Winter Solstice is something that almost everyone in the western world is familiar with, even if they don't call it by that name. Every civilization (not just western ones) has celebrated the winter solstice in some form, and many traditions that we follow today go back to the 3rd and 4th century, if not before! So, what is it, and why is it so significant that people around the world and throughout history have observed it?
The winter solstice is the longest night of the year, and it happens on either December 20th or 21st. This year, it's celebrated on December 21st, and the exact time is at 3:45pm EST. After this, the days start getting longer and the nights shorter, so the day after is seen and celebrated as the return of light and the sun. (For our southern hemisphere folk, it's instead the summer solstice, and the days start getting shorter.) The winter solstice is a celebration of death and rebirth.
The word "solstice" comes from two separate words, "sol" for sun and "sistere" meaning "to stand still". On the solstices (both winter and summer), the sun appears to have no change in latitude around the world. The sun sits firmly at the latitude of Tropic of Capricorn, and marks the beginning of Capricorn season (my season!). It is a time that encompasses past, present, and future -- a pause to reflect, be in the moment, and then move forward.
It is also the time to stay indoors, keeping ourselves safe from the cold and the dark. Historically, it was very important to stay indoors in winter, as many dangerous creatures used the cover of night to hunt their prey, and less food outside meant they were hungrier and more likely to venture towards towns to fill their bellies. In fact, it was so important to keep this in mind that there are many cautionary tales for children about winter spirits eating or torturing children, designed to keep them indoors around this dark time of the year. Families would gather in their houses, telling stories around the fire and celebrating that light was returning-- sounds a lot like our winter festivities now, doesn't it? Sure, we tend to tell more optimistic tales like "The Night Before Christmas" and "A Christmas Carol" rather than about Gryla and her Yule Lads, or Krampus punishing children who didn't behave (although many still get that warning in a milder form of not receiving presents), but storytelling remains a key tradition to this winter holiday.
One tradition from European pagan solstice celebrations is the decorating of an evergreen tree. The evergreen is a symbol of longevity and perseverance, as they were the only living trees alive in winter, still full of greenery. In the dead of winter, people celebrated the evergreens' survival by bringing these trees into their houses and decorating them with lights to bring the warmth in, and to give homes to the spirits of the trees. Additionally, this was the creation of the Yule log tradition. People would find the biggest tree and bring the trunk in to burn through the shortest day and the longest night. It burned until the dawn of the next day and the rebirth of the sun to protect from evil spirits and welcome back the light. These days, most people just burn some small logs in the fire in the evening, or even make a cake dubbed the Yule log, but the spirit of the tradition persists.
Decorating a tree is one of the most common celebrations still to this day, now widely transformed into a Christmas tree. A lot of the pagan traditions for winter solstice were repurposed to fit Christmas, often in a way to convert Pagans to Christianity in Roman's invasion of Britain. In fact, the Puritans of the American colonies recognized the pagan traditions and roots to the extent of banning Christmas celebrations!
Treats commonly eaten at solstice celebrations include yule bread or logs, kinship cookies, and mince pie. There was a belief that as many mince pies as you taste at Yule will equal the months of happiness to come in the new year. Wassail is also a common drink at this time, a warm cider with pleasant spices -- "wassailing" is a tradition that continues to this day in the form of caroling, although (usually) with less drunken shenanigans!
Spell crafts to make while sitting around the fire include witch balls, and cranberry and holly garland. Both are seen as protective charms against the evil spirits of the winter dark. Witch balls are hung in windows, and the garland is often hung around doors or walls, or even on the tree itself.
My book recommendation for this time of year is "The Old Magic of Christmas" by Linda Raedisch. Learn more about the historical pagan traditions, folklore, and symbolism that I've mentioned here, plus more!
As a final note, Santa Claus is totally a fae spirit. Entertain that idea! If you work with the fae, think about if you'd like to work with him.
