Every year for as long as I can remember, the Winter Solstice has been my day. As we enter November and the days shorten, it stays on my mind constantly. Into December, I watch as the minutes dwindle of daylight. In the north, the nights become very long. It’s not light till almost 8 am, and by 4 pm, the sun settles into the forest. The last weeks…it’s just hard to function during the day, though if the clouds clear and the rain blows out, a day of December sun heals the mind and the soul. Yesterday was one of those days in the morning. We went walking and put in about 5 miles, and I felt so good after.
It’s that slide into the last day of Fall today where the lack of light eats at one so hard. I woke up early today, unable to sleep more. With over 2 hours till the sun rises. For me it’s specially hard in the afternoon. I don’t see well driving at night and these are the lonely nights where I know I must be heading home by 4 pm so I can still see in the dwindling light.
Why celebrate/honor the Winter Solstice?
- The longest night of the year
- Winter starting
- The sun/light returning
- A feast to be had before the true cold winter sets in
- To be with loved ones
- A fire to keep the long night away
- Curled up in warmth of light, reading, talking, eating
- Dreaming of the coming seasons, planning gardens, and babies (human or animal)
Crafting To Do:
Make candles to light on the Solstice, to bring light into our lives. (See here on how to make beeswax candles.) (See here for making ones in tins.)
Decorate for the animals. Cover the trees with cranberries, popcorn and even orange slices. It is a gift to the birds, but it also brightens our souls. (See here for how to make the prettiest hanging food.)
Have a fire to bring warmth and light. Making kindling is crafting, no?
But most of all, go outside and touch the Earth. Breathe in the cold air of winter. And know…that the sun will return.
~Sarah