The longest night and shortest day have been observed and commemorated for a long, long time. Perhaps as long as Life has been on earth the longest night and shortest day have been observed.
Winter solstice marks the return of the sun, and perhaps for that reason there is feasting, and gifts are given. Go online and google winter solstice… this is what comes up:
“The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth’s poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere.”
Date: Saturday, December 21, 2024
Also called: Midwinter; the Shortest Day; the Longest Night
Celebrations: Feasting
Observed by: Various cultures
Related to: Winter festivals
Significance: Beginning of lengthening days and shortening nights
Time Magazine [LINK] covers the subject well:
“These annual changes in sunlight as the Earth revolves around the sun have been well known to humans for centuries. Monuments such as Stonehenge in England and the Torreon at Peru’s Machu Picchu were designed in part to align with solstices.”
Let’s talk about how the earth’s journey around the sun gives us seasons and reasons to celebrate.
What is the solstice?
In our science classes we learned that the earth travels around the sun at an angle. The earth’s axis is tilted either toward the sun or away from the sun and that means that when the Northern hemisphere is experiencing the longest night, the Southern hemisphere is enjoying the longest day. The Time Magazine article describes it as follows:
“The solstices mark the times during the year when the Earth is at its most extreme tilt toward or away from the sun. This means the hemispheres are getting very different amounts of sunlight—and days and nights are at their most unequal.
During the Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice, the upper half of the Earth is tilted away from the sun, creating the shortest day and longest night of the year. The winter solstice falls between December 20 and 23.”
Solstices kick off summer and winter. Equinoxes mark the start of spring and autumn.
How do People Celebrate?
The Brittanica website [LINK] lists seven celebrations from around the world.
*Dong Zhi: Dong Zhi, the “arrival of winter,” is an important festival in China. It is a time for family to get together and celebrate the year they have had. Based on the traditional Chinese celestial calendar, the holiday generally falls between the 21st and 23rd of December. It is thought to have started as an end-of-harvest festival, with workers returning from the fields and enjoying the fruits of their labors with family. Special foods, such as tang yuan (glutinous rice balls), are enjoyed.
*St. Lucia’s Day: St. Lucia’s Day is a festival of lights celebrated in Scandinavia around the time of the winter solstice. Although it is now meant to honor St. Lucia, a Christian martyr, it has been incorporated with earlier Norse solstice traditions, such as lighting fires to ward off spirits during the longest night. Girls dress up in white gowns with red sashes and wear wreaths of candles on their heads in honor of St. Lucia.
*Midwinter: Midwinter in Antarctica gets its share of solstice celebration, thanks to the researchers staying there over the long, dangerously cold season. While those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are enjoying the most daylight hours, in the Southern Hemisphere they are celebrating Midwinter. Festivities include special meals, films, and sometimes even handmade gifts.
*Saturnalia: The ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia is perhaps the most closely linked with the modern celebration of Christmas. This festival happened around the time of the winter solstice and celebrated the end of the planting season. There were games and feasts and gift-giving for several days, and social order was inverted—slaves did not work and were briefly treated as equals.
*Inti Raymi: The Inti Raymi solstice celebration comes in June rather than December. But for Peru it is a winter solstice, and this Incan celebration is in honor of the Sun god. Originally celebrated by the Inca before the arrival of Spanish conquistadors, the festivities included feasts and sacrifices of animals. The Spaniards banned the holiday, but it was revived (with mock sacrifices instead of real ones) in the 20th century and is still celebrated today.
*Yalda: The Persian festival Yalda, or Shab-e Yalda is a celebration of the winter solstice in Iran that started in ancient times. It marks the last day of the Persian month of Azar. Yalda is viewed traditionally as the victory of light over dark, and the birthday of the sun god Mithra. Families celebrate together with special foods like nuts and pomegranates and some stay awake all night long to welcome the morning sun.
*Soyal: Soyal is the winter solstice celebration of the Hopi Indians of northern Arizona. Ceremonies and rituals include purification, dancing, and sometimes gift-giving. At the time of the solstice, Hopi welcome the kachinas, protective spirits from the mountains. Prayer sticks are crafted and used for various blessings and other rituals.
Winter then Spring
We human beings are so incredibly wealthy with regard to our cultures, our historical experiences, our capacity to learn and know and our shared love for life and each other. Happy Solstice to All – we are grateful for the return of the sun’s light – on December 21st early in the morning, 4:19 AM EST – SMILE!!! – the return begins.
