Winter Solstice & Longest Night

This is a magical, contemplative time, a sacred night of spiritual reconnection and communion. The winter solstice is the shortest day and the longest night of the year when the sun is at its lowest arc in the sky.

Many of us are not aware of this phenomenon of the sun.

In fact, we are rarely attuned to the rhythm of the earth and the sky. Instead, we are focused on the gathering speed brought by the holidays. Caught up in the rush of shopping, cooking, decorating, event planning, and travel, we move counter to the rhythm of the natural world around us and counter to our own internal clocks. This can cause stress, anxiety, and restlessness.

Often, this time of greatest darkness has encouraged humanity to gather amongst loved ones and for celebrations and rituals looking towards rebirth and return to the light.

It is no coincidence that it falls so close to Christmas, on December 25th. Rome chose this date for Christ’s birth in the fourth century, after many centuries of date changes ranging from January to April. And even now, some Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas in January. The date chosen for Christmas coincided with several winter festivals observed across the Roman Empire that included Alban Arthan (Druidic), Yule or Juul, and Saturnalia. Different aspects of these appear to have been absorbed into the Christian celebration of Christmas. 

Winter Solstice celebrations were not limited to Europe. In Iran, they observe Yalda by staying up all night, reading poetry and stories, and eating watermelon and pomegranate in anticipation of the sun rising. In Northern Arizona, the Hopi Indians celebrate Soyal, which includes rituals of purification and dancing and welcoming the kachinas, which are protective mountain spirits. The Dhongzi festival occurs in China and East Asia, to celebrate not only the longer daylight hours but the influx of positive energy as well. Its origins are traceable to the philosophy of yin and yang, welcoming balance and harmony. 

No matter how you mark this occasion, you are a part of a long lineage of ancestors from all over the world who have celebrated at this same exact time. In a spiritual sense, this is an ideal time to embrace your inner self and reflect on who you are and where you’d like to go. This is a perfect time for reflection, introspection, and intention setting. 

The winter solstice can also be symbolic of other "long nights" we face in life.

In a season that is supposedly merry and bright, there are many who struggle with pain, anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Fresh grief, as well as the grief we carry from our past, can become pronounced against the backdrop of bright lights, upbeat music, and jolly holiday refrains. Dealing with the illness or death of a loved one, facing life after divorce or separation, coping with the loss of a job, living with cancer or some other dis-ease that puts a question mark over the future, and a number of other human situations make parties and joviality painful for many people.