Winter Solstice - Yule - December 20 - 23

In the Northern Hemisphere, the beginning of winter falls between December 20 and 23, the Winter Solstice (also called Yule). On this day the length of daylight is at its minimum. (In the Southern Hemisphere, December 22 is the first day of summer, or the Summer Solstice.) For most people in the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice is simply the shortest day of the year -- and therefore the longest night. But it is also a time to remember that beginning the very next day the nights will begin getting shorter and the days longer and spring and summer will come once again with flowers, warmth, and the singing of birds. Also, there are people who observe the Pagan religions who celebrate the day with ceremony, rituals, and traditions.

Yule (which comes from the Norse "Jul" meaning "wheel") can be traced back to an ancient Norse solstice festival that originally marked the rebirth of the Sun God from the Earth Mother.

A common thread to Solstice and Yule celebrations is the reaffirmation of life and its cycle: the sun will return and life will bring riches of a new season.

To learn more about the Winter Solstice - Yule, click here.