midwinter

"So the shortest day came, and the year died,
and everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
came people singing, dancing to drive the dark away."
~ Susan Cooper The Shortest Day

We tilt today. We feel a shift, depending on hemispheric location.  Where I sit, we spin farthest from the sun.  Shortest day. Longest night. To me, solstice is standing still sun. A quiet and cold reminder to embrace the darkness. A joyful and beckoning call to rejoice the light. 

What is solstice to you? Feel free to show us how you celebrate midwinter in the comments today.

Comments

[Marcie]

The shortest days of the year..and I'm turning my camera indoors:
http://marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=1398

[Juju]

Though winter solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year, and we call it, variously, "the beginning of winter" or "midwinter," it also marks the day before the return of the sun, since tomorrow, the days begin getting longer. As the year dies, so does winter, and the once-dying sun will now begin to regain its strength, something that might not have always been certain to ancient peoples, so they celebrated when they saw the signs of returning life and warmth in the heavens. Long before Christianity, this was the "reason for the season"--the return of the sun--and the reason that evergreen trees and branches were brought into the house--because their ability to stay green even in winter suggested that they had some magical powers of life.

In that spirit, I offer a photo of one of my favorite holiday decorations, a Christmas wizard carved from the knee of a cypress tree, which is another variety of evergreen, found in the American southeast.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juju-b/5279475165/

[Jen at Cabin Fever]

The solstice for me means celebrating the newness of winter. The fresh canvas that is the world right now (because its covered in snow)

I love a blank canvas. It really spurs the creativity! :D

http://www.cabinfeververmont.com

http://www.nekphotography.blogspot.com

[kristin]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14811117@N02/5279276494/
we got our first good snow solstice night.
it was a little extra magic.

[Beth]

Love the pic, looove the starbursts.

Solstice is a shift, the possibility that new possibilities exist.

[cara]

Solstice is (usually) my birthday! I like to joke that when I was born, I brought the sun and light! The days are getting longer and Christmas is right around the corner...this is my favorite time of year!

[georgia]

i look so forward to this day EVERY year! i am not a winter person. i am a sun person. so long nights and little sun really fuel my seasonal affective disorder. my dad was always one to mention, look forward to and celebrate this day. he'd count down the days until december 21st as soon as winter hit. i now see why.

shortest day, longest post...
it's a long post, but it is my bright light this winter 2010... at this dark, cold season of my life.
http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/2010/12/okay-here-we-go.html

absolutely wonderful photo, by the way!! love the sparkling lights.

[Becca]

I celebrate by focusing on Christmas coming!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47808744@N06/5279236686/

[Wayfaring Wanderer]

I've got Christmas lights on the brain right now! But I am looking forward to the changes and challenges that this new season brings.

http://www.wayfaringwanderer.com/2010/12/fantasy-in-lights-callaway-gardens-ga.html

~WW

[Lisa]

Mmmmm love this photo! The solstice for me is a time to go inward...

[Audra Van Vliet]

Winter is the quietest season.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hellsbellarina/5252599421/

[Abbie]

I started celebrating early this morning by watching and taking pictures of the lunar eclipse (brr!).

http://unendingfieldtrip.blogspot.com/2010/12/finallyfeeling-in-my-fingers-again.html

Tonight, we're having friends over for game night, chili, and cornbread. I'm looking forward to it (and to the days getting longer again - we moved to South Dakota a year ago and it seems like those shifts are a lot more evident here)

[Kimberly]

Trying to stay dry in the rain:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/junebugphotography/5270149005/

[Jennifée]

That is *such* an amazing photo. Solstice for me is a hope of light and renewal.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/85057042@N00/5280847728/

[Jade Sheldon]

Wow... This image takes my breath away...

[Jess]

I took some time to play with a simple photo today. It was nice to shut down by myself for a little while.

http://jessicavescera.blogspot.com/2010/12/left-hand.html

[strawberrygoldie]

Meredith, how did you DO this? I lovelovelove it.

[strawberrygoldie]

And Winter, to me. A bit of reality, a bit of magical fantasy.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/strawberrygoldie/5279798167/

[Angela]

What a gorgeous shot!

It's not my most energetic time of year, so I'm spending a lot of time flopping with the cat:

http://angela-hemming.blogspot.com/2010/12/i-blah-g.html

[Holly { Soupatraveler }]

I stayed up last night to watch the beginning of the eclipse. http://www.flickr.com/photos/soupatraveler/5282332308/

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[littlepurplecow]

I really love this image, Meredith.

[tara]

I've always celebrated the Winter Solstice as it is my birthday.

Back in the day I celebrated with women-only, candle lit parties to which friends of friends came and always found connections we didn't know existed prior. I think the rumors about these parties only added to the intrigue (nakedness! pillow fights!).

Last night I celebrated my birthday with my two favorite fellas. My husband captured this photo of me and my favorite little guy strolling thru Paris ... it was a perfect birthday.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/impossibletask/5281673145/

[Joyelle]

I got together with a couple other moms and we had a little lantern parade with our kids at a local park. You can visit my blog to see a photo my husband took of one of the little mason jar lanterns we made for the procession.

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[spread your wings]

wonderful photo
live by the sun love by the moon
http://spreadingwings08.blogspot.com/2010/12/by-sun-by-moon.html

[Jenn | the kitchen dish]

What a beautiful photo!