Celebrate Winter Solstice

Celebrating the Winter Solstice: A Time to Welcome the Light

Winter Solstice marks the moment when daylight is at its shortest and the long nights reach their peak, just before the light begins its slow return. In the Northern Hemisphere, it usually falls on December 21, occasionally on December 22. Let’s explore why the Winter Solstice is so special and how to celebrate this quiet, beautiful turning point in the deep of winter.

This post comes from a piece I wrote for the December issue of Monthly Mood.

Subtle Turn

It is the longest night, a gentle threshold between deep winter and the slow return of brightness. There is something ancient and reassuring in this moment — a pause so complete it feels as though the whole world is holding its breath.

For centuries, people have marked this turning point in simple, meaningful ways. Not through spectacle, but through small gestures that honor warmth, home, and the quiet promise of renewal. Even now, in lives filled with movement and light on demand, the solstice invites us to recognize the beauty of darkness and the steady comfort of light returning.

Marking the Solstice

This day asks us to notice what the season is offering. Outside, the landscape rests. Trees hold their bare silhouettes against the sky, the air carries a winter hush, and even familiar places feel touched by a deeper calm. There is a softness in the way the sun rises late and slips away early; a reassurance in the slow arc that hints at brighter days ahead.

Marking the solstice might look like lighting a few candles at dusk and letting the glow fill the room. It might be a slow walk in the cold, listening to the quiet and observing how still the world becomes. It might be gathering a few loved ones for a simple meal — warm soup, bread from the oven, citrus on the table — and savoring the comfort that sharing brings. This is a night for embracing the beauty of dim rooms and lingering evenings.

Moments of Meaning

Sometimes the most meaningful observances are the smallest ones. A slip of paper where you write something you’re ready to leave behind. A word or intention chosen as a companion for the turning of the year. The solstice offers a natural moment to honor what has shaped you and to make gentle space for what you hope will grow.

And then, at the heart of it all, there is the light. Even as the solstice marks the longest night, it also begins the return of the sun by the smallest measure. The shift is ever so slight, yet deeply symbolic. It reminds us that renewal often begins without fanfare, that hope grows quietly, and that change can start as a whisper rather than a leap.

Held by the Season’s Rhythm

As the solstice settles over the landscape, you might find comfort in knowing that you are part of a long, unbroken rhythm — one that has guided generations before and will continue long after. This moment of stillness offers nourishment for the days ahead, a gentle reset, and a reminder that both darkness and light have their place in the cycle.

A soft place to pause, a season to hold close.

Final Thoughts

May this solstice bring you a sense of grounding, a spark of warmth, and a soft faith in the light that is already on its way back. May these winter days hold space for rest, renewal, and the quiet beauty that midwinter carries so naturally.