To celebrate Winter Solstice instead of Christmas?

[Parsley65]

No-one in our family is religious, the kids are in late teens and I don't see the point of celebrating something that means nothing to me or anyone else in the family.
However, I would like to celebrate something.
In the past I have thrown my efforts into making Christmas a special occasion, so this year think I'd like to do something similar, but with a non religious twist and not on the 25th.
I haven't mentioned it yet. What do you think?

rainingallday

No grumpy fuckers in our home now, we have the Christmas stuff up first weekend in December.

I'm an atheist as are the DC, and we aim more for the pagan aspects. Ex is DCs dad, and they too are happy to have a reason to celebrate and have fun.

@MulticolourMophead We have OURS all up - Christmas tree, 🎄 all the lights on and everything - on 1st of December. 🎁 We start putting the lights up outside in mid November, but don't switch them on til 1st December. 🎅

Or you could celebrate Hanukkah this year :) 8 days starting on the 22st, a dreidel, candles, chocolate coins and deep fried food!

@Rainbowhairdontcare

Sounds FAB!

As @Beesandcheese said upthread

A solstice is an actual astronomical event marking the changing of the seasons doesn't require some religious window dressing?

Our ancestors thought solstices and equinoxes were pretty important.
Over 5,000 years ago, Newgrange in Ireland was built, a vast construction in stone and earth, to physically demonstrate the rising of the sun at Midwinter Solstice.
newgrange.com/winter_solstice.htm
It pre-dates the Pyramids and the complexity of engineering in its construction is spectacular.

Similarly, Maeshowe in Orkney, built to show the Winter Solstice Sunset www.orkneyjar.com/history/maeshowe/solstice.htm
l.
There are thousands of stone constructions around the world whose siting appears to be related to astronomical events. Astroarchaeology

as a discipline is beginning to understand the motivations for our ancestors to have wanted such permanent features in the landscape to demonstrate celestial events.
You may have such a site near you, this link will show your nearest one(s) if you have your location switched on www.megalithic.co.uk/getlocation.php
or you can search by country and area www.megalithic.co.uk/topics.php?countries=1

BlankTimes is right.

Astronomical events would have been hugely important to our ancestors and would have had a great real, symbolic and probably religious importance.

Ancients were at the mercy of the seasons and the turning of the skies as they saw it.

Food was probably scarce for many and winter would have brought cold long months, probably death and illness.

Ancient astronomers would have calculated the solstice- and other events the year. The winter solstice and the longest night giving way to the start of the return of the sun would have meant hope, the return of light, safe in the knowledge that fertile growing months would soon be ahead.

Absolutely a cause for celebration.
Our ancestors were humans like us, with complex societies, they - like us were searching for meaning in their world, and no doubt enjoyed festivities and parties as much as we do.

Thanks for all your input; it makes for interesting reading!
I've spoken to my nearest and dearest.
No-one cares about when we celebrate and all agree we should just enjoy being off school, uni & work.
I like the whole pagan/solstice thing and so they're happy to hang their hats on that instead of Christmas. Teens only care about presents and roast dinner, and DH is very laid back, so we'll be having some very familiar holiday traditions, but not on the usual dates

Go for it!
We are doing the same this year. Christmas is over an done with once you have had your Christmas dinner and the kids have opened all their presents. We are going to spread it out from the solstice and for the next 11 days.
It will feel more leisurely and less of a rush to get things done.

Do whatever you want.

We have decided to do the same thing, OP. Nobody in our house is religious and I feel a lot more in tune with the pagan/nature aspects of the midwinter festival. This thread has made interesting reading, which is why I have resurrected it rather than starting a new one. (Plus it is only a few weeks old, not a proper zombie!).

I have been reading some bits about Yule online and find the traditions that are associated with it to be fascinating! Looking forward to celebrating this year.

It'sAPleasure - thank you for your input and happy holidays!
I wish I'd done it years ago, as it's really freed me up and doesn't really impact the rest of the family.
When I told the teens that I was planning a day of tv and cheese on toast on the 25th, they offered to cook a family meal of steak and chips, which has really made me up 😁

As a horse owner I celebrate winter solstice as well as Christmas, as gradually, very gradually life becomes that little bit easier and I don’t have to sort my horse with a head torch permanent attached to my head 😆.
Celebrate whatever you like just have fun doing it and don’t feel you have to justify anything.

Winter solstice is still religious though, just not Christian.

I am against celebrating both winter solstice and Christmas as they are both British. It’s time we looked to the world for some alternative celebrations.