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The 13th and Last (Probably) Solstice Story
Or

Early Pederson Family Solstice Celebration (Which has since been somewhat modified)
Light at the End of the Solstice Tunnel

 As you know I am one of those people who enthusiastically embrace the solstice. Well, really only the winter solstice (I hate its evil summer twin.) As a Minnesotan, and noted winter-denier, I have looked forward to it as the greatest day of the year for many years. It’s the day that heralds the VERY early return of summer breezes, short nights, flip flops - and early tee times! 


To celebrate this great occasion, annually I have sponsored Solstice S’mores for the neighborhood and written humorous (I hope) paeans to the solstice for you, dear friends and relatives, to help endure the long dark night that is our winter. I can’t break with tradition totally but somehow I think I must take a little different direction this year. Now that I have taken my 70th trip around the sun I feel that I can bring a bit more  wisdom or  gravitas to my story.                                                A happy little Solstice celebratrix 

(Or perhaps just use pretentious words like gravitas  - and pretentious? - to make it appear so.)

In the past I have made up stories about the ancient Celts and Druids prancing around a fire on the eve of the solstice within an ancient ring of stone. One year it was a story about Helios, the Greek god of the sun who got waylaid towing the sun around behind his chariot and ended up way off course at the Tropic of Capricorn (as I'm sure you know, where the sun actually ends up looming overhead on the solstice) before learning the error of his ways. And remember my great story in 2012 when the world was supposed to end on Dec. 21st? Boy, was my face ever red when it didn't; who knew the Mayan calendar could be so far off?! Now, the more I think about the winter solstice – and why I am so enamored with it – the more I have come to think that there may be more to it than just glib anecdotes.












Neighbors' annual re-enactment of barbarians                                                    (most are not acting and alcohol may be involved)

It’s a pretty well established fact that Christianity appropriated the solstice time of the year for the Christmas celebration. I assume that it was in order to snatch a bit of the excitement that all the Germanic barbarians were having prancing around their trees. You know, sort of like a guy hopping in front of a parade to appear as its leader. Anyway, it was good move.
   

 So why was there all this excitement to be snatched? The easy answer, anyway the one I have always milked for laughs, was that with the ever-increasing wintertime darkness the locals – obviously ignorant peasants – had rituals and incantations to beg old Sol to return. (Which, not coincidentally, were always successful.) Upon further review, there was much more to it.


Since the famous Stonehenge monument , dedicated to the solstice, was built roughly 5000 years ago it seems two things were certain: 1) the builders had figured out exactly when the sun was coming back a looonnnng time ago and 2) they were pretty smart guys. (Ladies were smart too but I suspect the women weren't allowed to join the builders' union back then.)  Which brings me to a larger point – for which I’m sure you’re saying, "finally!" – and that is that all the dancing and singing and incantating was really a celebration that the sun was definitely coming back and life would again be sweet. Put another way, nobody likes the dark. We humans live for the light and to me there is great comfort in the thought that we humans really haven’t changed all that much over these thousands of years. We are hopelessly optimistic creatures but not without reason as we embrace change, growth and progress. (Well, not everyone exactly but that's a different story.)

So the message I think that the solstice, and of course Christmas itself, try to express is that while there is always darkness and forces trying to drag us into the gloom, they always fail and the light prevails. And it always will so go on, enjoy the day as much as I do. 

 Hey, for a noted cynic that's not too bad! 

Anyway, put on your headset and try this:

 Here Comes the Sun The Beatles

You’re welcome. Now, if you will excuse me, I need go prance around a Douglas fir. Meanwhile, have a S’more - and an adult beverage - on me!    


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