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Monday, December 17, 2012

winter solstice




Hi there. I have slowed down in this space this month as I enjoy the season with my family. Also, I genuinely feel like I do not want to clutter my little digital world any more content than is necessary. You need to be with your family - not trying to keep up with blogs and Pinterest. I seem to be getting nonstop email blasts and links to last minute sales and huge craft round ups that only give me angst.

And in light of recent, horrible national events, I just don't feel like talking too much. 

But, I thought I would share something from the Holiday e-Lab about the winter solstice which happens this Friday. If you have never celebrated a solstice, this year might be a great time to start. It can be reverent, it fits easily into whatever spiritual practice you believe in, and it is full of light and beauty.  


Solstice is the shortest day of the year and although the days will start getting longer, for many, it marks the continutation of a season of early darkness and deep winter; a time for turning inward towards home and the family nest.
 
Although, I live in Florida, where the winters are mild, we do notice how early it gets dark. We like to celebrate with warm dinners and games, movie nights, extra long night-time reading and lots of blankets.
 
This season is also an ideal time to personally turn inward. By allocating a little extra time for journaling, art making or reading, the stillness of life becomes like a cocoon. You can plant ideas and dreams that are as wispy as a gossamer thread yet can manifest fully developed when the sun returns into creatures with wings.
 

Solstice is a time to celebrate and study light and the earth. We inevidably study the science of the earth and its rotation around the sun and make many kinds of lanterns and light sources to make our dinners awash with flickering color.



You might want to spend solstice night with out using any electrical lights. This is a perfect night for a bonfire, bathing and brushing your teeth by candle light.  

If you want to make some lanterns and lighted crafts, I have created a pinterest board with a handful of ideas.


Our traditional solstice dinner is fondue. When my husband and I were much younger we attended a magical wedding in Switzerland where we ate lots of traditional fondue dinners. It is like comfort food to us now as it brings back memories of an amazing adventure. 

We eat cheese fondue with crusty sourdough bread and apples. And we drink wine and hot tea, which we were told would aid in digestion. 

I was going to type up my recipe, but found this sweet story with the recipe, so I will share it instead. 

What is your warmest, most comforting food? That is what you want to serve on Solstice night.


I would love to hear how your family celebrates solstice.


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You can read more about them in the upper right hand side of this page. 

Email me with any questions! 

4 comments:

  1. We did fondue on xmas eve a few years. Now as gluten/paleo it is a bit trickier. Loads of fun though. This year for solstice we are headed to a bonfire. I am very excited. I am hoping for our family to turn more from Christmas toward solstice and seasonal celebrations.

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  2. Fondue sounds like so much fun for this night. We may have to try that this year. I normally make a hearty pot roast and creamy polenta. We enjoy taking nature walks and talking about what is different in winter than in summer. Love your lantern inboard too.

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  3. There is a really beautiful tradition of bathing and Onsen culture here in Japan, and on December 22nd, many families take a bath with yuzu lemons. Yuzu are a citrus that I think would be hard to find elsewhere around the world, but regular lemons, or oranges would work just as well. My daughters really love taking a yuzu bath. (we actually start taking them as soon as yuzu is in season) It perfumes the water with the energizing smell of citrus, and the sunny fruits bobbing in the bath remind me of seeing more and more of the sun again in the days to come. I hope you give it a try!



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    Replies
    1. That sounds great! Are the lemons whole or do you slice them? We certainly have enough citrus here. Thanks!

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