Today is the shortest day of the year, and to me, one of the beginning of a season of community, storytelling and gathering, but also one of introspection and rest.

I always felt like the introspection and rest  of the entire winter season was an interesting contrast to the feasting of Christmastide (that begins on Tuesday) in the Christian calendar, but the older I become I see Christmastide as both feasting and introspection.   Solistice, to me, begins the time when I think about how I am going to spend the Twelve Days of Christmas, which begin on Christmas Day (this year it is on Tuesday!  Not that many days away), and ends with the feast of Epiphany/Three Kings Day.   If you are interested in planning a bit ahead for the twelve days of Christmas and some inner work, here is a back post linking some ideas.  Here is an introspective approach I took one year through biography.

For today, though,  here are a few thoughts for celebrating:

• Watch the sunrise or the sunset
• Have yellow, round warming foods
• Create live music!
• Hike, backpack, picnic
• Use only candlelight today or have a candlelit dinner
• Make Sun Bread (do you have the little book?  This is the link to “Sun Bread” on Amazon
• Tell stories about the animals
• Make yellow window stars, star lanterns, window transparencies
• Ski or snowshoe if you live in a climate for that. All we are getting where I live is cold, gray rain.
• Go out and see the full moon and the meteor shower.  There was a recent article about this here.
• Try some of the ideas from the Danish concept of hygge.  I personally like the book, “Making Winter: A Hygge-inspired Guide For Surviving the Winter Months”
• Be inspired by viewing some beautiful winter art, like Henry Farrer’s “Winter Scene In Moonlight” and others.

Hope you have a wonderful day marking this transition into winter.  I would love to hear your plans!  Comment below!

Blessings and love,

Carrie