(My kids + two girlfriends from 2010).
As we approach the winter solstice in the north, our days get shorter and shorter—where I live, it gets dark by 5:00 PM!
The Winter Solstice happens when the Earth’s axis tilts farthest from the Sun, marking the start of astronomical winter and the gradual return of longer days. This year, the Winter Solstice occurs on December 21.
About 15 years ago, my kids and I decided we’d like to mark that event with a party and some rituals that we have adopted. You might like to try one or two of them yourself. (And if December 21 is not the right day to celebrate, you can certainly pick a day nearby for your Solstice celebrations.) We usually clean the house and prepare for the long winter indoors. Add some herbs to the water you use to wash the kitchen floors as a way to launch this new season.
The most important way to celebrate the Winter Solstice is by creating light after the sun goes down. If you have the ability to create a blazing fire, that’s a wonderful way to begin. We have sometimes built fires in our fireplace but if the weather permits, we’ve also created a bonfire in the backyard. It can be cathartic to write out any regrets or wishes on slips of paper to burn them in the fire as well.
Another way to bring light into the dark evening is to make candles. We love to use beeswax that can be rolled around a wick. Create a collection and light all of them! Paper lanterns with battery operated tea lights look beautiful lining the walkway or driveway or an apartment balcony.
One of our favorite traditions is to make handmade gifts for each person in the family. We’ve given origami cranes, framed pictures, and handmade embroidered ornaments for the tree. Some of us have written poems or songs. Others make soup and bread as a gift. We’ve given each other paintings, new handmade calendars, family recipes, and collages.
The best part of these gifts is that each person has spent time thinking about a small project they can do during the month of December. It helps each of us slow down, think of the family we love, and then we celebrate with bonfires, soup, hot apple cider, lanterns, and this humble gift exchange.
See some photos from our Winter Solstice here.
