With the weather getting progressively colder and the Christmas holiday getting rapidly closer, you may not have noticed that your days are actually getting shorter (which would explain a lot about why you can’t get your holiday shopping done).
Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, and also, by default, the longest night of the year. The date of Winter Solstice is always the night of December 21st. For most people, this doesn’t have much significance but to many ancient civilizations and religions, the Winter Solstice was very important.
While we in the modern era understand the scientific reasons behind the seasons and various changes in weather, Men from eras gone by had no such comfort. It was a very real fear to them that an angry god may decide never to let winter end or that a twist of fate would cause winter to last longer than their stored food supply.
The Winter Solstice was frequently a holiday on which gods and goddesses were appealed to in hopes that they would remember the mortals of Earth and let winter end when it should.
Winter Solstice was also a celebration of family and friends. Winter Solstice was viewed as a dangerous time when the forces of Good (daylight) fought with the forces of Evil (night). Since the night was longer than the day, the day was at risk of being overwhelmed by the night. Families and friends came together to celebrate all that was good and in their camaraderie contribute to the fight against the evil night.
Solstice was so important to previous cultures that some of the greatest structures of ancient times were built to determine the date of Solstice. Stonehenge is the most famous of these structures but some of the Egyptian Pyramids, Incan Pyramids and several ancient European structures were at least partly built based on the observance of Winter Solstice.
Many of today’s Christmas traditions can be traced back to Winter Solstice celebrations. Holly, mistletoe, evergreen boughs, Yule logs and even the Christmas tree have proven roots in Winter Solstice celebrations. In fact, many historians suspect that the date of Christmas was chosen because of the date of the Winter Solstice, in that many Christians at the time thought that perhaps the non-Christian who celebrated Winter Solstice may start celebrating Christmas as well if the date was close enough.
Today, some people of all faiths are have returned to celebrating Winter Solstice. They are adding the day to their regular holiday celebratory schedule. Of course, they do not view it as a day of religious significance but rather a day that marks the beginning of the winter season and as an excuse to bring family and friends together for the holiday season.
If you have not considered it before, you may want to consider holding a Solstice party this year. Gather about yourself your friends and family and share with them a toast on Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year!