In recent years I have not been able to blog nearly as much as I did in my early days. In part this is a side effect of family life during these rich and full teen/pre-college/homeschool years, and in part it has been intentional as I reached a point where I felt like I was talking too much. Who needs to hear from me five days a week? I don’t want to hear from me five days a week! That sort of thing. (This makes little sense though as there are plenty of bloggers that I love to hear from five days a week!) My interest in blogging remains the same, I’ve just slowed down the pace to once a week (or so) posting and it’s felt like a good fit for me. But if you’re plugged into social media, you know that I do stop by there most days. I use Facebook and Instagram, with the latter being my daily hangout place. Renee used the term “micro-blogging” a few years ago to describe how she (mostly) uses her public social media platforms and that intrigued me. I adopted the idea myself, putting it into practice particularly on Instagram. A photo and a mere sentence or two conveys so much. In a way, Instagram feels like the blogging community of yesteryear. I love it and try to follow back everyone that interacts on my feed – the exceptions being if an account is private (I'm too shy to request), or, if I don’t really know the person and their feed is mostly beautiful intimate family pictures (then I feel like a creepy person following their family photo album). All this to say that Instagram, used the way I see people use it, is one of the coolest things on the internet. It also serves as the perfect platform for “micro-blogging" — daily or near daily check-ins with like-minded folks, low pressure, just sharing a thought or two from the day.
And believe it or not, this long introductory rambling does circle back to the point of this post!
Over the weekend, a friend on Instagram asked if I would share about how our family celebrates Solstice. Feeling limited by tiny spaces on Instagram, I told her I would write a blog post about it. So that is what I would like to do today. Ready? (Phew! Longest intro in blogging history right there.)
Growing up, celebrating Solstice was not part of our family traditions. Somewhere along the way in early adulthood I became aware of its significance, especially as it pertained to my view of the natural world. It was also my husband's favorite day of the year (who doesn’t love the promise of more light?), so that also made it feel remarkable. But as many of you know, establishing new traditions is not the easiest thing to do. Add to that creating a holiday of sacred ground on what most often is a regular work/school day… well, it was hard to find our footing. But a few years ago I noticed Solstice was going to fall on or near the weekend, for a few years in a row (obviously), meaning that Adam would not have typical workdays and such. This was our chance to establish tradition.
I had a few ideas of how I’d like to mark this holiday in our family, but I also wanted to check in with my friend Amy as I knew Solstice/Yule to be a long standing day of celebration for her family. She recommended a few books that could help inspire the season for us, offered a few ideas and encouraging words, which I added to my already brewing ideas, and with that I was on my way.
How we (now) celebrate Solstice:
Solstice Eve – This is when our celebration happens. Having a Christmas Eve baby, our family doesn’t really "do" Christmas Eve. In our home, December 24th is a birthday celebration that involves all things related to that. But Eves are amazing and as a child I remember loving Christmas Eve, the anticipation was terribly exciting and hardly is there a day with so much magic in the air as Christmas Eve. Holding our family Solstice celebration on the eve of, felt like a natural fit for a family that does not have a tradition of enjoying Christmas Eve (I know, that seems kind of sad, but what we lack in Christmas Eve celebrations we make up for in Birthday celebrations!).
Atmosphere – Candles, candles, candles. And of course all the twinkly lights I can muster. We have a bonfire in the back field, and dress the old apple tree that sits about 40 feet from the bonfire, in twinkly lights. It requires one heck of an extension chord as this area of our property is far from the house, but it is quite beautiful to have this random sparkly tree beyond the stonewall. Inside, in addition to the candles, I pull out lots of glassware, pedestal glass candy dishes, cut glass vases, etc. Glass sparkles and reflects candle and twinkle lights so it enhances the celebration of returning light quite beautifully.
Food – Yes, there is special food! I have deliberately kept our menu simple but oh-so-delicious. We may be in a cycle of Solstice Eve falling on a weekend right now, but that will not always be the case. If I’m to continue honoring this tradition when it falls on a regular ol’ Wednesday, I need to be realistic about the level of production involved. So, soup it is. I’m not sure how I decided this, but it seems to have stuck. We aren't set on making a particular soup – but to give an indication of how traditions really can be created at any point – here we are, only on our third year of formally setting apart the day, and my daughter has requested a particular kind of soup for Solstice Eve this year, knowing the holiday was approaching. That’s how simple it is, really!
One year I made Cheddar Corn Chowder, last year I believe was Rosemary, Potato, Sausage Chowder (created on the fly), and this year the request has been for Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Apparently we like dairy on Solstice! We aren’t really bread people so mugs of hearty soup around the Christmas tree or bonfire it is. We follow it up with a special dessert that is actually very simple to make (I can easily make it any day that Solstice might fall on). This I do not seem to be changing year to year – Moosewood’s Six Minute Chocolate Cake with a quick chocolate ganache over the top, freshly whipped cream, and raspberry sauce. This is so delicious! To make the raspberry sauce just put some thawed frozen raspberries in the blender with honey or maple syrup to taste and puree. Next, strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer. Don’t skip this step! Seedy raspberry sauce is not very elegant. Last year I added a pan of our Chocolate Almond Butter Brownies (those are SO good).
Gifts – We are a family that loves giving gifts to one another. We purchase minimal goods throughout the year, reserving our wish/need lists for the holidays. There are lots of functional items such as tools, soap-making supplies, etc., under our tree. Diamond jewelry does not interest me, despite the commercials telling my husband it would make me the happiest wife in the world. I’ll take a good cast iron pan or sugaring supplies please (even better if they are found second hand). For Solstice, we are establishing a gift theme that I really love. We give each family member two gifts, one being a book, the other something made by hand. I prefer to make the handmade gifts myself, sometimes my family members get worried about their ability to produce lovely handmade objects (they shouldn’t be worried), and they utilize the talents of other artisans. The books are carefully chosen for the recipient, often previously owned.
Books – Solstice and wintry books are pulled from the basket to be read individually, and sometimes aloud. This is an ongoing theme for the entire month of December, but on Solstice Eve there are a few that we are sure to pick up. (A Vermont Christmas is not specific to Solstice, but I read it nearly everyday from Thanksgiving to New Years; nothing illustrates winter and Christmas quite like Vermont.)
An Offering – This is the final and perhaps most significant element to our celebration. Solstice is interesting in that it may signify the return of light, but it also marks the beginning of the coldest, snowiest months of the year. I may love winter, but that does not mean I do not appreciate the harsh severity of the season. For humans and animals alike, the months of January and February are a challenge – for many a feat of survival. We like to create something edible with our hands for our winged and hoofed friends, both domestic and wild. Apple slices with nut butter and seed, hung from tree branches in the woods (the birds and the deer love to eat apple slices dangling from trees), a nutrient rich wreath made of gelatin, berries, nuts and seed. This year the plan is an old favorite, pine cones with nut butter and seed, hung outside for wild enjoyment. (Our pine tree produced a bumper crop of pine cones so we're going with it.)
The first couple of years celebrating Solstice felt right and very us, even if we were still working it out as starting traditions is new ground, which can feel a little awkward. But with plenty of curiosity and a good bit of humor, I think it’s safe to say by this year (our third), we are well established and this tradition is firmly in place.
Because we put so much emphasis on the eve of, Solstice Day is low key and anything goes, really. Although I tend to begin prepping for my big day of cookie baking on the 22nd, as cookies get delivered locally on the 23rd. I don’t mail cookies, so I like to keep the baking of them as close to Christmas as possible.
Thanks for sticking with me through this post, I hope it gives you a clear glimpse into how we formed our family tradition. It is a magical time, for sure. Even though I listed quite a few details, hopefully you can also see how uncomplicated it is. I do love abundant, celebratory, and beautiful holidays, but I do not love complicated.
Wishing you a merry and bright holiday season!