Approx. Reading time: About 2 Minutes
Introduction
Hospitality, Greeting the Depth of Winter, Kari and his kin
The seventh day of Yule is saying hello to Winter! This day we greet Kari and his kin as winter settles in. It’s one of the last good nights for gathering before the weather becomes too difficult to travel. Tonight’s meal will be lamb stew and leaf bread. Finish up your winter preparations, put away things outside that won’t stand the cold, bring in the animals and plants that can’t survive the freeze. Get out the hats, gloves, scarves, and boots!
KARI & HIS KIN
Kari is the old Norse God of the North Wind. In Norse mythology, he is the oldest son of Mistblindi, an ancient frost-giant also named Fornjotr. He is a powerful spirit of wind and snow and frost, of blizzards and storms. His two brothers were Logi, an ancient fire God, and Aegir the Lord of the Sea. All of Kari’s children are named after beings of winter.
Offerings to Kari & his kin
Make a feast of lamb stew and laufabrauð (leaf bread). Making leaf bread is an Icelandic Christmas tradition, and its snowflake-like designs make it an appropriate offering to Kári and the spirits of winter. Making and designing the bread is a fun family activity, and best done in a group. Before having your dinner, leave some of the stew and leaf bread outside as an offering to Kári and his family, maybe adding a little chilled vodka or peppermint schnapps, a strong steeping of peppermint tea works too.
Here’s a Lamb Stew: Lamb Stew (Irish Stew) – Spend With Pennies
And the Leaf Bread: Leaf Bread (Laufabrauð) (saveur.com)
Hospitality
It’s becoming colder as the Northern Wind pulls in a deeper winter. The change in weather will lead to harder traveling conditions. This is a good time to invite your friends over for dinner and gifts before it’s too difficult to travel. It’s important to make time for those in your life that you don’t see all the time, even if they can’t come to see you, send them a letter and give thanks.
Greeting Winter
It’s time to prepare for the depth of winter. It’s only going to stay colder now even if the day grows longer. Snow is a possibility depending on your location, or a definite event. If you haven’t gotten out your scarves, hats, and boots, do so now. Think about the things inside and out that need to happen for the upcoming freeze. Leave out peppermint treats!
