The winter solstice is the day with the fewest hours of daylight and is also the beginning of astronomical winter. This year in the Northern hemisphere the winter solstice occurs on Thursday, December 21st at 10:27 p.m. EST. According to history.com we began celebrating this event as early as 10,200 B.C. Stonehenge is a well-known monument honoring this event and it is oriented toward the winter solstice sunset, while Ireland and Scotland have monuments aligned toward the winter solstice sunrise.

The solstice used to be known as Yule, and was celebrated by pagans long before the arrival of Christianity. Many of the traditions from those ancient days are with us still. The Yule tree, representing the Tree of Life, was decorated with lights, sun symbols and natural ornaments such as pine cones. Greens that retained their color and didn’t appear to die - such as fir, pine and spruce - were thought to have power over death, and so they were brought into the house to symbolize life, rebirth and renewal. Prickly holly branches were placed at doors, windows and fireplaces to ward off evil spirits. Mistletoe was hung over doorways as protection against thunder, lightning and other evils. The Yule log was generally an oak tree placed in its’ entirety into the hearth. The larger the tree the better, as the longer the Yule log burned, the faster the sun would return to warm the earth. Wreaths symbolized the infinity of goodwill, friendship and joyfulness. Candles represented the light and warmth of the sun. Seasonal drinks - which now include mulled wine, mulled cider, and eggnog - began with a concoction of ale, honey and spices known as wassail (meaning be well or good health).

Prior to electricity a great many candles were burned over the course of a year. Prosperous households might have had candles made from aromatic beeswax. For most, though, candles were made from animal fat which gave off smoke as well as an unpleasant odor. Then early American settlers found that the berries from the bayberry bush emitted a pleasant aroma. Further, they discovered that boiled berries created a waxy residue that could be skimmed from the top of the water. Unfortunately it took a lot of berries to create enough wax for a single candle. Bayberry candles, therefore, were treasured and burned only on special occasions. Tradition says that the candle is meant to be burned on a holiday eve, and is meant to be left alone until it extinguishes itself sometime after midnight. One of the poems about the legend says “A bayberry candle burned all the way down allows happiness, good health and wealth to abound.” I like to burn a bayberry candle for the solstice, Christmas, and New Year’s. If you’re intrigued or inspired by the story, consider incorporating this tradition into one of your holiday eves.