Winter Solstice and Mystical Nights of Transformation.

Global Solstice Traditions

Pagan Scandinavian and Germanic people from northern Europe celebrated the December solstice with a 12-day long feast called Yule. Many modern Christmas traditions actually originated from Yule, including decorating the Christmas tree (formerly the Yule tree) and hanging up wreaths. The modern celebration of Christmas has a lot of connections to the winter solstice.

A pagan myth about the solstice is about the Norse Goddess Frigga. Frigga gave birth to her “young sun,” Baldur, on the day of the winter solstice, and the birth was viewed as her giving light to the darkness. This event is also why the December solstice event is known as “Mother’s Night” in many parts of northern Europe. It’s a day that celebrates rebirth, light, and progress.

Other Sun Gods born during the winter solstice include: the Egyptian God Horus, the Persian God Mithras, the Japanese Sun Goddess Amaterasu, and many more …

Similarly, the winter solstice holds special importance for Native Americans in North America.

Native American Traditions

The Zuni tribe holds a multi-day celebration, known as the Shalako festival. The Zuni are intensely private, and most events are not for public viewing. But what is shared with the public is near the end of the ceremony, when six Zuni men dress up and embody the spirit of giant bird deities. These men carry the Zuni prayers for rain “to all the corners of the earth.” The Zuni deities are believed to provide “blessings” and “balance” for the coming seasons and agricultural year. The Zuni, like their neighbors, the Hopi, believe their ceremonies are necessary not just for the well-being of the tribe, but for the land around them, and for the entire world.

The Blackfeet tribe in Montana marked the time of the winter solstice and the “return” of the sun or “Naatosi” on its annual journey. They also faced their tipis—or portable conical tents—east toward the rising sun. They rarely held large religious gatherings in the winter. Instead, the Blackfeet viewed the time of the winter solstice as a time for games and small community dances.

The Objibwe tribe begins their cycle of Traditional storytelling at this time. Like many tribes, this was a practical choice given the fact that during the other season’s, people were busy growing, gathering, and hunting food. It was in the winter, with the long dark evenings, the snow and wind blowing outside, that telling stories was a way to entertain and teach the children. Another reason is that many traditional stories contain animal characters. To be respectful, people waited until the winter when animals hibernate or become less active so they cannot hear themselves being talked about. To have a storyteller tell you a story is like receiving a gift. It is in itself a ceremony, a medicine that can heal and give life.