The Winter Solstice: special ways to celebrate with kids

The Winter Solstice is my favourite seasonal celebration. It marks the middle of Winter and a crucial turning point: the return of more sunlight and with that the return of new hopes and aspirations. A time to look forward and make new plans for the coming year. Winter Solstice traditions are the perfect way to connect with this seasonal change.

They also provide a time to pause and take stock. To reflect on the year that has passed.

A time to count your blessings and be thankful for all that you have.

And a time to come together a family and connect on a deeper level.

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What is the Winter Solstice?

The Winter Solstice usually occurs on either the 21st or 22nd December and for those of us that are in the Northern Hemisphere that means it marks the shortest day of light and longest night. It also marks the official start of Winter, according to the astrological calendar. Meteorologists mark the beginning of Winter as the 1st December.

The term Solstice comes from the Latin solstitium meaning “sun stands still” and has been marked and celebrated by many different cultures across the world throughout history. It marked an important turning point in the farming year when thanks would be given for the past year and prayers would be made for a good harvest for the coming year as the sun returns.

Winter Solstice Traditions and Family celebrations

There are so many wonderful and different ways your family could mark or celebrate the Winter Solstice and it is important for you to choose whatever works best for the stages, ages and beliefs of your own family. As our children have grown we have added in a few more elements, but essentially we always include time outdoors in the woods and time together sharing a special meal.

A candlelit day

We try to spend as much of the day, as is realistically possible, by candlelight or twinkly lights and try to limit technology to just the cooker. It has a wonderful calming effect and makes the day feel deliciously cosy and has the magical effect of slowing down time.

A seasonal table decoration

For many years we have used the solstice as an opportunity to gather traditional Winter foliage such as holly, ivy and small fir tree clippings. We then use these to make seasonal table decorations with oasis and candles which we gift to friends and family.

However, this year we decided to do this at the beginning of December instead and made an advent wreath with five candles (one to light for each Sunday of Advent and one for Christmas Day).

A Winter Solstice Spiral

This year our time in the woods will be focused on making a Solstice Spiral. In previous years we have tried to do the spiral and table decorations all in one day and it can feel too rushed and difficult to fit in. We are intentionally choosing to do less this year.

The Solstice Spiral is such a lovely thing to do with children.

We gather fallen leaves and shape them together to form a spiral path. At the centre we place a lit lantern. We then take it in turns to walk slowly into the middle with a lantern. When we reach the centre we light our lantern, say a prayer of thanks for the past year and make a wish for the new year. We then walk back out of the spiral and place our lantern at the edge of the path, the youngest placing theirs nearer to the centre and the oldest towards the outside, making a pathway of light.

We talk to the children about the symbolism of the Solstice Spiral beforehand and have a moment of quiet reflection.

For us, the Winter Solstice is a time to look back on the year that has passed, let go of worries and feel grateful for all that we have, no matter how small. And as the days gradually begin to get longer, it is also a time to look ahead and make new plans and intentions, welcome in the new light of the coming year and to recognise Christ as the light of the the world, bringing hope, joy, peace and love – which takes us full circle back to the Advent wreath we made at the beginning of the month.

A special shared meal

Another big part of our Solstice celebration is a shared meal. We have mulled apple and orange juce simmering on the stove whilst we prepare and share a special meal together. We always make sunbread, to represent the returning sunlight, as well as homemade spicy sweet potato and coconut soup, as it is such a warm and comforting meal to eat on a cold and dark wintery night. And, of course, we share our meal by candlelight.

We also like to sing traditional Yule songs together (The Holly and the Ivy, Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly and Here we come a Wassailing) and snuggle up and read wintery stories by the light of the twinkly lights of the Christmas tree.

More ideas you could try

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Here are some ideas you could try with your family:

• a sunrise walk
• a sunset/ stargazing walk
• a lantern walk
• light candles
• sing songs
• burn a yule log
• make a chocolate yule log
• bake sunbread
• bake mince pies or other sweet treats
• tie coloured ribbons onto a tree in your garden to represent your hopes for the coming year
• gather seasonal evergreen foliage and make a table decoration to gift to others
• mix together lard or peanut butter and bird seeds and roll a pine cone in the mixture then hang on a garden tree for the birds
• have a candlelit/ twinkly lights/ lantern light day. If you would like more ideas on how to practise gratitude, mindfulness and how to connect together as a family then this Learning to Slow Down guide has plenty of easy to action and magical ideas to try.
• read solstice and wintery stories snuggled under a blanket in the light of the Christmas tree. We love The Winter Solstice (Traditions of the Seasons) by Ellen Jackson which explains how the Winter Solstice has beeen celebrated throughout history and around the world, and how and why the Solstice happens each year. At the end of the book there is also a story to read about the Winter Solstice. The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice by Wendy Pfeffer is similar in that it explains how we get the Winter Solstice, but is aimed at a younger audience. And if you are looking for a storybook about the Winter Solstice, then The Solstice Badger by Robin McFadden, with it’s gorgeous watercolour artwork is definitely worth a read. If you are looking for more Christmas themed stories to share together, there are lots of wonderful recommendations, grouped by age, in this Christmas Books for Morning Basket and Advent post.
• make mulled apple and orange juice
• drink hot chocolate
• start a phenolgy wheel for the coming year
• put a small branch in a pot in your home, write down aspirations for the new year on small tags and hang from the branch

Create your own Winter Solstice traditions

There are so many traditions you could do with your family to mark or celebrate the Winter Solstice, but we have found that it is better to keep it simple so that you don’t feel rushed or overwhelmed. Just choose what fits your family at the moment and only those things that would bring you joy.

We have found that a slow, calm day, with time spent outdoors in nature , as well as time spent together sharing a special meal or time connecting on a deeper level, is a perfect way to welcome back the sun and create precious memories.