Winter Solstice - Doing Things Differently

[Smokin Joe]

I never understand why people feel the need to celebrate Solstice. I've always regarded it as some weird hippy crap, although each to their own I suppose.

Christmas is a nice break during a long winter, even if it is celebrating someone who may well not even have existed.

 

[Rusty Nails]

I don't particularly celebrate any date, not even my birthday, but I go along with the rest of my family because I love them, it's more enjoyable and practical, and less pretentious, and it doesn't hurt me or them.

If I was celebrating a solstice it certainly wouldn't be winter solstice, which is usually, dark, dull, wet and cold, like my mood, but summer solstice where you could have a real party.

 

[DaveReading]

Days starting to get longer again? What's not to like?

 

[mpemburn]

We celebrate Yule/Winter Solstice as Wiccans and Christmas as Americans. Works out okay.

Our traditional Yule ritual involves many people (often 80-100) around a big fire. We cast the circle and call the quarters, then the White Lady asks us to help her awaken the Sun Child. Last year’s Yule Log is offered to this year’s flames. All light candles, passing the flame from hand to hand. We exit the circle singing, and feast!

This year was somewhat different due to the pandemic (fewer people, all masked), but we did bring the Sun back. You can thank us now.

 

[Saluki]

I light a candle to welcome back the sun. I do it every solstice, have done since I was young. My Aunt did the same, I spent a lot of time, staying at hers when I was a kid and she taught me things.

 

[DRM]

Having rejected the concept of an Abrahamic God many years ago, I am what some would call “Pagan” but I don’t like the word, it was an early Christian insult to those living outside the cities.
Remember that the early Christians took over the old Winter festivals for their own ends, much of what we call Christmas is a celebration of the solstice, the decorations, the excessive eating, drinking and so on, if Jesus had never been born-probably in September by the way-most of Yule would be pretty much the same today, and probably just as commercialised, just as everything else from sport to funerals is. So, if you want to celebrate Winter Solstice, just carry on with the normal traditions, just don’t mention Jesus.

Must admit that I twigged a bit back that early Christian’s pinched all the old festivals, and turned them into the Easter and Christmas etc that we know, in order to get converts on board, and found it strange that shepherds were watching their flocks as they would only do that during lambing time in spring, and it makes sense that the year turns in a circular fashion, then everything starts again.

 

[DRM]

I light a candle to welcome back the sun. I do it every solstice, have done since I was young. My Aunt did the same, I spent a lot of time, staying at hers when I was a kid and she taught me things.

I think we, as a people have lost a lot of knowledge from even not so long ago due to progress, perhaps not for the better.

 

[Stephenite]

We celebrate Yule/Winter Solstice as Wiccans and Christmas as Americans. Works out okay.

Our traditional Yule ritual involves many people (often 80-100) around a big fire. We cast the circle and call the quarters, then the White Lady asks us to help her awaken the Sun Child. Last year’s Yule Log is offered to this year’s flames. All light candles, passing the flame from hand to hand. We exit the circle singing, and feast!

This year was somewhat different due to the pandemic (fewer people, all masked), but we did bring the Sun back. You can thank us now.

Wiccans make more sense than Americans in this neck of the woods.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I’ve gone up mountains the night before the solstice. Taken fire building materials and a bivvy setup. Fallen asleep by a fire. Then woken to the sunrise. It’s a lomg night but passes easily enough and you set off at midnight and 2 or 3 hours is spent walking up to the summit.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

It’s a shame that much of our pre-Christian Celtic and Norse heritage has now been wiped out or made unrecognisable. They seem to have been so much more in touch with the rhythms and balances of nature than what has followed. Much as I enjoy the heritage of Christmas I do feel that there’s much to value in what went before.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I celebrate bank holidays.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I celebrate bank holidays.

Youll be especially pleased next year then…

 

[Fab Foodie]

I never understand why people feel the need to celebrate Solstice. I've always regarded it as some weird hippy crap, although each to their own I suppose.

Christmas is a nice break during a long winter, even if it is celebrating someone who may well not even have existed.

At least Solstice exists!

 

[Fab Foodie]

I celebrate bank holidays.

I celebrate when banks are open!

 

[Adam4868]

Watched the Winter Solstice on a live stream from Newgrange....not the same as being there and there was plenty of cloud !