The Winter Solstice

WRITTEN BY RUBY LEWIS

The winter solstice has always been known as the shortest day of the year followed by the longest night. For centuries cultures around the world have celebrated this time with day-long feasts, ancient stories and symbolic rituals of light. We often look at the winter solstice as just the longest night of the year before we head into winter, which has led to negative associations with the day and the season. However, the winter solstice holds immense power and significance in our world and in our personal lives.

Norwegian cultures celebrate the winter solstice because it symbolizes the first day before we tread into deep winter. Cattle would be killed to store food for the winter, but also celebrated for providing resources to the people during the dark months. Wine and beer were finally fermented and ready to be consumed for the first time all year. Because of all the fresh meat and distilled wines, the Norwegian people would celebrate all night of the solstice. They believed the sun gods were preparing for rebirth and growth, resulting in the sun disappearing from the sky for a long period of time (Bierma, 2019). Although these celebrations took place at night, the use of light was crucial. Lanterns, candles, and warm fires were created to gather around and appreciate new warmth coming. They danced and sang of ancient legends telling the stories of sun gods or mythical monsters as the reasons for the darker days. They prayed and called out for the sun to return while lighting a yule log to help the sun gain her strength and light back. In Scandinavian cultures, this celebration would last twelve days (Stanton, 2021).

The winter solstice has held significance since the stone age allowing cultures to understand the change in seasons. In northern parts of Europe, shrines and statues have been built to align with the sunrise of the winter solstice. The stone henge was created to orient with the peak of the sun during the winter solstice. We do know how this phenomenon was created, creating a strong magical and whimsical narrative to describe the solstice.

Although winter is dark and cold, Pagan traditions celebrated this time because the sun gods would return new and reborn in the spring bringing new life with them. It symbolized hope and new beginnings. We often look at winter as a bleak dark time, but can we learn from these ancient traditions to our own world and lives today. The energy that comes from winter is a sacred time of rest and reflection.

MODELS FERUZA LEGASS

& KUNDAI KAPURURA

COVER MODEL FERUZA LEGASS ART DIRECTOR DJ WOOLEY PHOTOGRAPHED BY EM ERCE DESIGNERS LYNETTE SLAPE &

KAELEIGH JAMES

During the winter months, we experience our own darkness–the darkness of self. As days get shorter and colder we are less inclined to go outside and engage with others. Winter is a time we can examine our own darkness, whether that be in actuality or metaphorically. Will this new light come to be a chapter of renewal and growth? How will we take the stillness of these dark nights and turn it into rebirth and renewal in the new celestial year? We become detached from the world around us at times and this dark period of being alone can be a time of self-reflection. Rather than dwelling on the extremes of winter and the malice around us, we must connect with ourselves to connect outward to the nature that surrounds us.

The winter solstice holds so much power because it is symbolic of the sun growing in her strength to create new life. We can be similar to the sun during this time and look where we need to grow. As we grow older and wiser, we have a better perspective of the world around us and our relationships with ourselves. You have to let old parts of yourself die to make way for the new life. In the darkness of ourselves, we must be with it and explore to let our new light in during the new year. This is difficult because it requires us to connect with our deepest and truest selves.

Deep within the void of darkness, a speck of light is reborn that is a promise of new life to come in the Spring. The sun’s rebirth is a living symbol of hope for the future. As fifteen-hour nights give way to fifteen-hour days, the darkness of the past year can be viewed as a fertile time that ultimately births new light. We should not fear the darkness but embrace it. After all the dark we have seen, remind yourself light is coming. We will see physical light as the days get longer and spiritual light that comes from within. No matter how much darkness there is, light always comes just as the night turns into day.

Citations:

Stanton, K. (2021, December 15). Winter Solstice Facts & Traditions: The Shortest Day of the Year UniGuide. UniGuide; https://www.facebook.com/ uniguide1/. https://www.uniguide.com/winter-solstice-facts-traditions/

Bierma, M., & Reese, T. (2019, December 9). Winter Solstice: Stories and Traditions From Around the World | Three Rivers Park District. Home | Three Rivers Park District. https://www.threeriversparks.org/blog/wintersolstice-stories-and-traditions-around-world