Special Winter Solstice Story 2023

 

A Solstice Epiphany

Say, the sun comes up in same place every year on the Solstice - huh

(A pale version of this story will allegedly be in the Star Tribune commentaries this week (18-24) sometime - best guess is Thur 21st. This version is much better!)

As perhaps my last solstice story I want this one to be different. I would also like to share a deep (by Dear Leader standards) thought that came to me while writing it. Part of this epiphany is a result of my (self-described) wildly popular Equinox post a few months ago. 

For many years I have been writing about – and taken credit for – the return of the sun on the winter solstice, hopefully in a semi-humorous way. Had I taken the time and effort to do the same deep dive about the solstice as I did on the equinox I would have discovered that I have unknowingly had a lot of help from many others around the world in my efforts. (Of course those posts would not have been nearly as entertaining.) Anyway, I want to do - no, I owe you - the same deep dive and brilliant insights about winter celebrations. Prepare to be impressed! 

Most of us know that Stonehenge was built about 5000 years ago with a key purpose to help celebrate the solstices. Many also know that "Christmas" trees have been around since early pagan times - and long before there was a Christmas - in northern Europe. I’ve got to tell you, though, there are some other REALLY unique celebrations that people have for this important point in time of the year.

Feets don't fail me now!

Here's one that single ladies (and maybe even a few unhappily married ones) will appreciate, the Shoe Toss. On Christmas day Czech women throw a shoe at their house door and if it lands with the toe pointed at the door, start sending out the invitations! If not, well, men are stupid anyway.

Most of us have heard of the Roman Saturnalia. Sure it looks like a naval aviator party with all that drinking and sex but it isn't. While these festivities were going on grudges were forgotten and wars were paused. Sounds to me like a recipe for the whole year. (Sadly, the partying might be a bit hard on the old body.)

 Navy party? No, this really is Saturnalia; I know, hard to tell the difference. (And if it was an air force party there would be actual women there.)

Quick, I need to find some woods!

The Ursul – the Bear Dance - is big in Romania. An ancient ritual, carolers dress in bear costumes and dance around. It’s apparently to drive away evil spirits. Also to say goodbye to the old year and welcome in the new one. No hibernating for these bears!

Time really goes by fast

Not to be outdone by the ursine Romanians, the Brits in Bristol have the Burning of the Clocks. Some people dress up as clocks representing the passing of time. They head to the beach with lanterns of paper and wood and there they are thrown into a bonfire. Oh my goodness, no, not the human Timex’s! (They only did that a couple years then they ran out of volunteers.) No, the lanterns are thrown into the fire hopefully taking  with them wishes, hopes and fears. Odd but then that's the British.   

                                   

Run, Krampus, Run!

Here's one you can really agree with. The Austrians have a guy that comes to visit the children. Unlike his warm and cuddly opposite, Santa, Krampus only looks for naughty children. When he finds them, he punishes them (and it’s corporal.)  If he finds a really rotten kid, he takes that child away in – get this – his sack! Take that, you little s@#$! There’s more to this story but you will need to Google “Krampus Run” to find out. Don’t you wish Krampus would visit certain politicians in a certain party? (Okay, both parties.)

This one I can personally endorse. Toji, the Japanese solstice celebration. Related to yin and yang it celebrates relief from dark and cold of the shortest day of the year with the a hot bath with citrus fruits to refresh the body and spirits and keep you healthy with nice smooth skin. Who knew I have been a Toji enthusiast for all these years?!

Hey you two, that's your third one!

 

This list would not be complete without the world famous Dear Leader Solstice S'Mores party! Ah, the sound of young children crying out in glee and parents just crying out. All I can say is that I'm humble and little bit proud to be the host of such a lively event.

So that’s a quick trip around the world of winter solstice and winter celebrations. Those of you who are geography buffs will note that all these are in countries in the northern hemisphere. Why is that, you ask? I don’t know. I’m sure there are some sort of celebrations on the shortest day of year in the southern hemisphere – in June for them – but couldn’t find any. Of course, I didn’t look too hard. Hey, they can take care of their own hemisphere, okay? (Sorry, Paulie.)

But wait, there's more!

Discovered several years ago in modern day Turkey, turns out experts think it’s about 11,000 years old. . .

. . . Gobekli Tepe

That means it was built about 6,000 years before Stonehenge. The smart guys studying it think that like Stonehenge it was for some sort of rituals - perhaps even solstices? Shockingly, that means a communal site, in the middle of nowhere, was built by hunter-gatherers, with no metal tools thousands of years before it was thought possible. Hey, they were making history before there even was history!

So here's my deep solstice thought.

Notice that in pretty much every culture - or even before there was a culture - people have celebrated this time of the year. They may have their different reasons and with different ceremonies but they all are struck by the need to recognize it. This is just one example of how for thousands of years, and in total isolation from each other, humans all over the world tend to have many traditions or stories in common. 

Carl Jung, the psychologist, said it better, “ . . . human beings are connected to each other and their ancestors through a shared set of experiences." He called this the “collective unconscious.” 

I don't want to go all woo woo on you but it strikes me that he was on to something. Call it whatever you like: myths, instincts, legends - gods? - we're all tied together in this circus we call life. 

(I just wish we could remember that when we are killing each other, sadly, something else we seem have in common.)

Okay, maybe it's not that deep but then neither am I. Nonetheless, I didn't realize how much I got out the solstice all these years.

Solstice Sunset

With all this said I feel I have fulfilled my duty to you and can retire as the solstice soldier fighting for your sun. (No pension required but gladly accepted.)

Anyway, on the 21st at 9:27PM, while we're filling our faces with S'mores, we can all breath a heavy sigh of relief as the sun begins its slow but sure return to these northern climes. Whatever your celebration this time of year, I hope it was - or is-  is a great one. 

From Mrs Dear Leader and moi, Happy Solstice - and a great New Year to you!

I simply could not make up my mind about music so here are some of my seasonal favorites. Enjoy.

Tale of Two Cities     A Winter Solstice Album                                                                         (My favorite song on my favorite holiday album)

 Carol of the Bells   Lindsay Stirling                                                                                              (Most of us can neither play nor dance as well a she does both at the same time - great version!)

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring     David Qualey                                                                                (J S Bach's marvelous song played with as much love as the song can inspire)                              

Veni Veni     Mannheim Steamroller                                                                                            (One can almost see the French monks in the 1200's at worship in Notre Dame cathedral. Brilliant version) 

The Christmas Song      Nat King and Natalie Cole                                                                                                    (Okay, tell me how this song can be sung better than this)