December 21 Did the Celts in the Périgord once celebrate the Festival of Lights on this day? About Celts, festival of light and a starry sky

Today is December 21. For some ancient peoples like the Celts, it is a festival: Yule. In nature, the longest nights of the year have arrived and the sun is at its lowest point. At La maison de Bellerive, this is easy to see. The romantic summer sunsets through the poplar forest have given way to a watery, hushed decline behind the old cherry tree in front of the house.

For three days, the sun remains at this lowest point before rising again bit by bit on December 24. To the Celts it must have seemed like light was being born all over again. And on the Christmas night of 24 December, let the birth of Jesus be celebrated: the birth of the Christ Light. It is always a wonder to see the intersection of ancient beliefs and modern religions. The incorporation of traditional rites and rituals was also necessary to get the ‘pagans’ on board with Christianity. Their original festivals, so akin to the movements of the seasons, were given a Christian sauce.

Was Yule also celebrated in Dordogne in earlier times? Did any Celts reside in this area at all? I'm going to look this up... Yes! In the Périgord, Celtic (Gallic) tribes settled from 500 BC onwards. Many villages owe their origins to these early inhabitants. Le plus-beaux- village Belvès (10 min drive), for instance, appears to have once originated from the Celtic tribe Bellovaci. I don't blame them: a pleasant climate and fertile soil are reason enough to fall in love with this place. Plus the high altitude would have made it easy to spot any coming invaders.

Back to December 21 and Christmas. A friend asked me, ‘Do you celebrate Christmas in France?’ No, this year the Christmas candles are burning in the Netherlands with our families. However, we will celebrate New Year's Eve for the first time at La maison de Bellerive this year. I am looking forward to gazing up into the dark night like the Celts. Billions of stars in a clear night is the best fireworks I can imagine.

I once wrote a poem about stars. Very fitting for this time of year with candles, inward silence ánd togetherness.

The silent middle

Beyond chattering inner voices

and bouts of diverse feelings

is an opening inwards

with love for what is

and a window outwards to see,

hear and not always understand.

No matter; we are all stars

in the same sky hearts

on the same earth

and imbued with the silent centre

to which one only needs to tune in

© Helena Kwaaitaal

Heb het goed in deze winterse dagen, waar je ook bent!

PS. Geen foto van een ondergaande zon op 21 december maar wel twee bloeiende rozen bij aankomst eind december!