Winter Celebration Of The Sun 

The Winter Solstice, or the December Solstice, is the point at which the path of the sun in the sky is farthest south. At the Winter Solstice, the sun travels the shortest path through the sky resulting in the day of the year with the least sunlight and therefore, the longest night.

What is the difference between an equinox and a solstice? When the equinox occurs, as the equi- prefix might suggest, day and night are of equal length, and it marks the start of spring (vernal equinox) and autumn (autumnal equinox).

The solstice, meanwhile, marks the beginnings of summer and winter, and it’s either the longest day of the year (summer solstice) or the shortest (winter solstice).

The word solstice comes from Latin sol “sun” and sistere “to stand still.” So, loosely translated, it means “sun stand still.” Why? For a few days before and after the solstice, the Sun’s path across the sky appears to freeze. The change in its noontime elevation is so slight that the Sun’s path seems to stay the same, or stand still.

Although the winter solstice means the start of winter, it also means the return of more sunlight. It only gets brighter from here!

The day after the winter solstice, the Sun’s path begins to advance northward again, eventually reaching its most northerly point on the day of the summer solstice.

Then, as summer advances toward winter, the points on the horizon where the Sun rises and sets advance southward each day; the high point in the Sun’s daily path across the sky, which occurs at local noon, also moves southward each day. It’s a never-ending cycle!

Throughout history societies across the world have held festivals and ceremonies marking winter solstice, the day of the "sun’s rebirth.”

Yogi Bhajan, the master teacher of Kundalini Yoga, often said that the two most important times of the year to meditate are the days surrounding summer and winter solstices. Here is a portion of one his lectures given during that time:

«Winter Solstice is the most beautiful experience for the human psyche. Actually for the ten days after Solstice, you should also celebrate because during this time, all the fluids and blood change in your body. During these ten days, you are meant to eat right, live light, and be jubilant since this is when the serum in the body, the mucous membrane and the fluid in the body, change and re-create ourselves. This is why we wish to celebrate winter solstice.»

Today, the winter solstice is a reminder to honor our connection to the natural world. It is a way we can celebrate the change in seasons without traditional holidays, gifts, or decorations.

Instead, we can honor winter through rituals and self-care, looking specifically to our ancestors and heritage for inspiration.

You could wake up early on the day of the winter solstice and watch the sunrise. Connect to the sun, have a journal at hand and write down any thoughts that come to mind. Winter Solstice is also a time to plant seeds that will sprout nine months later, at Autumn Equinox. So contemplate on what you want to birth into your life.

However, you chose to bring rituals and new traditions into your life, make time to appreciate the natural world. Wherever you are, embrace how the air and the sky change, and on the coldest days and darkest nights, know that the sun is right around the corner.