PMTvoice

Due to a lively debate within our department over whether or not we’re “technically” in the season of Winter yet, I’m dedicating this edition of “Odd History” to the topic of the Winter Solstice.    And trust me, there’s plenty of odd things about this observance.

To start, the Winter Solstice is when the axial tilt of the earth is farthest away from the sun.  It occurs on December 21st (12:47pm EST to be exact), and is recognized as the “official” beginning of the season of Winter. As such, this day has had special “sacredness” given to it for millenia, and for a large number of civilizations throughout the world.  Some of the modern day practices associated with Christmas in fact have their origins in Winter Solstice celebrations.

For example, why does it seem that “evergreens” have such a prominent role in decorating during the Christmas season?  Well, evergreens were used as decorations for various Roman temples during the Midwinter holiday of “Saturnalia”.  The celebration was both a giant “fair”, and festival at the home.  Neighbors would bring gifts to each other as good luck tokens.

Did you ever wonder what in the world a “yule log” was anyway?  We’ve all heard the term, but where did it come from?  Well, in Scandinavia, the winter solstice was called yule (or juul.)  Giant “yule” logs were burned while people would sit around drinking mead, and listening to bards singing ancient legends.  The yule log was thought to have the magical ability to help the sun shine more brightly.

And what of mistletoe?  Yes, you guessed it…origins with Winter Solstice celebrations.  Mistletoe was considered sacred by both Scandinavians and Celtic Druids, since it grew on a tree considered to be sacred:  the Oak.  Mistletoe would be be cut, and sprays of it would be given to families to be hung in doorways for good luck.  (Luck seemed to be a common theme throughout these ancient celebrations and observances.)  And how did kissing under the mistletoe start?  That’s a story all in itself which I don’t have room to write about, but check out the full story here.

The Winter Solstice in Poland  prior to Christianity involved people showing forgiveness and sharing food. The modern practice of this is called “Gody”  A festival called Chaomos, takes place among the Kalasha or Kalash Kafir people of northwest Pakistan. It lasts for at least seven days, including the day of the December solstice. Timeanddate.com says it involves ritual baths as part of a purification process, as well as singing and chanting, a torchlight procession, dancing, bonfires and festive eating.

Suffice it to say, Winter Solstice was a serious observance of many of our ancestors. In modern times however, the day goes by with just a bit of recognition of the fact that astronomically speaking, it’s the shortest day of the year.  Christmas is what most of us are looking forward to most.  As we approach December 21st, we here at PrintMyThing and PrintMyRibbon hope that you stay warm, and enjoy the day (as long…or short) as it lasts!!