Winter Solstice!
Winter begins (in the northern hemisphere). The Sun is at its lowest point in the sky and it will be the shortest day of the year. Sun enters sign of Capricorn (the Goat). This is a time to celebrate the birth of the new Solar year and the beginning of Winter in the northern hemisphere. The ancient pagan custom began the day with a sunrise ritual, with the ringing of bells or chimes, then visits with friends and family to exchange warm greetings and gifts. It is a joyous, colorful festival accented with singing, feasting, evergreen wreaths, candles, Yule trees, mistletoe, holly, and burning Yule logs. A celebration of the darkness with dancing near the hearth fire. Yule is important not only for its spiritual and symbolic meaning but also for its social activities. Before modern communications the time around Yule was a period when travel was easier. The demands of harvest are over and there is now little work on the land, so people now have time to travel between hamlets. It is als...