Today marks the Winter Solstice, unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere, in which case its the Summer Solstice. The day is traditionally thought to be the longest night and shortest day of the year. This time of year is held sacred by many modern Pagan and Heathen traditions, and has a rich history in ancient Pagan religions.
By McKay Savage from London via Wikimedia Commons
The solstice time was important to pre-historic peoples in both Ireland and England. While there is scant evidence of specific celebrations, it is generally thought that the pagan Celts did, in some way, honor the time around the solstice.
Germanic Pagans and modern Heathens celebrate Yule at this time. During this holiday the god Freyr was honored. Several traditions, now commonly associated with Christmas, originated in old Yule celebrations such as eating a ham or hanging holly and mistletoe.
The ancient Pagan Romans celebrated Saturnalia, which typically ran from Dec. 17 through Dec. 23. The festival honored the god Saturn and featured lavish parties and role-reversals. From Saturnalia we can see the traditions of exchanging gifts and decorating evergreen trees indoors. These were eventually adopted as Christmas traditions. Following Saturnalia, there were birth celebrations honoring Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun) and Mithras both held on Dec. 25.
Many modern Pagans, including Wiccans, Witches, several Druidic traditions, and their many off-shoots hold this time as one of the eight Sabbats or holy days. Usually called Winter Solstice or Yule, this is a time when many of these traditions celebrate the re-birth of the god by the mother goddess.
Here are some thoughts on the observance of the holiday:
Many Pagans think of the Halloween season as the witchiest time of year, but for me it’s always been Yuletide. So many cherished holiday customs have survived from pagan antiquity into the present day, and new traditions and myths are being created all the time. Midwinter is full of Pagan and secular stuff that makes for great crafts, ceremonies, and parties. – Jason Mankey, Raise the Horns, “Celebrating Yule”
I have always loved the colour of the night sky in winter. It almost never seems entirely black; instead, it blue with refracted gloaming, even at the dark of the moon, even at midnight. And yet, the stars are never so clear as they are in the midst of winter, as Orion charges out from the horizon to chase Taurus with Canis Major barking at his heels. The jewel in the Great Dog’s collar, Sirius, sparkles like a radiant prism diamond as it cycles through white, red, green and blue (though of course this is only atmospheric refraction) just over the Southern Horizon; Castor and Pollux wink out of the sky’s zenity; and the Pleiades sparkle like a celestial diamond ring. Meanwhile, in the Northern Horizon the Dragon rears his head, and the Big and Little Bears point the way. – Sable Aradia, 49 Degrees, “The Longest Night”
There are two ways to experience this time of year: as movement, and as stillness.
The name this season’s holiday is given by Pagans reflects that duality. Call it solstice; call it Yule. One means the sun standing still… the other means wheel: the wheel of the sun, presumably, or the wheel of the year, turning and moving, changing all the time.
And though we crown our tree with a burnished copper sun, and leave candles burning throughout the longest night to encourage its return, I realize that, for me, the most important aspect of this holiday is its quiet. – Cat Chapin-Bishop, Quaker Pagan Reflections, “Stillness at Solstice”
So, why all this talk about family and holiday customs but not a whole lot on religion? Honestly, it’s because Jul is such an important time to be with friends and, most importantly, family that I want to focus on the what I consider the best part of the season. I want to focus on those things that bring us together. I’ve written in the past about Jul from a religious perspective but this year has been a real reminder to me about what is most important in life. – Kevin, Asatru Blog, “Family and the Holidays”
The winter solstice happens in nature around us. But it also happens inside of us, in our souls. It can happen inside of us is summer or winter, spring or fall. In the dark place of our soul, we carry secret wishes, pains, frustrations, loneliness, fears, regrets, worries. Darkness is not something to be afraid of. Sometimes we go to the dark place of our soul, where we can find safety and comfort. In the the dark place in our soul we can find rest and rejuvenation. In the dark place of our soul we can find balance. And when we have rested, and been comforted, and restored, we can return from the dark place in our soul to the world of light and new possibilities – John Halstead, Humanistic Pagan, “Winter Solstice“
A very blessed solstice and the merriest of holiday seasons to everyone.
![[Photo Credit: Chris Hutchison]](https://wildhunt.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/4213268281_a1c484b995_z-500x453.jpg)
[Photo Credit: Chris Hutchison]
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The article you link to above says winter solstice actually IS the longest night/shortest day. It does say the sun will rise still later in the coming days, but that the time between sunrise and sunset will still increase because the sun will set even later. It explains that this is the difference is due to the fluctuation of when the solar noon occurs.
You are correct. The observations were made in the sunset and sunrise times over this period of time which don’t change the actual time (in minutes) of the day itself. I eliminated that statement and link.
Sorry to be critical, but the idea that Mithras’ birth was celebrated on December 25th has long been discredited, as there is no evidence for it (they were a secret cult, and thus their cult calendars have not survived in any known or discernible form). That idea is a myth from the 19th century that has held over and is a favorite of atheists to use to discredit Christmas and Christianity generally–shouldn’t we as Pagans kind of get out of that game as much as possible?
The important thing to remember at the Winter Solstice is that it is only 90 days to Spring.
For Boeotian Hellenists, today at sunset is the New Year: http://thespiae.oddmodout.com/2014/12/22/happy-new-year-3/
This was neat!
I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the idea that the longest day and the shortest day are NOT adjoining.
In the excerpt by Sable Aradia, she says:
Castor and Pollux wink out of the sky’s **zenity**
I think she has a longer reach on a keyboard than I do: Zenity is a software platform(?), and the Y key is just above the H key. Zenity, Zenith….
Cat C-B, love your thinking.
John Halstead: I’m not certain I have ever willingly gone to the dark place of my soul. I find it difficult to see going there, deliberately–and comfort? there? Not for me. Yes, I learn things there, but comfort is never there, in mine.
I’m somewhere on the wimpier end of the bipolar/dysthymia scale, “not bipolar enough” to be a II. Depressions, deep and long, were my primary presenting symptoms. Now that I’m on stabilizers and anti-depressants, my hypomanias are so fleeting that I can’t qualify for BP-II: sometimes less than an hour, since once I recognize it’s there, it disappears. Grrrr.
Before I was properly diagnosed (dx’d), I had one very long, very deep depression where I felt possessed, which allowed me to understand the demons Jesus had been casting out. All I could see at that point (look up kindling theory, I hadn’t been introduced to the concept yet) were longer and deeper depressions interspersed with shorter, fewer and lighter times, converging with Anhedonia Forever! (to the tune of Solidarity Forever). I couldn’t connect with Deity–whether Deity was present or trying to reach me, I could not say. I couldn’t really see any reason to keep trying, or to stay alive. Dark place in my soul. No comfort there.
Quiet place, yes, I can go there for comfort. Couldn’t then–couldn’t find it. I am so grateful for a correct dx, a pdoc (psychiatrist) who gets me, works with me, and welcomes questions. Without her help, I might not be writing today. I’ve fired pdocs, so I know a good one when I’ve worked with one. My earlier experiences were not good ones, and it was not until I particpated in a study for a non-invasive, non-medicinal method for managing depression at a medical school that I encountered pdocs who acted like I had a brain in spite of being depressed, and that my input was important. Finding a good pdoc post-study became easier, now that I knew I could identify one.
My dark place is not as scary now because I understand it better, and I know the difference between being by myself in my mind and being lost somewhere bad…and yes, I’m aware of the permanence of what I’m writing. It might help someone tell the difference between ordinary dark and get-me-out-of-here.
I know the light is returning, and take comfort in that fact.