Solstice?

[Laura]

Anyone here celebrate Solstice? I know Kathryn said something about it. Just wondering what people DO on Solstice day. We haven't ever celebrated, and I am very curious!

[bethabax]

I don't know if this counts as a "celebration", but I'm planning on taking a solstice walk this afternoon into the evening to enjoy the little bit of sunshine we do get today, the snow we got over the weekend, and the christmas lights around my neighborhood. And because I'm a photography buff, I'll take my camera and take some pictures. When I get home I'll light some candles and enjoy some good food and some non-christmas music.

Beth

[rosa]

People less lazy than I, have an all-night vigil & then get up and go sing up the sun.

I did the beer & cookies part only this year.

[Kathryn]

To me, solstice is a special day-- more like a birthday-- than a holy day. I'm an ecologist, so I spend a lot of time outside. I started marking solstices and equinoxes because they're important to the natural world-- I'm always surprised at how people think the seasons change 'suddenly', so I've made a practice of noticing how spring very gradually slides into summer, how the first signs of fall are there before the beginning of August, etc. From there, it seemed a natural extension to mark the solstices.

Winter solstice, to me, is a quieter day, more mindful. Winter here is cold, and snowy, and very very dark, all of which makes me think of slowing down, only doing important things. Unfortunately I have to work today. I've spent the morning grading papers and watching the bird feeder. The birds get special treats today-- a suet block and their favorite kind of seeds. I burn incense all day. We'll have a very wintery dinner-- stew and bread and gingerbread, and exchange gifts. I'll light candles to celebrate light, and the sun coming back.

I've always been a little ambivalent about solstice-- late fall and early winter to me is a nice quiet, safe time. Nothing much changes; it's a time of drawing down and digging in for the winter. And at solstice everything starts to speed up again as the days get longer. At least it doesn't happen too fast.

Reading this over, I sound really woo-woo dirt-worshipper. I'm not like that in real life, but this day makes me reflective. I've cleaned the whole house, gotten my hair cut, paid all the bills, done all my Christmas shopping. Today is for slowness and reflection-- what will I do with my days? Who will I be this year, and how?

Some of why and how I celebrate has to do with how I see myself in the world, which is a constantly evolving part of my own spiritual journey, which I might write about in the other forum, so I don't clutter up this one. But that's one of the valuable parts to me-- it's a day that I celebrate based on how *I* should celebrate. Christmas is a family/cultural holiday, but solstice is the important one in my personal life. So maybe you would celebrate in a completely different way. A lot of people work at soup kitchens or bring food places (I'm trying to find a good hunger-alleviating organization to donate to), some of the more traditional folks wassail or sing the sun up. And I bet there's a reason solstice has traditionally been a bigger deal as you go farther north. However, I do always suggest cake. Cake is a good way of making something more special.

[simplysweet]

I couldn't say it any better!!! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I will have a fire tonight at my house where I am going to burn a yule log. You keep a piece of last years log and burn it with the new one---saving a piece from this years; good luck. Where I live it is supposed to be -25 WITHOUT the windchill so I won't be out very long I think :/

[mrsconfused]

I love the idea of a yule log. I can't believe I'm about to admit this, but.... I read historical Christmas romances, and my favorite part of the stories is when everyone in the household goes outside to find the yule log and pick out holly and decorations for the house If only we had a fireplace....

[rosa]

..and a forest where holly and yew grew...

Me2, Mrs Confused. Though not so much on the Christmas romances.

[juliet]

I enjoy recognizing the soltices and the equinoxes, though I've always been one to pay more attention to the summer solstice, having a birthday 2 days off that day. But, having now thrown off the mantle of Christianity, I am interested in learning more about the "natural holidays," as I heard the winter solstice recently called, and creating some new traditions for myself for the winter solstice. I still value Christmas for the traditions, familiarity and reminders of peace and good will...and, honestly, the extra money I earn playing flute in church cantatas.