Winter solstice! Reason to celebrate?

Question

Days are getting longer now. Are there any
celebrations taking place?
Summer solstice is a reason for some people to
practicise several strange things.
Here in good old Germany, the witches come
to a special mountain-top to do their dance!
Women go around and cut the ties off of men`s
necks!
Days are getting shorter then, but they seem
to love it!

Answer 1

well, the holly king is about lose his annual battle with the oak king. and its the shortest day upon the morrow, we give thanks for the year past, and try to appease teh gods to send bcak the sunshine to warm our old bones, and make the fields yield crops...

although the days will start to get longer a week after the winter solstice, its going to a be a cold grey winter ahead. and the solstice is a reminder of days of plenty past...

we deck our house with holly and mistletoe, to invite the return of the greenery... (we dont do a modern tacky consumer christmas) and our kids love it.

Answer 2

Solstice is a really important time for me.. i try to go to some sort of celebration each summer solstice and winter equinox, but living in a city its hard because i feel so detached from the earth.. I recognize all the different dates in the calender Beltane, Samhane, Solstice etc People have been celebrating these events longer than the Christian Festivals.

Answer 3

The Solstice is the shortest day of the year, so many people feel that if they have made it through this much of the season of dying and death, things can only get better. It is also a time to help out people who are not so fortunate and do not have as much of a winter stockpile. You can see this tradition in most religions and just in folk practices everywhere.

On a more scientific note, there is a real downside to short days, and that is S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) which effects millions of people. This makes the Winter Solstice a particularly bad time for them, so some partying to cheer them up is a good idea, and, once again, they know there are better days ahead.

Answer 4

Best wishes for the Solstice and rebirth of the sacred grass. Heaven and Earth under one canopy: Unter Einen Decke.

And votive offerings to water spirits: like King Arthur; Aradr's kingly Bear Totem title for the Celts. Their Caesar. Earth's representative of the celestial ploughman, turning the heavens and seasons.

Callisto (Great Bear) and Helice (‘that which turns’): Helice (of Helix) is the Latin ‘winding’; a poetical name for Ursa Major (Great Bear), rotating around the North Pole.

As the point in the heavens about which the stars wheel is not fixed, but shifts through the centuries on an elliptical path, we can trace how the stars appeared in relation to the pole during different periods of history.

The Great Bear is no longer a non-setting circumpolar constellation for mediterranean sailors, although it is in the North. The bright star at which the bear wheels - the star we call the Pole Star - was in Homer's day more than twelve degrees away from the pole.

The next nearest star to the pole, 'Koachab', one of what are called the 'guards' of the Little Bear, was probably a more important feature for Ulysses' ancient navigation.

Like 'Arthur', Lycaon the Pelasgian is a 'totem title': Greek mythology's son of the bear goddess Callisto. His death by lightning as a sign of divine favour, returning him to the gods, was reverenced in the Lightning Gesture. His clan used the wolf totem and a system of nine yearly kingships (Lycaon's name from Greek 'Lycos': 'wolf').

And a Hippy New Year

Answer 5

Many believe that the Celebrations of Christianity were "grafted onto" existing pagan religious festivals to smooth acceptance of the new religion/order. There is Pagan symbolism all over christianity - e.g. the Easter bunny & egg are Pagan fertility symbols. Ergo, Chistmas is just a celebration of the winter Solstice. (Scholars have determined that JC was probably born in September).
We still have Pagans, or Druids, over here and they are recognised as a religion. They will celebrate the solstice.
The biggest celebration will be held at Stonehenge.

Answer 6

Where do you think Christmas came from? It originally was a pagan celebration of the winter solstice. When the Christian church failed in their attempt to quell the partying, they came up with the idea that it was Jesus' birthday and took over the whole thing. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Answer 7

Winter Solstice isn't till the 21st December

Answer 8

The solstice isn't until tomorrow at about sundown, sidereal time here in Las Vegas Nevada, USA.

Answer 9

I dont personally celebrate it any more than I do Christmas but I know lots of pagans including witches(Wiccans) who do!
Whatever your belief or method of celebration I wish you 'Seasons Greetings and a peaceful New Year!'

Answer 10

1 great reason to celebrate... YOU ARE STILL ALIVE.... after surviving yet another (1st half) of winter, ...STILL ALIVE.... great gods, STILL ALIVE.......... Celebrations everywhere (adopt a Christmas party and call it Yule). Make your own celebration... invite anyone you enjoy... serve oatmeal cookies, cider... ham sandwiches.... play some funky music... Parliament Funkadelic, Mannheim Steamroller, Weird Al Yankovic, Yanni.... whatever makes you smile.... now go away... make celebrations.... Hurry.