For people who say Happy Solstice or celebrate Winter Solstice- What's to Celebrate?

Question

and what is happy about it?
Since most people in Oaklahoma have been freezing without power , the east is freezing with Major Travel Delays across the nation..
So what holiday is Winter Solstice? Do you alos celebrate Happy Summer? The seasons are coming wehter you celebrate then or not. Had Jesus not been born we would not Celebrate a Christmas Season.
So what are you celebrating about Winter? How cold it can get?

Answer 1

Winter Solstice is a celebration of the return of the light. When the days have been getting shorter, meaning less light and warmth, it is good news to those who have been shivering in the cold that we've passed the midpoint and from now on the days will be getting longer, meaning more light and warmth.

Summer Solstice is also celebrated, along with the equinoxes, as a way of taking the time to remember and honor the Earth --- and stay attuned to the Earth's natural rhythms. Humans are organic creatures with natural rhythms that are connected with those of the Earth. Some would say that many of our major social problems are related to modern culture's disconnection from and dishonoring of the Earth.

Honoring the seasons is also a way of learning from the Earth. The lesson of Winter Solstice is that even in the darkest night there is hope of a new day.

This does not detract in any way from Jesus, the message of Jesus or the celebration of His birth.

Answer 2

I celebrate the Winter Solstice because it is the start of the light coming back. I also celebrate Christmas, so Winter Solstice doesn't take the place of Christmas. For me there is no religious significance. But every day after Dec 20-21 there is an extra minute or two of daylight. It means spring is on the way. Sometimes you have to find things to be happy about in life. I don't go around wishing people "Happy Winter Solstice" though, and think that would be kind of weird.

I was born on the Summer Solstice and therefore do celebrate that every year - usually with drinking and other merriment.

Answer 3

Happy Solstice

Answer 4

Yep , you're right . The non-religious people in Oklahoma are freezing without power . Isn't it wonderful that the religious people are nice and warm ?
Jesus was not born at the solstice . Roman records show that no census as taken at that time .
At the solstice , the days begin to get longer . The ancients celebrated it with gift giving , parties , lights , evergreen trees , mistletoe , and all of the trappings that the Christian church stole as their own .
What holiday is it ? It was called The Return of Light before the Christians renamed it Christ's Mass .

Answer 5

I will be taking part in a small Solstice ritual. As usual, I'm celebrating several different holidays this season, including helping out with the music at a Christmas Eve church service.

Answer 6

Yes, we celebrate the Summer Solstice, as well.

Symbolically, Yule celebrates the rebirth of the God. For unto us, the Sun is reborn. If that sounds familiar to you... it should. Even Christian scholars admit that Jesus was not born on Dec 25, and recognize that the date was chosen to make it easier to convert pagans.

And anyone who has taken a comparative religions / mythology course realizes that the "midwinter birth of the God" theme is found in many, many religions - including those that pre-date Christianity. The fact that Christianity adopted the beliefs of pre-existing religions and co-opted them into their own beliefs does not make Jesus "the reason for the season".

Astronomically, Yule is important because days (finally!!) stop getting shorter and start getting longer. And while the coldest part of the winter is still ahead, it means that at least there will be more daylight. And to me, that's a pretty damned good reason to celebrate in and of itself.


PS - Baron, I was mowing the lawn in a t-shirt and jeans yesterday... I can't believe it's five days till the Solstice. We're supposed to hit 70 on Friday! ::blink::

K716 - Actually yes, it is sad that the days get shorter after Litha and that the God is on the wane. The flurry of spring planting gives way to summer growth, and finally to autumn harvest where we reap the benefits (physical and spiritual) of the year's efforts before entering the contemplative hibernation of winter. And then the God is reborn at Yule,and we look forward to the return of the spring growth, and celebrate the Wheel as it turns again.

Do I celebrate anything on the 25th? I celebrate the joy of being with my family (who are mostly Christian), but no, that date doesn't hold any spiritual significance for me.

Answer 7

Actually, we're celebrating the rebirth of God, who is symbolized by the sun the way Goddess is symbolized by the moon. Since the solstice is the shortest day of the year, it is the day we recognize the rebirth of God. We know the Lord is returning and the days will lengthen with the return of the sun.

And you've got nothing to complain about. I live in Upstate New York and we're usually freezing and frequently without power. And if Jesus had not been born you're right - we would be celebrating the Yule season because Christians wouldn't have forcibly converted or killed off all the pagans that celebrated Yule.

)O(

Answer 8

As winter progresses, the sun rises every morning a little farther away each day. On the winter solstice, it stops and starts coming back. Since our ancestors didn't know for sure that the sun would come back, the solstice was cause for celebration. The lighting of candles, Yule logs, etc. was a form of sympathetic magic, a way to invite the sun to come back.

Answer 9

Christ has nothing to do with our celebrations - we celebrate Yule. Our ancestors were snowed in and celebrated the Solstice when the sun begins to grow in strength - the hope for the rebirth of the earth and Spring. It was also a good excuse to celebrate with family and friends (some of whom may have been snowed in with you) - better than sitting around sharpening their knives and glaring at each other. We thank the gods things will get better and spring is coming.

Winter is hard for travel every year. Summer heat kills and causes droughts. Fall brings black ice and the flu season. Spring brings allergies. Mankind manages.

Answer 10

Ah, but Christmas is based on Yule, also known as Winter Solstice. Us pagans still celebrate Yule- it's pretty much the exact same thing as Christmas, except we celebrate the birth of the sun god instead of Jesus.

And yes we actually do celebrate the summer solstice as well... most call it the summer solstice, but others call it Litha. The seasonal cycle is very important to many pagans.

Oh... and nya nya I live in southern California... I'm wearing a short skirt, tank top, and scarf! It's only 55 degrees outside, and the sun is shining ;-D