn are determined by your birthday. One of your assigned animals corresponds to your birth month; the other corresponds to your birth date. Below is the list of all assignments, with some links to recordings that might help you practice. For example, if your birthday is June 9th or 10th, your assignment is to learn and practice mimicking the night-calls of the red fox (for June) and the spadefoot toad (for 9/10).
The purpose of all this will be clear around the time we burn the goat. Here is the list, with some links to assist you:
