The Winter Solstice

Winter solstice is celebrated around the world quite often because not everybody celebrates Christmas. The Christmas holiday is a modern invention that was invented with the rise of capitalism in mind. It is why gift giving is emphasized but I’m not buying anybody presents this year. I’m pretty much done celebrating Christmas with my family since I have no money for presents anyway. Besides, they put me down, so I’m like, bye, not going to be there for that. My knee hurts anyway, I can’t go out late. The holidays cause me undue stress because I know my family is floored by the real truth. Christmas comes from Saturnalia, a Roman holiday that occurred around this time of year. Saturn was the God of agriculture and time.

Back then, Saturnalia happened between December 17th to December 24th. It was a time when master and slave often reversed roles, and Slaves were treated as equals for a change. Christmas is celebrated on December 24th, and December 25th. As a modern festival, the “spirit” of Christmas can lead to many people with mental illness becoming depressed. Stress can fuel this depression in whatever form it takes, no matter where you live.

In Scandinavia, they celebrate St. Lucia day because the Romans killed her for taking food to persecuted Christians hiding in Rome. The Chinese celebrate Dong Zhi, which means “Winter Arrives,” because the beginning of longer days is marked by the solstice even if it is the longest night of the year as the light returns to us. Iranians celebrate Shab-e Yalda, by celebrating the return of Mithra the Sun God who returns light to the world. You see, not everybody celebrates Christmas, which is why it is safer to say the generic “Happy Holidays,” although I don’t mind people telling me to have a merry Christmas.

With Iranian Shab-e Yalda, people make wishes; eat nuts and pomegranates while other festive foods are eaten with poetry being read also. Sometimes people stay awake all night to see the sunrise since that means the light returns to the world. For the Southern hemisphere, the winter solstice is celebrated in June. The Spanish conquistadores stopped the Inca tradition of fasting for three days before the solstice since they wanted to stamp out pagan concepts. Incas made cups of chicha or a sacred beer made out of fermented corn, while animals including but not limited to llamas were sacrificed. The Zuni Indians in Western New Mexico, celebrate the winter solstice as the beginning of the year, while they dance the Shalako. The rising and setting of the sun is something they watch three days before the solstice itself on the date. The Zuni appoint a “Sun Priest” who announces itiwanna, or the rebirth of the sun, with a loud mourning call that lasts for a time. Many different cultures celebrate festivals other than Christmas. In Japan, for example, the winter solstice is a tradition that is practiced to set you up for a good year filled with health and good luck. Farmers welcome the return of the sun. Also, there is a practice taking warm baths with yuzu, a fruit that is used to fend of colds, and take warm baths to engender good health. Japanese people also eat kabocha squash also called Japanese pumpkin. So yes, there are many different kinds of rituals celebrating the New Year.

Remember, we get only one day, each day that dawns is one day. The New Year is coming very soon all over the world as we celebrate the third decade of the 21st. The holidays are an important time to slow down with, to do nothing on the day of. Winter solstice is a time to regroup, because we all need occasional time off. Christmas is by far, the coldest day of the year in California at least, so in which case, it is a day to relax, not go outside for Las Posadas, stay in, take care of yourself, and make sure you do not get sick with the New Year. There is a reason why bugs hit when you slow down. They hit you because they lie in wait until you slow down in our hectic little culture of go-go-go. There is value in not being in a rush all the time. This is an American tendency depending on where you go. If you live in the Bay Area, this is what we do. So I urge people to calm down, enjoy the holidays, and not get too stressed.

Works Cited https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Posadas https://www.history.com/news/8-winter-solstice-celebrations-around-the-world