Today, with the fewest hours of daylight, is the day to go out and fetch greenery to bring into the house, to encourage the return of the sun.
The tradition of bringing greenery into the home goes back a Very long way. This would have been the only decoration available to the poorest homes.
And even earlier each plant had a meaning.........Holly was a symbol of everlasting life and fertility, Ivy was an anti-witching plant with medicinal values, Rosemary was holy and magical and Bay was sacred to Apollo and Aescutapious, the God of medicine. Mistletoe was also associated with fertility and used by Druids in their ceremonies.
Christmas wreaths made of greenery are also ancient, thought to date back to Roman times when they decorated homes during Saturnalia. The wreath is thought to be a symbol of the wheel of the year. (The word Yule is usually thought to come from the Nordic word jol but may come from their word for wheel.......houl).
I've included this a few times on the day of the Winter Solstice but not for a year or two, so here it is again.
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| Susan Cooper is an author best known for a series of fantasy novels for children |
And I've had this book for at least 3 years and still not got around to reading it, must make an effort this year despite having all the good library books to get through.
It has 12 stories from various countries that have been passed down through the generations.
The day I loathe for it being the shortest, but the day I also love knowing the light will begin to return after today.
ReplyDeleteThe book looks lovely. We all have books like that in our stacks and I wonder why they remain unread.
It's grey and wet today here so a very gloomy Solstice
DeleteMy neighbour (a nurse, mid 30s) is gradually replacing our joint, very scrappy hedge and we were discussing progress. I asked him to make sure he left me enough holly for Christmas. He looked puzzled. "What's holly got to do with Christmas?" He didn't know 'The Holly and the Ivy', had never heard of bringing in greenery. He seemed to think I was bonkers! (No cultural confusion, he is British, white, never lived outside the country, went through our school system, has been nursing for ages.) I felt very old after talking to him.
ReplyDeleteHow strange. I shall now go round asking people under 40 if they know the connection!
DeleteRecently came across someone -70 years old - who'd bought a Poinsettia as a gift and said they'd never seen one before!
Obviously not a school teacher then! I used to have a battalion of poinsettia lined up on the hearth every Christmas!
DeleteThe traditions are lovely and so important a part of the rich fabric of life. Nonetheless, it must have been a drab and dismal morning at Stonehenge today!
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty breezy there on a good day , must have been nasty this morning. Hope the Druids had something on under their robes!
DeleteI've never celebrated the Solstice.
ReplyDeleteToday is my youngest grandson's 1st birthday. I wonder what his life will be like!?! There have been so many changes in my life, I can't imagine what will happen during his. I hope it is happy and healthy and peaceful.
It's a frightening to think what the world will be like for our Grandchildren in 70 years time
DeleteI always mark the Solstice with a little FB post and the hope of longer days. Torrential rain here today, and in Lanzarote where my daughter is. The difference is that it hasn’t cost us big money to sit and look at rain! Catriona
ReplyDeleteIt's been a grey old day here. It was dark so early.
DeleteIt is cloudy and freezing today with no sun. We got about an inch of snow yesterday and all the trees outside are lined with snow and the ground is a white carpet.
ReplyDeleteTo add extra light, I will keep the Christmas tree lights on throughout the day and into the night.
Vases and wreaths filled with red berries, pine, and ivy are lovely. It is the season!
I wonder if we will get snow in England this winter - perhaps January or February - definitely not at Christmas
DeleteGood to welcome the Solstice and the wheel turning into the light once more. I think of our prehistoric ancestors who read the stars to know which day the Solstice was and their celebrating the day and looking forward to the coming year.
ReplyDeleteHere I am more than a little fed up with 10/10 cloud cover and rain daily, oh and another storm arriving tomorrow!
Hope the storm isn't too bad, just grey and dull and wet here and thankfully not too windy
DeleteThe light will begin to come. I'm so glad. Your Solstice looks lovely.
ReplyDeleteHope we don't get too many days of dismal grey weather - I'd prefer bright and colder and we say that every year!
DeleteThe Solstice is always a turning point for me. Lighter days to come. Yay!
ReplyDeleteLove the Susan Cooper piece.
Angie
I've put that Solstice picture on the blog a few times and never seen it anywhere else.
DeleteSpring will get here eventually
My sister's birthday is on the solstice. My mother always said that for the shortest day of the year, it sure seemed like a pretty long day that year.
ReplyDeleteHappy Solstice! I always look forward to this day as I know that, from now on, the days will only get longer (even though it seems to take far longer to have lighter days, than it does to have the darker ones). It makes me think of brighter times to come. I can survive winter!
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