...to want to celebrate the solstice(s)?

[NomDeOrdinateur]

I've been thinking - my family isn't religious, the December 25th means very little to me (although I'm happy to keep on roasting chickens in its honour), and I don't have/want DC.

However, I bloody hate winter and am always pleasantly surprised when I realise that the solstice has passed as it means that longer evenings and warmer days will be returning soon. It makes me feel hopeful, and it also makes me think about how lucky I am to have electric lighting, heating, warm clothes, and no need to be outside in the cold.

With this in mind, WIBU (or wanky) to start making the solstice a "thing" in my household? I'm only thinking of something like a nice meal with special candles, some good mulled wine/cider, a short walk with DH, and some kind of non-gadgety activity in the evening (board games, reading, guitar playing rather than TV etc). I'd do the same in the summer, but preferably with a BBQ and friends/family .

PS - DH wouldn't mind, he likes nice food, walks, candles, boardgames, reading and music anyway.

I think that's lovely and any and I think it sounds like a beautiful tradition in the making for your family.

TBH that is what Christmas really is to a lot of people. Jesus' birthday wasn't the 25th December, it was a co opted winter/solstice/bring the light back celebration as exists in many cultures. Christmas Day is only a tiny bit passed the solstice anyway.

*past, dammit.

MostlyFine - yay, thanks for the reassurance! I've wanted to do it for years, but got some looks from my parents when I mentioned it - I think they hear "solstice" and think "dancing naked around Stone Henge in the moonlight", which isn't quite what I have in mind. (Although... [Grin])

MrsTP -that's part of the reason I'm not sure about it. The thing is, Christmas has very different connotations for me as I spent 9 years in very religious schools and am a lapsed Catholic myself - it doesn't really feel like a joyful, "let your hair down" time to me. I sort-of want a baggage-free, stress-free equivalent to Christmas, but get a bit uncomfortable about the cultural appropriation issues with pinching what is effectively another religion's winter festival... I should probably have mentioned that in my OP, actually!

But you're both right, I think - Christmas has different meanings/functions for different groups and I've never had a problem with the cultural appropriation side of that, and it would be really nice to use the solstice as our own (additional) equivalent since Christmas doesn't "work" for me... Thanks for the reality check!

(25th of Dec isn't the solstice though, otherwise lovely idea!)

it is the 21st December this year. Why don't you think of the 25th as a midwinter festival rather than getting hung up on the solstice? :-)

If you want to do it, just do it. Not sure why reassurance from others is necessary. The most important thing is if it means something to you.
FWIW I know several people who celebrate solstice. My friend often has a little gathering at her house with food and drink and a bonfire outside, it's lovely and a refreshing antidote to Christmas.

Sounds like a good idea. I wish I could get DH to cooperate and join in - I feel like a tit doing stuff on my own!

Solstice rituals and celebrations sometimes come up on the religion/spirituality boards, so you might want to pop over there and see whether you can get any ideas of what to do. I'm waiting for a poster to come back and tell me/other posters where she got some pagan figurines from :)

IT's a Saturday night. I love the solstice and think I shall have a solstice party this year.

I always try to have the house cleaned and decorated by the 21st and do more or less what you describe. Candles, nice food, nice drink, often mulled wine as it makes the house smell so nice and have a few moments quiet reflection before visitors appear and chaos breaks out.

Go for it, even if I wasn't Pagan I think I'd celebrate the Solstice just because of the sheer joy that the days start getting longer again. I loathe the cold dark days.

Thanks, all!

StarBallBunny: that's pretty much what I have in mind, yes - your solstice sounds really chilled out and cosy. You have exposed one flaw in my plan, though: I'll have to get our very awkward-to-clean cottage sorted 3 days earlier than normal!

MrsCosmopilite: thanks for the recommendation, I'll have a look! Won't your DH join in even if you promise him libations of the mulled variety?

MotherInferior: excellent idea, hope you enjoy your party! I'd like to have one, but our place is absolutely tiny. Still, in the future perhaps...

Selks: your friend's parties sound lovely, wish we could have a bonfire but there's too much chance of setting an errant chicken alight! I wasn't looking for approval, permission, or anything like that; I was just wondering what others would do in my position, considering that I'm not religious at all and would feel very odd about suddenly adopting Diwali, Passover, Ramadan etc on a whim. The solstice feels different to me though, I suppose because there's a scientific basis for it rather than a purely cultural one.

the solstice is always 21st December in the northern hemisphere. And yes, it marks the beginning of the way up so is something to celebrate, unlike retailmas!

if you have a local pagan/druid society they might be holding something, no beliefs necessary.

Go for it. I love the idea of marking it (although we do celebrate Xmas too)

My SIL's family celebrate Yule instead of Xmas, not sure if that's the same thing but what they told us sounds lovely.

Murder - sorry, my post hung in space for so long that I missed yours... What do you do for the solstice, if you don't mind me asking? I've never "met" a Pagan before!

Totally agree with you about the long, dark, soggy, horrible, revolting midwinter days, BTW - they make me so depressed and listless that I temporarily forget how horrible spring actually is in this country...

Pretty much what you've come up with, candles (symbolise the return of the sun), good food, good company, and having fun.

Gosh Mumsnet is laggy today... Thanks for the recommendation, SpecialSubject - I'll look to see if we have one nearby! Fuzzpig, I have no idea what Yule is, but I'm intrigued enough to Google it right now .

Thanks, Murder! I've just realised how little I know about Paganism (and Yule), so I'm going to give myself an RE session this evening.

I always celebrate solstice but an not a pagan.

Solstice is important.

I think it's a lovely idea - one I may ask my DD and DH if they'd like to also adopt. We've got various non-religious friends, I think it'd be cool to re-claim the solstice as a secular alternative - or rather addition to - Christmas. (DD wouldn't be happy if we didn't do the usual for that!)

I am Pagan too, but still finding out so much,

I attend Yule rituals every 21st of December, and they're quite simple, often involving a fire labyrinth, which we can walk as many times as we like, and simply reflect,

We hail the gods/goddesses and our rituals are usually performed by a Druid Bard. We finish off with simple food and mulled wine/mead or soft drink.

We still have a special lunch and gifts, but instead of celebrating Jesus's birth, we start to look forward to the return of the sun and warmth to the land.

I like to go for a walk on the winter solstice and have a particular oak tree that I like to hug. It has a very satisfying girth. I'm mainly Christian, but I like to mark the fact that the days will get longer, and don't see it as incompatible with my other beliefs (God creating nature...)

It is much more meaningful than most of the corporate tat that has ruined Christmas.

Yule is a lovely thing to celebrate. I often have friends over for a big pot luck dinner, nattering and fun until day break. It's nice to acknowledge the turning of the year to brighter days and a good chance to reflect on what has been and hope for what will be.
We still do Christmas too, as both DH's family and mine are lazy Christians. So we go to church, exchange gifts and I think that is nice too, I love singing in church with lots of strangers, brings everyone together. Which I guess is what it's all about!

My fave holiday is Samhain though (Halloween), my best friend and I do the same things we've done each year since we were 11, only now with added booze. Pumpkin carving, pie making, movie watching, dressing up, decorating my house and doing magic tricks for any trick or treaters. It might not be strictly traditional but I wouldn't change it as its special time with my friend.

Well, the Winter solstice isn't on the 25th Dec (it's the 21st), but YANBU to want to celebrate it. You should really apply for a ticket to visit Newgrange for the Winter solstice though, if you are into it. It's truly amazing. There is a ticket lottery every year, it's something that everyone should experience.