Winter Solstice Traditions to Bring into Your Home This Year
Hello and greetings from my homestead where I am busy preparing not only for Christmas, but also for Winter Solstice. This year winter solstice or Yule falls on Monday December 21, 2020.
In the northern hemisphere Winter Solstice happens to be the shortest day and longest night of the year; when we move from the season of fall into the season of winter. When we all hunker down into our own homesteads to live out the winter months bundled up inside our warm homes, maybe even in front of the fire. This is a time for everything to slow down and take a break. I have been feeling sleepier lately, it’s been hard to get up in the morning and I long for my midday nap everyday… And then I remind myself that even the trees, plants, flowers, and most of nature takes this time for rest and I should do the same. It's time for everything to take a rest, that includes you. Yes, even you need to make time to take a break for yourself.
Winter solstice is a time to celebrate nature; whereas Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, winter solstice is a time to celebrate the changing of the seasons. As I continue to feel this pull towards nature I feel drawn to celebrate it with some new traditions in my home.
After the winter solstice the days begin to lengthen and the nights shorten that is until summer solstice (June 20-23rd) which is the longest day and shortest night. From there the days begin to shorten and the nights lengthen until winter solstice (December 20-23rd). A full year's natural cycle. Winter solstice is represented by fire and light to bring light to do the darkest night of the year. Give some of these traditions I found a go and invite a little light into your home this year.
Winter Solstice Traditions:
Make handcrafted holiday decor
Live garland made from branches, berries and pine cones
String garland made with dried fruits such as apples, oranges, cranberries and popcorn.
Sticks and twigs can be made into star ornaments tided with jute twine to be hung around the house. This would be a great activity to do with children.
Paper snow flakes cut from white, blue, and silver paper... even glittery paper, to hang in your windows. This would be a great activity to do with children.
Find a step-by-step tutorial here. Thanks to Jenny over on the Sweet Teal blog for providing this tutorial <grin>
Evergreen Yule Wreath
Evergreens were associated with protection and prosperity. Hang a handmade evergreen wreath on your front door or over your fire place to welcome these things into your lives this holiday season and as we move into a new year. After the year we've all had, I don't know about you but I am sure glad to be moving into a new year. Ready to see what this year has in store not only for me, but for our nation and the whole world.
If you follow my blog regularly you'll see that a couple of weeks ago I shared with you my holiday decor. Below are the natural items I decorated my home with. Did you use natural items in your decor this year? If so I'd love to see them! Share them in the comments below!
Natural decor in my home:
Make a Yule Log
Decorate it with touches of nature (symbols of winter) such as pine, evergreens, berries, pine cones
Once it is decorated find a lovely spot in your home - on a coffee table, in the fire place, above the fire place or on your yule alter (see below) - set it on display until you burn it on winter solstice or Christmas Eve (depending on your preference)
If you have no where to burn a yule log; a yule log cake can be made, decorated, and eaten instead. See below for a yule log cake recipe from the Pioneer Woman!
Build a Yule Alter
To honor the return of the sun choose candle(s) that symbolize it - oranges, yellows, browns.
Fill the alter with symbols of winter – pine cones, evergreens, fir and cedar, berries, and wreaths. You could even include your Yule log as part of your alter
Cleanse with sage or sweet grass
On winter solstice the candle(s) in the alter are lit to welcome light and fire into homes on the darkest night of the year. Typically these candles are lit and kept burning throughout the night, but as a precaution for an open flame an electric candle be turned on throughout the night to honor this tradition in a safer way.
Releasing Ceremony
A releasing ceremony is held to celebrate nature and setting one’s intentions for the coming year
Intentions, regrets, secrets - things not shared with others, disappointments, failures are written out on slips of paper and burned. Again please have caution while using an open flame.
If you have no place to burn your slips of paper or if it's too cold for you to stand outside and do this I found that lighting the pieces of paper on the flames of a gas stove works just as well. Once the paper has burned up a little drop the piece of paper into a deep pan to continue burning.
Winter Solstice Feast
A feast is held in honor of the winter solstice with friends and family gathered around a burning Yule Log feasting on delicious seasonal foods such as wassail, mulled wine, sun bread, Lussekatter, eggnog, Yule log cake, lamb, ham, roasted chicken, root vegetables, and preserved fruits.
Last year I was invited to attend a Yule Feast at a shop I frequent and since I had vowed to try new things and branch out of my shell in the new year I decided it was a good time to start early. So I brought a friend with me and we attended a Yule Feast with an eclectic group of people who were although a bit shy were welcoming to new comers. The food was delicious. The rituals and traditions were spiritual, peaceful, and moving. I was touched to have been invited to be a part of this special yearly gathering. They exchanged gifts, we chatted, and we ended up having a lovely time!
This year my winter solstice traditions will be done a bit different in that they will be done in solitude. But for right now that is okay with me.
When I was going through the list of foods typically served at winter solstice festivals I found that I wasn't sure what a couple of them were. The first of them being sun bread, so I looked it up. I found out it is a children's story about a town of animals suffering from the winter blues so the town baker bakes up some delicious, yellowy sun bread to warm them up and bring sunshine to their lives! While searching for sun bread recipes I came across this Sun Bread post on this funky blog full bright colors, quirkiness, and fun called Story of a Kitchen. Lisa is the author and she offers up this beautiful story of how she recreated this sun bread from the book Sun Bread by Elisa Kleven. Find Lisa's post and the recipe for sun bread here.
I wasn't sure what Lussekatter was either, so I looked that up as well. I found out that Lussekatter means "Lucia cats" and they are saffron buns made and served during Saint Lucia's Feast in December. This is a holiday celebrated in Sweden and the history is very interesting. Lucy means "light," so you can see how these buns are appropriate for Yule. Plus they look delicious!
Exchange Nature based gifts
Exchanging nature based gifts is a great way to honor nature during this day to celebrate nature and the changing of the season. Your gifts can range from winter inspired handmade gifts to plants or even a bouquet of flowers. You could even bake up a batch of that delicious looking sun bread and give it to someone who may be suffering from the winter blues or to someone who has been having a tough year due to the pandemic. Below I have provided a few ideas. What are some nature based gifts you have given or received? I'd love to hear your ideas. Leave them in the comments below. <grin>
Beeswax wraps - I made these for my girl friend and gave them to her this year as an early Christmas gift. I will share this craft with you on my homemade Christmas gifts posts after Christmas.
Salt scrubs with nourishing oils for the skin in winter months. I love a good salt scrub and there are so many great ideas out there for homemade salt scrubs. In the past I've even found some Christmas themed salt scrubs, the smell of delicious peppermint and cloves really makes these scrubs Christmasy! What are some salt scrubs you've tried and loved? Leave them in the comments below!
Plants - poinsettia, Christmas cactus, small rose bush, etc.
Evergreen, berry, or pine wreath - I found a great berry wreath idea in this Christmas edition of Daphne's Diary, that would be the perfect gift for a neighbor or friend.
A bouquet of flowers with a nature inspired card. I found this really cute nature based craft that uses pine and berries and could easily be turned into a card! Find the craft here.
There are endless ideas for nature inspired gifts. If you are stuck on ideas, check out my Pinterest board Holidays where I've added some ideas for great nature based gifts.
Nature Inspired Yoga Routine
Light a candle for the return of the sun.
Light some incenses for Earth
Set up a Yule based alter
Set out sun inspired crystals and stones
Winter solstice is a time to celebrate the changing of the seasons, something to me that is very important. Without the Earth's great gifts where would we be? So close to a time when we celebrate the birth of our Creator's son. The one who provided us with the earth to live out our worldly days on. We should be celebrating her beauty and all that she offers us each and every day. What are some of your winter solstice or Yule celebrations? Leave them in the comments section below. I'd love to hear from you!!
I have included an article from History.com on the history of Winter Solstice. I found this article to be very interesting and I wanted to share it with you. You can find the article here.
Stay well my friends!
Happy Winter Solstice!
Until next time...
Namaste, xo
P.S. sending light, love, peace, and joy to you and yours during this joyous time of year.
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