5 Ways to Honor Winter Solstice

December 21st is Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, or the longest night of the year. It is a great opportunity to connect with the earth and the change of seasons through some simple practices.

1) Watch your Shadow – If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, look at your shadow at noontime. Because of the arc of the sun at a lower angle in Winter, this will cast the light differently, causing your longest shadow of the year!

2) Stargazing – Heading into the night is a beautiful way to spend the Solstice. Depending on where you are, and the weather, you may be able to see the December meteor showers! Grab your warmest clothes and a thermos of tea to enjoy the night sky. Keep your flashlights and phones off so your eyes can adjust.

3) Enjoy a night in candlelight – Leaning into the darkness of the longest night of the year and celebrating it allows us to also envision the light that is to come. Turn off the lamps and enjoy the dark night.

4) Celebrate the dark in other ways – Unplug on Solstice to honor the darkness. Turn off your phone and give yourself a day to step away from scrolling. Embrace stillness and rest, and see how the quiet can be medicine.

5) Honor endings to make more space for new beginnings – We focus a lot on new year’s resolutions, but forget to honor and say goodbye to all we overcame, accomplished, or survived through in the year prior. Create some time to say goodbye to what you are leaving behind this year – events, beliefs, relationships alike. Consider writing things down on pieces of paper and burn them, or bury them in the backyard and do a little happy dance on top of them.

Want to learn more? Grab your free Winter Solstice Guidebook for astronomy, traditional practices to honor solstice, and personal reflections to celebrate the darkest night. Get yours at this link.

How will YOU be honoring the shortest day of the year? Drop a comment and let us know…