The Lazy Witch Celebrates: The Winter Solstice
5 Rituals to Commemorate the Longest Night of the Year
The Lazy Witch is back and for the first time it’s happening outside of the month of October!
On my quest to learn more about Witchcraft and how I can participate in it in the laziest way possible, I’ve realized that the time of Yule, or the Winter Solstice, is the logical next big event to participate so this week we’re diving into the history and ritual of the Winter Solstice.
Usually falling on the 21st or 22nd of December for those of us in the United States, the Winter Solstice is, in terms of daylight, the shortest day and longest night of the year. For centuries, Pagans have celebrated this night as the rebirth of the sun since everyday following the Winter Solstice, the daylight grew longer and longer until reaching the Summer Solstice in June meaning their time for tending to matters of hunting or farming grew longer as well.
Ancient peoples celebrated the return of the daylight with bonfires, drinking, stories, and decorations crafted from items in nature. Christians eventually came in and incorporated many of these Pagan customs into what we now refer to as Christmas but I think that the Winter Solstice still deserves its moment in the sun….get it? Moment in the sun?? It’s the shortest day!
So this week, I’ve gathered some of the easier but still fun and essential rituals to celebrate the Winter Solstice to share with you in the hopes that we can make our ancient ancestors proud by once again revering the sun for what it still does for us even in a world of electricity.
Gather your logs and lanterns and away we go!
5 Rituals to Celebrate the Winter Solstice
Yule Log Burning Ritual
Items Needed:
A Log OR a Larger Bundle of Split Wood/Sticks
Natural Decorative Pieces
Dried Oranges, Cinnamon Sticks, Rosemary, Cloves, Pine Cones, Mistletoe, Ivy etc.
Small Strips of Paper
Pen
Yule logs might be my favorite long standing Winter Solstice tradition because of all the lore and ritual surrounding it. Yule logs are a symbol of the darkness shifting into light, they are burned to provide light and warmth for the home during the darkest night and season. For this ritual, you will want a log (or a bundle of split wood or sticks) and to decorate it with herbs, spices, dried fruits, and greenery that represent hopes and dreams for the coming year. On the night of the Winter Solstice, gather your family or friends to each write their indiviaul hopes and dreams for the coming year on slips of paper to then fold up and place into/onto the log. Once the log is lit, the wishes for the new year will be burned and delivered to the universe. Be sure to keep a small part of the Yule Log to help kindle the fire for next year’s log and take the burned ashes to spread on your garden for good luck with the spring crop.
Tree Blessing Ceremony
Items Needed:
String
Needle
Orange Slices (dried)
Cranberries
Nuts
Optional:
Pinecones
Bird Seed
Peanut butter
Of course we all know about Christmas trees but did you know they started as a Pagan way to celebrate nature during the Winter Solstice? Instead of bringing a tree inside the home, people would decorate an outside Evergreen with candles to symbolize the sun or ornaments as a gift to the Gods and Goddessess as a symbol of “enduring life” through the darkness of winter. Now a days, you can use this tree blessing ritual to provide for the wild animals trying to survive the cold months! Dry out some orange slices in the oven, string them together with cranberries and nuts and create garlands to hang on the trees in your yard. You can also find pinecones, cover them in peanut butter and sprinkle birdseed over it as a special treat for the local flyers in your neighborhood.
Stay Up Until the Sunrise
Back in the day, people would stay up until the sunrise as a way of making sure the light would return after the long darkness. While we may not be so worried about if the sun will eventually make its way back into the sky anymore, staying up for the sunrise is a great way to honor the meaning of the Winter Solstice! Create a bonfire and invite your favorite people to spend the night celebrating before welcoming the sun’s return in the morning.
Winter Solstice Warmth Ceremony
Items Needed:
Friends and Family
One Candle for Each Person Participating
Matches OR Lighter
Warm Drinks
Midwinter Star Bread (Recipe Linked Here!)
I absolutely loved this Warmth Ceremony I found on The Wondersmith and had to share it! Gather all of your friends and family in a circle with each holding a candle. Starting with the oldest guest, have them light their candle and repeat the following:
As I light the candle, I show gratitude for the the light returning to our hemisphere, and also for a source of light in my life…”
They should fill in the blank with whatever is the right answer for them.
They should then light the candle of the person to their left with their own candle
The newly lit candle person will repeat the saying and lighting of the next person’s candle
This will continue until every person’s candle has been lit and they have had a chance to speak
Upon completion, the whole circle can speak the following prayer:
Bless this gathering of friends and family throughout the coming year. May you all embrace the light.
- Everyone blow out their candles
- Go enjoy some warm drinks and a slice of Midwinter Star Bread
Go Wassailing
Items Needed:
Friends and Family
Wassail ( Recipe Linked Here…but you can find different ones all over the internet)
Cups
Trees (either in your own backyard or a nearby park)
This one is for those of us who like to get a little rowdy with our celebrations. First thing you’re gonna want to do is brew up a batch of Wassail (which is basically a spiced punch…a new thing I learned this year) your choice if it’s alcoholic or not. You can check out The Witch’s Guide for an easy Wassail recipe! Once your Wassail is ready, serve everyone a cup and take to the outdoors! The tradition of Wassailing involved singing to the trees and sharing your Wassail with them to ensure a good harvest in the coming year and I don’t see why that should change…I’d much rather sing to the trees than to my neighbors.
How will you celebrate the Winter Solstice this year? Have you ever celebrated it before and if you, what did you do? Which ritual is speaking to you most and why? Let me know in the comments below!