Happy Winter Solstice!

Today is the Winter Solstice. Some might find it too pagan to discuss. But truly we all came from the same source, and it is very interesting what things we practice now that came down to us from folks we now consider undesirable. We drag in Christmas trees and light them up when pagans took in greenery to remind themselves that spring will come again after the dark winter. In the spring we decorate with eggs that were the pagan symbol for fertility.



The fact is the Winter Solstice marks the beginning of winter and is worth acknowledging. Ponder Stonehenge in England, Ballynahattin in Ireland, the cliff dwelling rooms of the Southwest where the Anasazi seemed to have lined up doorways for the seasons of light. This day is the shortest of our year, making it the longest night too. How people have longed for the return of light to their days during the dark winter months! The fact that we celebrate Christmas about the same time, a coming of a different kind of Light, was no accident. Think how brightly that star must have shown in the dark winter sky!


So as you continue to cook and clean, and get merry for Christmas, take time to notice the Winter Solstice. Think of ALL the people before us that have stopped, looked at the night sky with wonder, and waited for the bright days of spring to return.