Yule at Sutton Hoo

Published:: 09 October 2023

The feasting table decorated with drinking horns and food all positioned under a sculpture of the famous Sutton Hoo helmet — Sutton Hoo has lots of family activities taking place over the winter | © Darren Olley

Experience a traditional Anglo-Saxon Yule at Sutton Hoo.

Yule at Sutton Hoo has finished for this year. Please check back closer to the time for more details about Yule celebrations in 2025.

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.