It’s that time of year again, where the shopping frenzy culminates into an orgy of drinking eating and sometimes pseudonymous gift-giving. At least this is the case for those who celebrate that one holiday on the 25th, but there are other holidays, one in particular that has nothing to do with consumerism or imaginary benefactors sailing through the sky. The winter solstice has arrived, and for pagans , farmers and others who mark the seasons and what’s actually happening in the real world, it is time to celebrate the slow return of gradual longer days. The darkness that drew over us through fall and winter will recede, unlike all of the extra calories consumed since Halloween.
It’s ironic that although the Solstice has the most connection with the natural world, it is the holiday that is least commented on in the mainstream media.
