What do fellow Pagans do for the Winter Solstice?

[FunnysFuckingFreezing]

We have finally decided that Christmas is not the most important celebration at this time of the year and would like to celebrate the return of the light as well. What do others do to mark this celebration? And what do you call it?

We were thinking of a nice family dinner and maybe a fire outside or something?

I'm mainly atheist with pagan tendancies, I completely ignor Christmas but I do tend to have friends round for a nice meal around the 22.

This year it's early because a friend is going away on the 22nd.

I have a sort of dish type thing that you can put lamp oil in and have a 'fire' on the coffee table, some candles.

Similar to this

www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/garden-furniture/cadix-black-ball-gel-burner-20cm-.asp

We will be going to a local hill to watch the sunrise, raise a toast to the newborn Sun, and pondering on the wisdom of Terry Pratchett in the Hogfather.

"?WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF YOU HADN'T SAVED HIM?
"Yes! The sun would have risen just the same, yes?"
NO
"Oh, come on. You can't expect me to believe that. It's an astronomical fact."
THE SUN WOULD NOT HAVE RISEN.
...
"Really? Then what would have happened, pray?"
A MERE BALL OF FLAMING GAS WOULD HAVE ILLUMINATED THE WORLD.?

thanks sash and @ world

I'd love to take DH and DD (2...) to watch the sunrise but not sure where to go locally. Do you think most places like big hills would have a gathering of people there? Quite fancy a bit of drumming and stuff rather than quiet contemplation...

jennimoo I'm always surprised by the number of non-pagans who feel it important to watch the sunrise on the Solstice. Some of the bigger hills do have a few people - e.g. the Malverns. If you do a google of sites around your area, then you might find places where people go.

We don't bother with drums - unless they have a plastic skin then they go soggy and useless. We just take a bottle of beer to raise a toast.

Forgot to add - remember that the sun rises in the South East during the Winter Solstice, so you need a good view of that horizon. At Midsummer the sun rises in the North East. The only days the sun rises in the East is around the Equinoxes.

Like sashh I'd class myself as somewhere between atheist and pagan.

Thanks for the tips though, will hopefully be able to spot a likely place on the map!

Happy Yule/Solstice everyone. I thought it was the 22nd this year so didn't get up to watch the sunrise . The DC had solstice gifts and we toasted the return of the light tonight. It's a relief to get to this point in the year. Cheers one and all