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from Natural Life Magazine, November/December 2009 The winter solstice provides a great opportunity for our families to share the principles behind our lifestyle and beliefs with others, especially with our children. Solstice celebrations can attune our family to Nature’s cycles, while strengthening bonds within our immediate families. And, if we’re not religious, it can provide us with an alternative celebration to share with extended family and friends who are. Many of the religious holy days celebrated by people around the world are linked in some way to the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and have ancient roots in pagan celebrations. The term solstice means “sun stands still” and, indeed, this is a time when the sun appears to halt in its apparent journey across the sky. The Roman feast of Saturnalia, honoring the god Saturn, was a week-long feast that included the observance of the winter solstice. Parties took place and houses were decorated with boughs of laurel and evergreen trees, and lamps remained lit to ward off the spirits of darkness. Much visiting took place, along with gift giving, and processions of revelers took to the streets. Pagan Scandinavia celebrated a winter festival called Yule or jul. Many of our Christmas traditions were inherited from these celebrations and you can incorporate them into your own solstice celebrations...along with creating your own personal traditions. Planning your Celebration First of all, decide whether your solstice celebration will be focused on the exact time of the solstice, or at twilight, later in the evening or during the day. That, and other details, will, of course, depend upon the ages of the attendees. Then, decide on whether you’ll be outdoors – in a park or your backyard, for instance – or inside your home. Food is the focal point of many celebrations. You might want to prepare a feast of favorite foods (or have a pot luck), topped off with a cake decorated with a sun. One family we know puts candles on the cake and each family member lights one while making a wish. Then the whole family . . . To read the rest of this article, subscribe to Natural Life's online edition. Wendy Priesnitz is Natural Life's Editor and a writer with over 35 years of experience. |
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