Yule at Sutton Hoo

A traditional Anglo-Saxon Yule will be returning to Sutton Hoo this winter, inviting you to travel back in time over 1,400 years and discover how today’s Christmas traditions have been inspired by the past. 

From Saturday, 22 November, you can see the High Hall exhibition space decorated for a traditional Yule feast, share your own festive traditions and take part in a special Yule-themed trail, helping Edwin, a young Anglo-Saxon warrior, to prepare for the celebrations. 

What did Christmas mean to the Anglo-Saxons? 

In the Anglo-Saxon period the days around the winter solstice are believed to have been known as Géola (Yule). The Yule feast was one of the key feasts of the year. Whereas now the winter solstice commonly falls on 21 or 22 December, under the Julian calendar it fell on 25 December.

The actual customs of yule are very similar to many of the customs we still celebrate over this festive period. The Anglo-Saxon celebration of Yule is believed to have involved decoration, feasting, drinking and paying homage to ancestors.