A Merry Winter Solstice to You

Merry solstice on the longest night of the year!

This was an interesting holiday season at our house.  We are an interfaith family if you will.  Though not in the conventional sense.  Both my husband and I come from Christian families, so we will partake in typical Christmas style celebrations with our extended family.  We've always done well with it, and then we've kind of done our own thing beyond that.  However, this year added a new twist.

With our son being 1 year old, we felt it was time to include him in some traditions of our own.  This is an additional challenge, as I identify as Taoist, and the husband as Pagan.  We are lucky in some ways, because these two integrate well, in identification with nature and new beginnings.

We opted to open our gifts (modest yet fun) on December 21 and spent the day focusing on gratitude and merriment.  We lit the tree in the morning and just tried to create a happy atmosphere.  Wee one is a bit small for explanations of what the holiday means, so husband and I spent a lot of time in the evening discussing it ourselves.

For the next few years, we would like to add a few traditions of our own (feel free to offer suggestions) that may or may not be specific to yule/winter solstice.  It can be difficult because there is no real guideline for observance.  Yet, this can also be freeing, allowing us to create something unique and tailored for our little family.

I hope you all had a nice observance of Yin in it's highest form.  Time to hibernate and rejuvenate.

I would love to give credit for this glorious photo, alas I have no idea where I got it in years past, if anyone knows, please let me know.