Vancouver’s Winter Solstice Lantern Festival. Photo by ItzaFineDay.
- The days are getting longer. Really. Although it may not seem like it on this longest night of the year, when, in Rhode Island, the sun sets at 4:15 p.m. and doesn’t rise until after 7:00, daylight incrementally increases after the Winter Solstice. Midwinter festivals are meant to celebrate the return of the sun. So sleep well tonight and enjoy that extra few minutes of sunshine tomorrow.
- A chance to reconnect with nature. Winter Solstice celebrates the seasons and the return of the sun. It is the perfect time to enjoy a family hike in the woods or a visit to your local zoo or wildlife reserve. Alternatively, you could create a bird feeder with the kids to welcome furry creatures in your backyard.
- Eating, drinking and role reversals. At least that was the rampant kind of fun ancient Romans had when celebrating the Winter Solstice with a festival known as Saturnalia. The weeklong hoopla involved feasting, gambling and the aforementioned role reversals, which meant that masters waited on slaves, children directed parents and employees ruled over bosses. Sounds like a good theme for a party, eh?
- Time to plug out and power down. Christmas is such a time of gaiety and merriment, noise and busy-ness. The Winter Solstice is a welcome change from all of that. Take a break from being plugged in. My family has enjoyed many a Solstice by powering down—turning off all electronics and lights, moving with the rhythms of nature. The experience has always been a rejuvenating one. It feels good to spend a day without electronic distraction and be reminded of what stillness feels like.
- Take the focus off gifts. Sometimes you just get tired of all the Santa Claus wish lists, the unsolicited toy catalogs in the mail and the non-stop television advertising. With that kind of bombardment, of course kids think Christmas is all about the presents. Celebrating the Solstice in addition to Christmas can be a way to add another layer to the season, whether you choose to focus on community festivals, giving to others or just hanging out in nature.
Now that you’ve got a reason why you should celebrate, you can decide how you want to honor the Winter Solstice. Here’a an article with 10 ideas.
This post is featured on Thank Your Body Thursday, Natural Family Friday, Simply Natural Saturdays and Small Footprint Friday.
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