Winter solstice and celebrations around the longest night
/This morning friends were greeted with votive candles and fir branches and were invited to read and listen to Susan Cooper’s poem The Shortest Day (in book form with gorgeous illustrations by Carson Ellis). We began conversations around the winter solstice and what it means. We talked of the longest night occurring on December 21st (in the norther hemisphere of course) and that many cultures around the globe celebrate this time of year in various ways.
One of our students shared their family tradition of making orange and clove pomanders.
In the Celtic pagan tradition, we celebrate Meán Geimhridh (myawn GEV-ree)), or Yule, Winter Solstice. Something my oldest son has always enjoyed as part of these festivities is studding oranges and apples with cloves, which represent the warmth of the sun and the source of all life. We lay them on beds of evergreens and holly, inviting nature spirits in from the cold and dark.
So today we made pomanders! At circle we passed around the pomanders for all to see. And talked about their meaning. We’ll continue to make them this week as well as explore other cultural celebrations around the winter solstice.
