Winter begins on the winter solstice. In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice is the longest night of the year, often December 21st. What can families do to celebrate the coming of winter?
Enjoy the Cold and Appreciate the Light During Winter Solstice
If there is snow or ice where you live, take a snow day – or a snow afternoon. Make snow angels and snowmen, or bring some clean snow inside to make a real snow cone. If you’re in the city, make a miniature snowman on your balcony!
Winter solstice is a time to appreciate light and warmth. If you have a fireplace, this is a good night for a fire. Light candles for dinner, or if you are feeling more ambitious, create a yule log. Choose a dry piece of wood and decorate it with evergreens, holly, mistletoe, and ribbons made of natural fibers.
Bring Green into Your Home Over the Winter Season
Winter is a time to think about the new growth that will come in the New Year. Buy a Christmas cactus or a forced bulb. Bring a fresh tree into your home, but make sure that you bring it indoors for no more than 10 days. Live trees need time to transition from outside to in and back again so that they will survive the winter season. Make a wreath that incorporates evergreens and holly. You may even find branches on the sidewalk after a storm, if you live near a park or in a suburban area. Branches of pine and cedar are especially good for making wreaths, since they are relatively flat and easy to manage. Gather pine cones in the fall from parks and use them for your solstice and Christmas wreaths. The park caretakers will thank you, and you’ll have hardy decorations and time to dry them.
Support Wildlife Through the Cold Winter
Feed the birds with a cone dipped in a mixture of lard and peanut butter. Dip the cone into bird seed and hang it from an area of your house that is visible, but not too close to a window. Lard or cornmeal will make the peanut butter easier for the birds to eat. Alternatively, you can decorate an outdoor tree with berries on strings. Fresh cranberries work well for this purpose. Although wild birds can find food in the winter, feeding them adds extra calories during the cold season.
Enjoy Quiet Time with Your Family this Season
Read out loud. On a dark and cold night, read stories about the winter solstice or books that celebrate the sun. For children, a book like The Sun Egg is a lovely look at an elf who mistakes an orange for a piece of the sun. The Tomten is a quiet book that follows a farm troll as he makes his way around the barns in deep winter, reassuring the animals that spring is coming soon. Look through your family bookshelf for books that focus on light, dark, and celebration. You might be surprised at what you’ll find. Books from many different religious and secular traditions are mindful of the changes of dark and light in the world.
Have a quiet evening. Sit outside or at the window and make some tea and hot chocolate. Watch the sun go down, and look out at the stars. Winter solstice is a wonderful time of year, a time to meditate on the darkness and light in the world.
Sources:
Birdwatching.com, Feeding Winter Birds
Lawrence Journal World, Homemade Wreaths Make Simple Project
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