Winter Solstice

The winter solstice was one of the most important moments in the annual cycles of the cultures of the Neolithic period. This is supported by the presence of such late Neolithic and Bronze Age sites as Stonehenge in Britain and Newgrange in Ireland.

The main axes of both monuments are aligned to observe the sunrise at the winter solstice (Newgrange) and the sunset at the winter solstice (Stonehenge).

It is noteworthy that at Stonehenge, the Great Trilith was erected outside the center of the monument, and its smooth flat stones are the first to meet the mid-winter sun.

The Celts also celebrated this holiday, as evidenced by the Coligny calendar. Deuoriuos Riuri is supposedly the name of the winter solstice in the calendar from Coligny, which can mean “the great section, the holiday of frost.”

Meán Geimhridh (Irish midwinter) or Grianstad an Gheimhridh (Irish winter solstice) — these names are used to denote rituals and celebrations of the winter solstice by proto-Celtic tribes, Celts and Druids. In the Irish calendar, the solstices and equinoxes mark the middle of the seasons.

The point of roughness is a Welsh term for the winter solstice. In Welsh mythology, Rhiannon gave birth to her son Prideri on this day.

The Celtic winter solstice was later mixed with the Roman tradition of Saturnalia, the Scandinavian Yule tradition and Christian Christmas.

These traditions influenced the character of the holiday so strongly that it is difficult to establish the Celtic element.

Some researchers adhere to the theory that the Celts did not celebrate the days of solstices and equinoxes, but these days are mentioned in myths, and a number of ancient customs and beliefs have survived, which suggest that the Celts nevertheless celebrated the winter solstice.

The remnants of the Celtic winter solstice ritual can be traced in the New Year and Christmas traditions of the British Isles.

What to do on the shortest day?

What special things to do on the winter solstice? Get rid of worries, troubles, everyday thoughts. Calm down, establish peace of mind. It’s a good day with a noisy company of friends, family and friends to make the relationship even stronger.

In ancient times, people who have not yet lost their close connection with nature believed that on the day of the winter solstice, December 21, fate can be changed, because nature itself helps a person in this, reviving and starting a new cycle, fulfill many desires and enlist the support of higher forces for next year.

The winter solstice is the most important and energetically strong day of the year. This influence is felt for several days before and after the Solstice.

These days it is very favorable to make plans for the whole year, dream and imagine what you want to bring to life next year. All this will have a special power, thanks to the natural rhythms of nature.

The first 12 days after the Solstice are symbolically associated with the 12 months of the year.

It is important to spend the very day of the Solstice on an energetic rise, joyfully and consciously. Everything that we want to invest in the New Year of our life must be invested in this day.

What needs to be done for the future personal happiness and well-being of the planet?

Preparing to enter the unique energy of the period, one should get rid of all bad thoughts, resentments, postpone petty worries and prevent negative outbursts, including irritability characteristic of a modern person.

It must be remembered that a kind of “pure matrix” during the winter solstice absorbs our desires, aspirations, emotional images, in order to return them later in the form of real events.

It is during this period that the time comes when you can radically change your destiny.