By: Stephanie Marcial, guest blogger & BU leader
As we approach the longest night & most darkness of the year, there’s (now) a lot of science behind observations of ancient cultures. The Latin meaning of “Solstice” is standing still sun. People who used daylight/darkness to mark time also realized the day Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year. This time of year calls to honor the cycles of nature’s rebirth, & reaffirm the continuation of life.
Historically, it has been a time of peace & community – a celebration of hope & goodness. The darkness of winter has also been a time of reflection and contemplation. My hope is that something in this post sparks some interest in finding something you wish to know more fully, ideally something with which you are not all that familiar, and become familiar with it!
Whatever your beliefs are this season, there’s almost always a root to the natural world. If you haven’t already, why not explore some of the tradition’s roots you follow in this season? A few nuggets, ideas, winter solstice songs, and a traditional recipe for Wassail are listed below to perhaps spark some direction to nature in modern celebrations. This is an invitation to connect more deeply with the earth and her cycles and to invite family and loved ones to gather, reflect, and revel in the interconnectedness with which nature is woven into some of our most cherished traditions.
We find in traditional symbols of the season a deep connection to the natural world. Here are just a few with some suggestions of their purpose/meaning:
Yule Tree(Tree of Life): it was decorated with gifts people wanted to receive & was adorned with natural ornaments such as pinecones, berries & other fruit. In some Holly Day traditions, garlands of berries & popcorn were strung around the tree to feed visiting birds.
Yule Log: burning Yule logs began with Scandinavians who burned a huge log felled from an ash tree. Celts kept a continual hearth fire for protection & believed the longer a Yule log burned, the faster the sun would come to warm the earth.
Holly(Hope): (represents masculine) Its prickliness was thought to capture/ward off evil; holly leaves (symbolizing the Holly King) represent hope, and the red berries represent potency.
Evergreens(Renewal): symbolize life, rebirth & renewal; thought to have power over death because their green never fades; were also believed to encourage the sun’s return.
Mistletoe:(represents feminine) green leaves represent the earth’s fertility, and white berries represent the forest’s seed.
Wreaths (Year/Cycle): symbolize infinity of goodwill, friendship, & joyfulness.
Caroling: Young children honored the winter solstice with song; in return, they received tokens, sweets, & small gifts symbolizing food & prosperity given by Mother Earth. Caroling took the place of wassailing, where people went door to door offering drinks and well wishes (in return, a gift/treat was offered in return).
Colors of the season:
Red – waning Holly King
Green – waxing Oak King
White – purity & hope of new light
Silver – the moon
Gold – the sun
[Tradition’s roots and media for exploration]
There are a few different resources if you’re interested in exploring the season’s traditional roots and clashing with different cultures. I invite you to “nerd out” on some winter solstice STEM info. and listen to some different options of “Holly Day” music. Peruse if you like, or use these as a jumping-off point to dig deeper into the roots of your family’s traditions!
Conflicting cultures challenge celebratory traditions:
Nerding out on Winter Solstice STEM stuff:
On winter solstice, you can stand outside at noon & measure your shadow. This will be the longest shadow you will cast all year. Do you know what the significance of 86,430 is??
Music
- “Solstice Night” by S J Tucker
- “The Longest Night of the Year” by Mary Chapin Carpenter
- “Deck the Halls” by Pentatonix:
- “Solstice Carole” by The Word Sisters
- And just because this is creative ingenuity: “Marble Machine” by Wintergatan:
Wassail Recipe*
Wassail derives from the Old English words “waes hael”, which means “be well” or “good health.”It’s a centuries-old English ceremonial cider used as an apple tree spirit offering during the Yuletide season to bless orchards & increase their yields. It is a strong drink, traditionally a mixture of ale, honey & spices, or mulled apple cider.
When pagans went into the forest to fell the great tree for the Yule log, they would anoint the tree with wassail and bedeck them with wassail-soaked toast (or soon get grass cakes). Thus, the ritual of wassailing was born (the origins of “toasting” with a drink was, too!). A traditional toast is to hold high a cup of Wassail while exclaiming, “Waes Heal!”& people would reply, “drinc hael,” which meant “drink & be well.”
Ingredients:
- 2 apples
- Gallon apple cider
- 2 cups orange juice
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 3-4 cinnamon sticks
- 15 whole cloves out 1/2 tsp ground cloves cloves
- 1/2 tsp all spice powder
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 TBS maple/coconut/brown/date sugar (optional)
Directions:
- Pour cider & cinnamon sticks in a crockpot
- Cover & cook over high heat for at least 15 minutes until cider becomes hot
- Uncover & add powdered spices
- Stir until dissolved
- Cook at least another 15 minutes
- Wash, quarter, & remove the stem & seeds of an apple & add to cider. If using whole cloves, stick cloves into apples on all sides. Stir
- Bring to a simmer; simmer for 30-45 mins. Remove the apples and whole cloves. Ladle into mugs, serve, and enjoy (or reduce heat to warm & cover until ready to serve).
- Some children find cloves overpowering, so feel free to omit or lessen clove amounts.
(* Recipe adapted from Selena Fox and Barbi Gardiner)
I find there is so much honor and respect in traditions this season, and it’s no surprise since life was in a delicate balance, wondering if provisions and resources would carry people through the long, cold winter. I wish, in this season we are about to embark upon, for all of us to know the depths of ourselves (light & dark) & move forward with more intentionality as the sun begins shining more light onto our days, bringing warmth to our bones, & offer a promise of continued growth of all kinds. May you all have an abundance of peace, experience the spirit of the season, and know the love across generations. And now I wish you all “Wassail!”
Co-leader Newton, NJ, has a love of the natural world, is a holistic practitioner, and is a seeker of universal truths. She invites everyone to get curious about the world and ask why we do what we do (does it serve??) and then poke assertions you hold (are those assertions yours or unconsciously passed onto you??).
