Winter Solstice, Holiday of Light Neil Edsall Many People of Today's
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Winter Solstice, Holiday of Light Neil Edsall Many people of today’s organized religions consider winter solstice celebrations to merely be a pagan phenomenon. In researching information for this article, I found for myself further proof that the actual roots of the world’s religions and philosophies share even more concepts than may be apparent. The winter solstice occurs at the instant when the Sun's position in the sky is at its greatest angular distance on the other side of the equatorial plane from the observer. Depending on the shift of the calendar, the event of the winter solstice occurs sometime between December 20 and December 23 each year in the northern hemisphere, and between June 20 and June 23 in the southern hemisphere. Although the Winter Solstice lasts an instant, the term has been used to refer to the full 24-hour period. On the night of winter solstice, as seen from a northern sky, the three stars in Orion's Belt align with the brightest star in the eastern sky Sirius to show where the Sun will rise in the morning after winter solstice. Until this time, the Sun has exhibited since summer solstice a decreasing arc across the Southern sky. At the moment of winter solstice, the Sun ceases to decline in the sky and the length of daylight reaches its minimum for three days, during which the sun does not move on the horizon. After this, the Sun begins its ascent into the northern sky and days grow longer. The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still); so, Winter Solstice means Sun standstill in winter. I have found that worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied from culture to culture, but most cultures recognize it as rebirth, and celebrate with rituals, holidays, festivals, and gatherings. Many cultures celebrate or have celebrated a holiday near the winter solstice; examples of these include Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Years, and many other festivals of light around the world. Since the event is observed as the reversal of the Sun's ebbing presence in the sky, concepts of the birth or rebirth of sun gods have been common and, the year as reborn has been celebrated with regard to life- death-rebirth deities or new beginnings such as the Scottish Hogmanay's Redding, a New Year’s cleaning tradition. Also, reversal is another usual theme as in the Roman Saturnalia's slave and master reversals. In temperate climates, the midwinter festival was the last feast celebration before deep winter began. Most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter. It was nearly the only time of year when a supply of fresh meat was available. Most of wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking at this time. The concentration of the observances was not always on the day commencing at midnight or at dawn, but the beginning of the pre-Romanized day, which falls on the previous evening. In pre-historic times, winter was a very difficult time for indigenous people in the northern latitudes. The growing season had ended, and the community had to live off of stored food and whatever animals they could hunt. The people would be fearful as the life-giving sun sank lower in the sky each day. They feared that it would eventually disappear and leave them in permanent darkness and extreme cold. Communities were not assured to live through the winter, and had to be prepared during the previous months. Starvation was common in winter, also known as the famine months. After the winter solstice, they would have reason to celebrate as they saw the sun rising and strengthening once more. Although many months of cold weather remained before spring, they took heart that the return of the warm season was inevitable. The shortening and returning daylight became associated with the concept of birth and or death/rebirth. These prehistoric indigenous people had no elaborate instruments to detect the solstice, but they were able to notice a slight elevation of the sun's path within a few days after the solstice, perhaps by December 25 and so celebrations were often timed for about the 25th. The traditions varied, and were observed throughout the world by the indigenous from South and North Americas to Asia, Asia Minor, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Many outside traditions are often adopted by neighboring or invading cultures melding and absorbing customs and mythology. Some historians will often assert that many traditions are directly derived from previous ones rooting all the way back to those begun in the cradle of civilization or beyond, much in a way that correlates with the origins of languages. Monotheistic religions, like Judaism, Christianity and Islam, tend to view time as linear. Everything started with creation and the world as we know it will end at some time in the future. Aboriginal and Neopagan religions being tied to the earth and seasons see time as circular and repetitive, with lunar (monthly) and solar (yearly) cycles. The pagan rituals were performed to guarantee the continuity of nature's cycles. The indigenous people of Finland, Sweden and Norway, worshipped Beiwe, the sun-goddess of fertility and sanity. She traveled through the sky in a structure made of reindeer bones with her daughter, Beiwe-Neia, to bring back the greenery on which the reindeer fed. In Sweden and many surrounding parts of Europe, polytheistic tribes celebrated a Midvinterblot or mid-winter-sacrifice, featuring both animal and human sacrifice. The blot (ceremony) was performed by goði (priests) at sites, most of which have churches built upon them now. Midvinterblot paid tribute to the local gods, appealing to them to let go winter's grip. The folk tradition was finally abandoned by the 13th century, due to missionary persistence. Originally the name Giuli signified a 60-day ocean tide beginning at the lunar midwinter of the late Scandinavian Norse and Germanic tribes. The arrival of Juletid (Yuletide) thus came to refer to the midwinter celebrations. By the late Viking Age, the Yule celebrations came to specify a great solstice based Midwinter festival that blended the traditions of various midwinter celebrations across Europe, like Mitwinternacht, Modrasnach, Midvinterblot, and the Teutonic solstice celebration, Feast of the Dead. In the year 960 King Håkon of Norway signed into law that Jul was to be celebrated on the night leading into December 25th to align it with Christian celebrations. For some Norse sects, Yule logs were lit to honor Thor, the god of thunder. People feasted and drank mead around the bonfires while listening to minstrel-poets singing ancient legends until the log burned out three, or as many as twelve days later. It was believed that the yule log had the magical effect of helping the sun to shine more brightly. The Icelandic Ásatrú and the Asatru Folk Assembly in the US recognize Jól or Yule as lasting for 12 days, beginning on the date of the winter solstice. The indigenous lore of the Icelandic Jól continued beyond the Middle Ages, but was condemned when the Reformation arrived. The Ancient Swedes, Scandinavian Lutheran, and Eastern Orthodox also celebrated Lucia or Lussi Night on December 13th, what was supposed to be the longest night of the year. The feast was later appropriated by the Catholic Church in the 16th century as St. Lucy's Day. It was believed in the folklore of Sweden that if people, particularly children, did not carry out their chores, the female demon, Lussi or Lucia die dunkle would come to punish them. The Early Germans (c.500-1000) considered the Norse goddess, Hertha or Bertha to be the goddess of light and the home. They baked yeast cakes shaped like shoes, which were called Hertha's slippers, and filled them with gifts. During the Winter Solstice houses were decorated with fir and evergreens to welcome her coming. When the family had gathered to dine, a great altar of flat stones was erected, and a fire of fir boughs was lit. Hertha descended through the smoke, guiding those who were wise in saga lore to foretell the fortunes of those persons at the feast. There are also darker versions of Perchta which terrorize children along with Krampus. Many cities had practices of dramatizing the gods as characters roaming the streets. These traditions have continued in the rural regions of the Alps, and various similar traditions, such as Wren day, survived in the Celtic nations until recently. Modranicht, Modresnach (Mothers' Night) was an Anglo-Saxon and Germanic feast. It was believed that dreams on this night foretold events in the upcoming year. By the year 730, it was thought to be observed by the Anglo-Saxons on the winter solstice. After the reemergence of Christmas in Britain it was recognized by many as one of the Twelve Days of Christmas. In twelfth century Russia, the eastern Slavs worshiped the winter mother goddess, Rozhnitsa, offering sacrifices of honey, bread and cheese. Bright colored winter embroideries depicting the antlered goddess were made to honor the Feast of Rozhanitsa in late December. And white, deer-shaped cookies were given as lucky gifts. Karachun, Korochun or Kračún was a western Slavic holiday like Halloween and observed as a day when the Black God and other evil spirits were most potent. It was celebrated by Slavs on the longest night of the year. On this night, Hors, symbolizing the old sun, becomes smaller as the days become shorter in the Northern Hemisphere, and dies on the December solstice.