Every year on December 21^st (some times December 22^nd) the northern hemisphere experiences Winter Solstice. Also called Midwinter Night, it is the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The higher the latitude, the more darkness, as parts of Alaska receive very little sunlight on this day. Cultures have marked and celebrated this day since ancient times, as evident by archeological sites such as Stonehenge in Britain and New Grange in Ireland, where sight-lines were laid out specifically to the winter solstice sunset and sunrise respectively.   

When some of my siblings were young, we came up with the idea to celebrate winter solstice from an episode of the children’s cartoon Little Bear. On the afternoon of December 21^st, we would go outside and decorate a tree with food for the “winter angels”.   Popcorn strings, ringed cookies or donuts, and dried fruits draped the bare branches of our chosen tree. The next morning we would wake to find some, if not all, of the food gone—taken by the “winter angels”. (Our local animals feasted that night.) 

I have a friend who marks the occasion by turning off all of her electric lights and living by candlelight for the long, winter night. It takes some getting used to, but she likes the change of pace, and the way it forces her to slow down and appreciate all the things we so often forget about, like light bulbs. 

Do you celebrate Winter Solstice? Or is too lost in the shuffle of Christmas and the aggravation of less daylight? Take a moment to appreciate the beauty of this winter’s eve and all the modern inventions that help us keep the darkness at bay, at least when we want them to.