Bring out the Yule Log… it’s time to celebrate the winter solstice! What? You don’t celebrate the winter solstice? You’re not alone. In our modern lives, we’ve moved past celebrating holidays that are closely attached to harvest time.

The Winter Solstice The Sun will appear at its lowest altitude above the horizon at noon and it is the shortest day and longest night of the year. After the solstice, the nights will become shorter and shorter as the warmth of the sun returns.

While this may not seem significant today, in the past it was of the utmost importance. People relied on the sun in every aspect of their lives. This holiday has been observed, in someway, by almost every culture in every part of the globe for as far back as we have recorded. You’ve heard of Stonehenge? It was created as a calendar to mark the summer and winter solstices.

(Do you know how your ancestors traditionally celebrated the solstice? Might be a fun project to look up!)

In more recent traditions, the winter solstice is celebrated much like Christmas. Homes were decorated with a Yule Tree (Christmas tree), Yule log, Yule wreath, boughs and garland and cozy fires. If it sounds a lot like Christmas, well, it’s probably where many of our holiday traditions come from.

Get back to your roots, check out this post for ideas on celebrating the winter solstice:
Holiday Celebrations Ideas From The Past: The Winter Solstice

Your local florists would love to help you create some very unique and festive decorations for your winter solstice celebration. Check out the article linked above for some very great ideas you can use in your own home to pay homage to your hard-working harvester ancestors.