December 21, 2022 -- Winter Solstice and First Day of Winter!

Today is December 21, 2022  It is the winter solstice (shortest day of the year) and is the first official day of winter.  By now you should have already winterized all your recreational vehicles, off highway vehicles, and camping gear.  If you haven't you'd better get it done quickly, especially if you live in a 4-seasons climate.  As temperatures drop, anything with water left in it is going to freeze.  Since water expands when it turns to ice it can destroy plumbing and any container that isn't flexible enough to accommodate the expansion without cracking or breaking.

You don't have to be a Druid or other pagan to appreciate the Winter Solstice.  It is the shortest day of the year and marks the end of days getting shorter and the beginning of them getting longer again.  For primitive cultures this was a significant, almost magical or supernatural and very welcome event.   It is still a very welcome event for us today, especially for outdoor enthusiasts.

The Winter Solstice often falls on December 21 as it did this year and will do again in 2023.  However, it may shift a day or two from year to year.  That is because our calendar does not exactly match the actual movements of the Earth.  Our calendar uses 365 days a year, with 366 on leap year.  The actual orbit around the sun takes 365.256 days.  Leap year approximately accounts for most of the .0256 day difference every 4 years, but there is still a .006 day variation that isn't accounted for quite as regularly.  Leap years are skipped when the year is divisible by 100 but not divisible by 400.  Thus, 2000 was a leap year but 2100 will NOT be a leap year.

Traditionally, the winter solstice has been a time to celebrate the harvest, the return of the Sun, and the dichotomies of life and death.  Harvest is usually complete by winter solstice and since it marks the shortest day of the year, it is the end of days getting shorter.  Daylight will last a little longer tomorrow than it does today.  The transition of days getting shorter to days getting longer seems to be an appropriate reminder of life and death.  Some winter solstice traditions include the burning of a Yule Log.  Today, Yule Logs often include candles and many seasonal decorations.

Traditional menu items for winter solstice celebrations include nuts, berries, squash, potatoes, and meat, just what you might expect to be readily available this time of year.  Modern societies don't generally make a big deal out of it, but in pagan societies, winter solstice was a significant cause for celebration.  It is very likely that our celebration of Christmas on December 25 is at least loosely connected to ancient winter solstice rituals.

If you are looking for an excuse to have a party, winter solstice isn't a bad choice.   You may have to a bit of research to establish any realistic themes or activities, pretty much all of which will have pagan roots.  Just celebrating the start of winter might be kind of fun and given modern attitudes toward winter, it might include winter activities such as skiing, ice skating, sledding, tobogganing, ice fishing, and snowmobiling.  Your winter solstice feast might include meat, potatoes, and wassail (usually made with beer, wine or cider and spices and served hot and is used to toast someone's health).

Here's to ya!