Solstice

[Tessa James]

A Super Solstice day to all you dear friends.  Solstice is a truly universal event with no santa clauses need.  Just the good cheer of friends gathered to share and celebrate the shortest and longest days of the year.

We have gathered with friends and eventually someone will want to jump nude over the burning yule log.  Party on....

[suzifrommd]

Thanks for the good wishes. I like Solstice because after that things start getting brighter.

If the yule log is lit when your guest jumps over it, I would imagine your guest would probably be "lit" as well...

[Ms Grace]

It was a very warm and sunny summer solstice in Sydney - a lovely day. Now they're just going to get shorter. we have about 15-16 hours light this time of year and I much prefer it to the 10 hours mid winter.

[traci_k]

Merry Yule

and

Blessed Be!
.
And in this hemisphere days start getting longer YEA!!!!!!!!

[Foxglove]

Is that what it's called--the "Solstice"?  I've always called it "the bottom of the bloody well" and other worse things.

Where I live (Ireland) it can be a depressing time of year--dark at around 4:30 and not light again until about 9 the next morning.  But yes!  The days are going to start getting longer now.  In only about 3 weeks or so, we'll be able to see the evenings stretching, and that always lifts the heart.  You can start looking forward to the days when it's light until at least 11 and then getting light again before 4.

[captains]

In Iranian culture, the longest night of the year is called Shab-e Yalda. It's a time for family and friends staying up all night together, pomegranates, red wine, and that hiding-under-the-covers feeling. These days, I don't 'celebrate' per se, but I do like to take a minute and toast to the fact that we in the norther hemisphere survived the darkest time of year. It only gets better from here.

[Pixie]

Where I live (Ireland) it can be a depressing time of year--dark at around 4:30 and not light again until about 9 the next morning.

Likewise here.

I stood outside in the dark with a lit candle to bring some light into the longest night for myself. It wasn't much but it was the first time I have done anything at all in so many years.