Winter Solstice is here!
Winter arrives on Saturday, December 21, this year. So let's celebrate!
Winter this year arrives officially in the northern hemisphere with Winter Solstice on Saturday, December 21. The Winter Solstice marks the moment when the sun is in the lowest southern point in the sky for those of us living in the northern hemisphere, creating the shortest day and longest night of the year.
Every changing season offers us an opportunity to more closely observe the relationship between the sun and the earth, and how the earth’s tilted axis affects our daily lives.
Winter can be a harder season for some of us, so this is a good time to remember that that the non-human world can provide some guidance for approaching this particular time of year with grace. So let’s take a moment this week to pause and honor the official beginnings of winter.
Living on a Planet in a Solar System
This moment also marks that quarterly reminder to step back and see ourselves as part of something that exists on much much much grander scale than whatever happens to be going on in our lives right now.
Our lives are but a blink in time on this unique little planet created and transformed (time and again) over billions of years to make the stuff of living, breathing, eating, drinking all possible.
Below are some ideas for honoring and celebrating Winter Solstice. I’ve also added the newest version of an illustrated guide that I often share this time a year through my work from Art Nature Place, which you can download below to print, share, or use as you see fit.
The Shortest Days of the Year
In Winter (and in Summer) we experience a Solstice, which marks the moment the sun reaches its maximum or minimum declination, marked by the shortest and longest days of the year (around the 21st of December and June, respectively).
The length of daylight changes more slowly around this time than they did during the Autumnal Equinox a few months ago.
The word “solstice” is a combination of Latin words that mean “sun” (“sol”) and “to stand still” (“sistere”).
The Solstice (and the Equinoxes as well) exist because of the tilting of the Earth’s axis at an angle of approximately 23.45 degrees relative to its orbit around the Sun.
That axial tilt is core to our very existence as we know understand it - to the variety of our habitats, plants, animals, invertebrates - as well as the seasons we experience throughout the year.
Here are a couple ways to tune into this grander scale of things over the next few weeks as we lock into this time of winter quietude:
Plan a time to watch the sunrise or sunset, alone or with family or friends. Consider pairing it with a morning or afternoon hike.
Where is the sun rising and setting on the horizon right now where you live? What time does it rise and set each day?
Did you check back in September during the Autumn Equinox, or do you remember where the sun was in summertime? How have things changed? Is the blue on a clear day different or the same? Do sunsets look similar or different?
Observing the World Around Us
What is happening outdoors right now where you live?
For the next couple months, everything around you (and you!) will affected by the shorter days, longer nights, and the colder weather that accompanies the season.
Many of our plant and animal friends rest and live off stored food during the winter. While some slow down, others enter a state of hibernation.
Still others adapt to the seasonal changes by undergoing changes to their fur or features that better camouflage them or provide and thicker coat.
And then there are those that migrate to escape harsh conditions and find better food sources, or to find more favorable environments for breeding.
And still others who migrate from further north regions to make where we live their southern winter home.
It’s a time for many plants to undergo a period of dormancy, dropping leaves, slowing growth, or storing energy in underground structures, such as bulbs and rhizomes.
‘Tis the season to respond to the seasonal cycles and slow down, using this moment to recharge our batteries and prepare for the year ahead.
Here are a few easy ways to take a little time each week to connect with nature this winter:
If you gardened over the summer, consider leaving some plant cover in your garden rather than cleaning up everything. Tall grasses, seed heads, and dead plant material provide important cover and food sources for birds and insects during the winter.
Explore winter time produce. This is a time of year when root vegetables, leafy greens, chicories, brassicas (think cabbage and brussels sprouts), alliums, and storage friendly winter squash are in season. Citrus fruits like oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes, and grapefruits from more temperate regions are also ripe and tasty this time of year.
If you froze or canned summer produce earlier this year, the coming months will be a great time to revisit that summer bounty. Or visit a farm in the winter to buy some local preserves. (As an owner of a peach tree, I can say with some certainty that tastes quite as good as peach jam on toast on a cold day in January!)
What are the animals doing right now? What do they look like? How fluffy and chubby are those squirrels right now? Take time to watch and listen to the squirrels and birds still active in your region this time of year. What kinds of birds have stuck around during the winter months? What do they eat for food? What are their behaviors during the day?
Think back to the sounds of spring, summer, and fall. How does winter sound different? Are their any animal sounds? What sounds do you miss hearing (perhaps from insects or songbirds) right now?
Winter Traditions and Celebrations Around the World
For thousands of years, Winter Solstice has been celebrated around the world. Many of the festivals, events, and practices connect to themes of hearth, comfort, and the promise of longer days ahead.
For example, Yule is a traditional Germanic festival associated with the winter solstice. It involves the lighting of bonfires, candles, feasting, and the decorating of homes with evergreen boughs. The Yule log, often a large wooden log burned in the hearth, is a symbol of the returning sun.
At the famous Stonehenge site, in England, crowds visit on Winter Solstice to witness the sunrise aligned with the Neolithic structure's central axis. It is believed that Stonehenge served as a ceremonial and astronomical site, and in winter, visitors celebrate with rituals to welcome the returning light.
In China and many other East Asian countries, the Dongzhi Festival, also known as the Winter Solstice Festival, marks a time for families to come together, celebrate the longest night of the year, and look forward to the increasing daylight as the days begin to lengthen.
Many local communities have their own kinds of festivals celebrating the beginning of winter, which may include a religious celebration, special foods, an outdoor event, or gifts. Why not spend a little time this week looking for winter events to see if one fits into your schedule?
How will you be celebrating Winter Solstice and the season ahead?
How about you? Do you have any plans in store for celebrating the Winter Solstice (and this season of rest and restoration)? Have any yearly traditions you’d like to share? Is there a local festival in your community that you’d like folks to know about? Go ahead and share them in the comments below!
Do you read this newsletter regularly? Do you value the work that goes into it and want to support it in some way? Slow Outdoors now has a paid subscriber option as a way to show your support and appreciation.
Or consider a shirt or mug from our Conifers and Ferns collection before it goes away on December 31 to get into the winter spirit and celebrate this quiet still season.
