When we think December holidays, our minds instantly think Christmas. Did you know the oldest and most widely celebrated holiday by different cultures is actually the winter solstice. The winter solstice is celebrated on almost every continent and by almost every culture throughout history. This year the winter solstice is the longest night of the year.

The winter solstice occurs when the Earth’s axial tilt is farthest away from the sun at its maximum of 23°. Meaning “the Sun standing still,” the solstice marks the very first day of winter and is the longest night of the year. To ancient peoples, solstice celebrations were important because they encouraged the sun to return to spring.  No one knows when people started celebrating this event, but we do know it was celebrated in early Mesopotamia with a 12-day festival to their god, Marduk — over 4,000 years ago! Our ancestors certainly put forth an enormous effort to celebrate the winter solstice; just think of Stone Henge! (A perfect marker to the sun at both solstices.)

Recently (and by that I mean in the last 1,600 years, hah!) Christmas has overshadowed the ancient holiday. (Although many Christmas traditions stem from solstice celebrations: yule log, mistletoe, Santa and others.) With our modern lives we’ve lost much of our connection to seasonal events that were so important to our ancestors. This year, take some time to celebrate the winter solstice — throw a unique holiday party… a winter solstice party!

Whether you’re having a huge shindig, or just a family gathering, you cannot celebrate the solstice without fresh foliage. Fresh flowers and green foliage remind us that winter will fade and life will begin to grow again! Traditional winter solstice plants include: oak, mistletoe, evergreens, holly and ivy. Also wheat and harvest-time plants and veggies remind us of how precious our sun is to us. (Great way to recycle Thanksgiving decorations!)

Another key feature in winter solstice decor is circles. The circle represents the cycle of the seasons, as well as the sun, which makes all life is possible. This can be a great theme throughout your solstice party decorating. Contact your local florist and ask for winter solstice decorations to match your solstice style.

Traditional Solstice Decorations:

Yule Wreath – circle symbolizes the yearly cycles. This is customarily made out of fresh foliage, such as evergreen leaves. [Read more…]