Winter Solstice

There are four times of the year when we take the time to purposefully celebrate the sun: spring equinox, summer solstice, autumnal equinox and winter solstice. Simply put, the solstices are when we get the most/least amount of sunlight, and the equinoxes are when we get equal amounts of sunlight/night (equinox = equal night).

Monday, December 21 is the winter solstice for 2020. In Wisconsin, we’ll get just under 9 hours of sunlight. (Compared to the summer solstice, when we have > 15 hours.)

What traditions do you have to celebrate the solstice? At our house, we eat our dinner by candlelight to remember all of the cultures around the world that had to do this in the past (and some even today), and to celebrate the gradual return of the sun over the next half a year. The book that we read every year on the winter solstice is The Longest Night by Marion Dane Bauer. It’s a beautiful read that connects the natural world with the reappearing of the sun.

You probably actually do celebrate the solstice without even knowing it: the lighting of a yule tree, yule log or yule wreaths are traditions that were co-opted by Christianity. So when you enjoy the lights on your Christmas tree, bake a yule log swiss roll, or light candles on your advent wreath, take a moment to thank the sun for the life and energy it gives us.