The Winter Solstice is happening on December 21, 2022 in the northern hemisphere. This is the shortest day of the year, meaning the days will start getting longer after this date. It’s the time of the year that many pagans, wiccans and witches celebrate the return of the Sun, the lengthening of days and hope after the darkness.
History & Cultures Celebrating Winter Solstice
Predating Christianity by centuries, ancient Winter Solstice celebrations included rituals of light and fire which helped with winter’s ominous gloom and recognized brighter days ahead. Many present-day Christmas traditions are originally tied to the ancient holiday of Yule and other ancient celebrations of the return of the Sun. Even many Christians are celebrating by burning Yule Log, decorating their tree, and caroling, which can be traced back to Norse people.
Thousands of years ago, Ancient Egyptians took the time to celebrate the rebirth of the Sun god Ra. Through Mespotomia, other civilizations got in on the Sun-welcoming celebrations. In ancient Chinese customs, it was believed that the yin qualities of darkness and cold were a turning point that gave way to the light and warmth of yang. Today, Dong Zhi is the second most important Chinese festival, after the Spring Chinese New Year.
Winter festivals were also common in Greece and Rome. On December 17, the Romans would celebrate Saturnalia, which was a week-long party to celebrate the god Saturn. They celebrated by feasting and gift-giving, but more importantly to honor the agricultural god. They decorated with greenery and hung tin ornaments on bushes and trees.
The Celts of the British Isles also celebrated Midwinter, but it is less known about the specifics of how they celebrated. According to Celtic myth, the solstice marked time for a battle between the Oak King who represented light and the Holly King who represented dark. The Oak King would finish victorious at the winter solstice and day would slowly return.
“In pre-Christian Scandinavia, the Feast of Juul, or Yule, lasted for 12 days celebrating the rebirth of the sun and giving rise to the custom of burning a Yule log.” (Huffington Post)
Yule was historically celebrated by the Germanic people. There are many traditions associated with Yule, but most commonly the celebrations consist of feasts, caroling, drinking and dancing. Yule has been connected to the norse god Odin. People stayed indoors, because it was said that Odin would ride through the night with the Wild Hunt to collect the souls of the dead. They didn’t want to accidentally get abducted. One of Odin’s many names is Jolnir, which means Yule One. The burning of the Yule Log would ward off evil spirits. There was also the eating of the Yule Boar in honor of the god Freyr, associated with harvest and fertility. Odin and his aspects of Death and Transition are honored at this time. As is Freyr with the envisionment of a new year of growth and promise.
We can sort of assume that through the years and years and years of the game of Telephone, we ended up with the more well-known modern celebrations of Christmas. Even Hannakah is celebrated as a festival of light. No matter what you want to call this time of year, messages of joy, hope, peace and a chance for new beginnings are celebrated. For people of nearly any background, the time of the winter solstice is to gather with family and loved ones. Using the return of the Sun, you can transform your life in a positive way. Celebrate joy no matter what that looks like for you. It’s a time to recognize hardships and adjust to them or let them go. It’s a great time to release negative energies and self-limiting beliefs.
Gods & Deities that can be worshiped or celebrated during this time:
Aphrodite, Apollo, Attis, Baldar, Baccitus, Brigid, Cronus, Demeter, Dionysis, Fortuna, Gaia, Greenman, Hel, Helios, Holle, Istar, Isis, Jesus Christ, Krampus, Lugh, Oak King, Odin, Ra, Santa Claus (aka Father Winter or Saint Nicholas), Saturn, Sol
Ways to Celebrate
Decorate your altar and home for Yule.
This time is a festival of fire and light, candles can represent the Sun. Bring light back into your home and life with candles and faerie lights.
Incorporate the colors of the season!
Green: abundance and prosperity Red: prosperity and passion
Gold: wealth and prosperity
White: purity and light
Use symbols of the season like snow and ice.
Find the plants and herbs: apples, chamomile, cinnamon, evergreen, holly, ivy, juniper, mistletoe, oak leaves, pine, pine cones, poinsettias, rosemary, sage and wintergreen.
Animal symbolism with bears, deer, reindeer, owls, ravens, crows, snow geese, and wrens.
Work with the stones diamond, emerald, ruby, garnet and bloodstone.
Decorate a Yule or Christmas Tree. It’s a pagan solstice custom to hang decorations on a pine to symbolize various things, such as the sun, moon and stars, honor ancestors, and hanging offerings on trees to gods and goddesses. Even if you just find some beautifully colored ornaments, you are practicing a centuries old tradition!
Traditions to practice during Yule:
Feast! Bake cookies, make cinnamon cakes, gingerbread and anything with apples! Drink something warm like hot chocolate, mulled wine or apple cider. Roast meat, dry fruit and drink eggnog. Anything that makes you feel warm and cozy! Just take a moment to be grateful for what you have and cheer for prosperity and abundance in the upcoming year!
Burn a Yule Log!
The Yule Log dates back to solstice celebrations and bonfires. The origin calls for the burning of the log for Twelve Nights. Place a piece of firewood, preferably found from the woods, into the fireplace to burn during the holidays. Place nice smelling and symbolic herbs into the fire. Some modern traditions call for writing things down that they want to rid themselves of for the year and burning them. The Yule Log brings luck and fortune for the next year.
No bon fire or fire place? Place a piece of wood on your altar and light candles around it to symbolize the same things.
Cleanse your home. Do a quick clean-up and cleanse with the incense or herbs of your choice.
Contribute to charity. Find a way to give back and make someone’s winter a little brighter.
Types of spellwork you can do:
happiness, hope, peace, love, strength and world healing
You can also use snow in your magic! It can be used for cleansing, purification, and emotion. You can use ice candles. Enjoy the peace that comes from the quiet of a snow day.
Winter Solstice Simmer Pot. Take apples, oranges, cloves, cinnamon and anything else that reminds you of the holidays and put them in a small pot of water. Stir with the intention of bringing in prosperity and happiness!
Capricorn Season begins around this time! Capricorn brings patience, discipline, determination and a sense of duty. You can begin directing your energies in a constructive way and use your power to keep your sights on your purpose. It’s a great time to manifest for the upcoming year! Put a plan of action together for what you want in the upcoming year. Setting boundaries frees up space for us to enjoy ourselves and look forward to the future. Be bold, get organized, and make things happen! Embrace joy and gratitude.
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