Winter Solstice Whispers

by Kellyann Zuzulo
The Winter Solstice is a time of lights and hope. Hope that the short dark days of late fall will end. And, take heart, they will. Once the 21st of December is over, the days will begin to lengthen again, each one getting longer than the day before, until the summer solstice on June 21st.

It was a recognition that things wouldn't always be dark that probably ignited the first celebration of the Winter Solstice. Or could it be that the Winter Solstice was an excuse for the first all-nighter?

Yes, December 21st will be the shortest day of the year, but it is also the longest night of the year. The ancients knew a party in the making when they saw one. More hours of the enchanted night meant more time to set aside the worries of the day...to rejoice in the magic of a fire-lit get together. No wonder many cultures commemorate the tilting of their world away from the sun as the time for a "festival of lights." It is the only way to see in the dark. But the lights are not just literal. Light is found in being near those we love, in sharing and giving, in serving others who have less. Winter Solstice is about how people through the ages have found light in the darkness.

The word solstice means "sun set still." The sun gives way to the moon. And the moon responds with a long sigh that is beautiful in the quietly mysterious way that night embraces us and reminds us that we don't need sunlight to see what's right in front of us.

Light the candles and gather 'round,
Light a fire and make no sound.
Light your heart and feel the night.
The dark is deep, but the soul is bright.

Happy Winter Solstice, Everyone

~Kellyann Zuzulo