Celebrated ever since mankind had the wits to celebrate anything but staying uneaten by Buick-sized bears for one more day, Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, marking the official change of seasons from Autumn to Winter. In European cultures, it was originally called Yule Day or Yuletide, hence our modern observance of
NATIONAL YULE DAY!
It’s no accident that every religion celebrates a major holiday around Winter Solstice.
In our earliest days, you either carefully prepared for the coming winter or you died, end of options list. When the official day came, you danced a jig and howled at the moon for a few days, then hunkered down in your cave eating smoked mastodon and dried roots for 3 months while creating paintings of animals you plan to kill this Spring on the cave walls.
As our prospects improved from isolated bands of hunter/gatherers to today’s global mega-society, we never let go of our reverence for Yuletide. We wove ever more fantastic tales to celebrate its annual passage, from dragons to Earth mothers to infant saviors.
Whatever your Winter Solstice ritual, keep the Yul in Yuletide. It’s official at 4:47 PM today.
•Suggested Activities: Shaking amulets and drinking fermented berries.