Tonight is the Winter Solstice, the day the sun stands still. Solstice comes from latin, read the etymology here. (How geeky is it that I LOVE etymology and did a happy dance when I found the etymology online dictionary).
Tonight we celebrated the Winter Solstice with other families in our community. Almost all Northern cultures have Midwinters Day celebrations and traditions.
Romans celebrated Saturnalia. Houses were decked with boughs of laurel and evergreen trees which symbolize life’s continuum. Lamps were kept burning to ward off dark spirits and family and friends visited one another delivering gifts. People wore masks and darkened faces and danced through the street on their way to visit friends. This is where the tradition of Mummers originated, still practiced in Newfoundland.
In Scandinavia people celebrated Yule held bonfires and burned Yule Logs and listened to minstrels sing songs about ancient legends. The Yule Logs helped the sun to burn brighter.
And we have Christmas. Interestingly, the Christmas colour of red, green and white were Druidic holiday colours.
Tonight we had the blazing bonfire, a Yule Log Cake, real candles on an evergreen tree. We roasted hotdogs (pork would have been a main part of the feast), drank hot chocolate. The adults told stories around the fire while the children tobogganed, played flashlight tag and snow soccer. There were flickering candles in glass lanterns ringing the yard. It was a wonderful night.
Go over to Teacher Tom to read an exquisite tribute and reflection on the winter solstice.
Thank you Amanda and Drew for starting a neighbourhood tradition that I hope we will continue to add to every year. I vote for Mummers next year!
I really enyoyed reading the article the longest night when te sunstands still It was very interesting. Rosetta Pappano. Merry Chrstmas and happpy new year to all the staff and readers of Urban moms I have really enjoyed all the articles you posted this year looking forward to hearing from you next year. Rosetta Pappano
That sounds like such a lovely evening, Erin! How nice to add other traditions, besides the standards of the 24th and 25th… I imagine everyone has a wonderful time – flashlight tag and snow soccer sound like amazing fun for the Littles, running around in the evening, after hot dogs and hot chocolate – excellent! Enjoy it all, woman!! xox
Really Nancy? That’s awesome!
I forgot to include the discussion about Northern Lights we had around the bonfire. It brought back a lovely memory of my Dad. One summer at the cottage he woke us up and rowed us out into the middle of the lake to watch our first Northern Lights. It was magical. This was at his parents cottage on Steenburg Lake, not at The Sausage.
Enjoyed your post Erin, thanks. Nanny Guppy and some of her friends and family in Temagami still practiced “mumming” till the 1950’s. Great tradition. Happy Yule!