Winter Solstice: a Universal Celebration

By Lauri deGaris

December 21, 2023, marks the astronomical beginning of winter. Mother Earth’s north pole will be tilted farthest away from the sun. We will enter the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere; winter solstice will arrive.

Solstice is derived from the Latin word sol, for sun and sistere, meaning “to stand still” – in other words, the day the sun stands still. Winter solstice will be celebrated in the Northern Hemisphere of Mother Earth by many cultures in many unique ways.

For thousands of years, stories have been told to explain the darkness and to keep our spirits up while we wait for the light to return. Here are just a few examples of diverse cultural celebrations honoring the return of the sun and longer days.

The Pueblo, Zuni and Hopi Indigenous people – The Peaceful Ones – gather to call the sun back from its long winter slumber each December 21st. “Soyalangwul” begins a new cycle. It is time for purification, prayer, and the dance of the spirits. Celebrations include blessing all living communities of animals and plants.

The Feast of Juul is a Scandinavian winter festival when Juul or Yule logs are lit to symbolize the return of the sun and life-giving heat. The Yule log is thought to help the sun shine brighter. Celebrants drink mead around a bonfire while poets sing the songs of ancient legends.

The Dongzhi Festival occurs on or around December 21 as well. For the Chinese and other East Asians, the Dongzhi is the first day of the solar year. This festival finds its origins in the yin and yang philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos. As light increases each day, positive energy also increases. Families enjoy festive foods and everyone celebrates turning one year older.

As for myself, I plan to celebrate the winter solstice by combining several different cultural traditions. Muscadine grapevines gathered in the fall have been woven into a wreath that awaits decoration. Sweet everlasting, Gnaphlalium, obtusifolium also known as rabbit tobacco was gathered and dried at the end of summer. This sweet-smelling sacred plant with a woolly, white flower is found in old fields and pastures throughout our region. It will be woven into my winter solstice wreath and adorn my house during the coming year.

Sweet everlasting has been used for thousands of years by numerous cultures in North America. The Gullah–Geechee believe that the long-lasting dried sweet flowers will bring forth a long-lasting sweet life. They also know it has long been recognized as a remedy for colds and lung issues. Perfect to have on hand this time of year.

Sweet everlasting is also used by spiritual practitioners in the low country who practice root work. It is reported to protect one from witchcraft and spell casting one might encounter on a long dark night.

I plan to have a bonfire on the evening of the winter solstice, weather permitting. I have collected and cured plenty of aromatic cedar and hard oak wood to provide light and warmth. I will gaze upon the heaven of stars in the sky and read several poems selected especially for this occasion.

After the fire has burned down, I plan to retire to the comfort of my bed with a warm cup of tea and an inspirational book, “We Survived the End of the World” by Choctaw elder and Episcopalian bishop, Steven Charleston just arrived and I am anxious to read his latest work. I loved his last book “Spirit Wheel: Meditations of an Indigenous Elder.” I am sure I will love this book as well.

During the next few weeks, I will call on the strength of Bear medicine as it carries the power of introspection. It is during the long winter that Bear enters hibernation. We are called to follow the example of Bear during this time and walk the path of silence. This allows us to calm our internal chatter and process the past as we prepare for the future.

Winter solstice poetry I have selected to read this year include works by Mary Oliver and Robert Frost.

Mary Oliver –

Snow Geese

What a task

to ask

of anything, or anyone,

yet it is ours,

and not by the century or the year, but by the hours.

White Eyes

In winter

all the singing is in

the tops of the trees

where the wind-bird

with its white eyes

shoves and pushes

among the branches.

Robert Frost –

Dust of Snow

The way a crow

Shook down on me

The dust of snow

From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart

A change of mood

And saved some part

Of a day I had rued.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound’s the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

May we all enjoy a peaceful and warm long winter night on December 21. Happy Winter Solstice.