Winter Solstice

On the 21st December, we welcome the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, the last longest night and shortest day of the year. This day is somewhat significant due to the ‘Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn’, being the closest Jupiter and Saturn have come together at this time of the year in 800 years. The conjunction has been dubbed the ‘Christmas Star’, lighting the dark sky.

Some could say 2020 has been a continually long night, uncertainty has stained each household, with different journeys and experiences by adapting to the year of change. To lighten the mood for the darkest period, it is sometimes calming to know how else to celebrate such bleak times. The winter solstice has been celebrated since the ancient world, marking this time as a rebirth of the sun, celebrating the dark with light, celebrating the victory of the sun!

Globally, there are traditions to celebrate this. In East Asia, this relates to the yin-yang philosophy known as ‘Dongzhi’; families welcome a time of unity and togetherness to embrace harmony and balance against the darkness. In Germanic cultures, the celebration of the Yule became the sun festival, which later moved to align with Christmas. As was the Roman cult of Sol; Sol Invictus was the Syrian God that embraced the victory of the sun. Finally, in the oldest Persian tradition, also known as Yalda, which means birth. This refers to the birth of the Goddess of light, Mitra. This special night, families come together, drink red wine, eat pomegranates, watermelons and nuts while reading poetry. A form of unity with candles and lamps to chase away the darkness. We can see similar traditions and festivals of light across the world during this time, such as Judaism for lighting candles for Chanukah, and in Christianity celebrating the birth of the ‘Sun’ of God. The Christmas Star has come at a time of needed lightness. Let us hope it will fill us all with joy and hope.

To welcome lightness into this world, I want to share two short poems in this dark time.

You are the call of the rising sun,

The hope of all people in need

You are the seekers, the goal

and seeking itself.

Blazing like fire in every heart, calming the mind of its restlessness.

You are the seer, the seen

And the sight itself.

~ Rumi

Even after all this time the sun never says to the earth,

‘You owe me.’

Look what happens with a love like that.

It lights the whole sky.”

~ Hafez