The History of Festivities around the Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice is that period in the year when the Sun is in the farthest position south to those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. We usually associate the Winter Solstice with December 21st ; however the dates of the Winter Solstice occur from between December 20th and December 22nd , depending on the year. The Winter Solstice marks the beginning of meteorological winter which lasts until the vernal equinox. The sun is positioned at 23 ½ degrees south of the equator or the Tropic of Capricorn. The North Pole is therefore positioned 23 ½ degrees away from the sun.

The Winter Solstice has historically been considered a period of rebirth. The term solstice derives from the word “solstitium” [Sun, Dec 21, 2025, 9:03 AM cst) which translates into “sun stands still.” The Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere was historically a time when animals were slaughtered for fresh meat and the time when fermented beer and wine were ready for consumption.

In Stonehenge one can catch the run’s rising rays through the stones at the winter solstice, which many people gather to do at that particular time of year. Newgrange in Ireland and Maeshowe in Scotland are likewise aligned with the sunrise at winter solstice. In ancient Germany, the winter solstice was used to honor the Pagan god Odin. They believed that he made nocturnal flights to observe his people, which we now refer to as the Northern Lights. In ancient Rome the winter solstice was also used to celebrate Saturnalia, which began on December 17th . The celebration went for seven days. During Saturnalia, people would make sacrifices at the temple of Saturn before banqueting and the giving of gifts. During Saturnalia, law and order would be suspended. Schools and businesses would likewise close. Quarrels and grievances would be forgotten. During Saturnalia, Roman slaves were given temporary freedom and equal treatment. Food and drink were plentiful during Saturnalia.

Also, in ancient Rome; Mithra, a Zoroastrian God of light, who was born of a rock, was celebrated by Romans on December 25th . Mithra was considered by many ancient Romans to be the most sacred day of the year.

Through the reign of Constantine, Christmas became to be celebrated on December 25th , shortly after the Winter Solstice. Throughout the early and middle ages Christmas was celebrated with a mass, similar as to today. However after the mass Christians in the early and middle ages would then celebrate in a drunken and licentious way, similar to how certain Christians celebrate Mardi-Gras in current times. During these times the poor would also go to the houses of the rich and fortunate to demand their best food and drink. The rich would be terrorized with mischief if they denied the beggars. Christmas in early times was also a time of the year when the rich and fortunate would re-pay their real or imagined debts to society.

In the 17th century, the religious reformers in England under Oliver Cromwell succeeded in cancelling Christmas in 1645. This banning was restored by King Charles II in the 1660’s. When the Puritans arrived in Massachusetts in the seventeenth century and anyone who outwardly celebrated it was fined. A section in the law-book of the Massachusetts Bay Colony read as follows:

“For preventing disorders arising in several places within this jurisdiction, by reason of some still observing such festivities as were superstitiously kept in other countries, to the great dishonor of God and offence of others, it is therefore ordered by this Court and the authority thereof, that whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas or the like, either by forbearing of labor, feasting or any other way, upon such accountants as aforesaid, every person so offending shall pay of every such offence five shillings as a fine to the county.” (1)

The Puritans believed that celebrating Christmas and all other religious holidays were unnecessary and distracted from the religious discipline. (1) They were also felt that secondary to the loose pagan origins of Christmas that celebrating it would contribute to idolatry. (1) The trend of not observing Christmas in America began to be reversed In the Early to mid 1800’s Christmas in America was not declared a federal holiday until 1870. (1) The celebration of Christmas in America became more of a family oriented event; which coincided with American families becoming more child-centric. The holiday became a way to celebrate children without appearing to spoil them. In the mid to late 1800’s, Christmas became a holiday to foster the importance of charity and goodwill and a time when a Christmas carol became important.

Many societies and cultures celebrate holidays and festivities at the time of the winter solstice. In ancient Scandinavia, Yuul, or Juul was observed at the winter solstice. In Yuul, fires were lit to symbolize the heat of the returning sun. A Yule log was lit as a tribute to the God Thor, which would consist of a feast until the large logs were totally burned, which could burn for up to 10 days.

In China and East Asia, they celebrate the winter solstice with a ceremony known as Dongzi. In Dongzi they celebrate the return of longer daylight. Dongzi is associated with an increase of positive energy. The origins or Dongzi are thought to coincide with the ying and yang philosophies. In Dongzi, they celebrate with gluttonous rice balls that are brightly colored.

In Iran and central Asia during the winter solstice they have a celebration called Yalda. It is to celebrate the longest and darkest night of the year. To celebrate Yalta, people get together to eat, drink and read poetry until the early hours. Pomegranates and watermelons are significant foods to celebrate Yalda.

The winter solstice is celebrated in Japan as well with a celebration known as Toji. The holiday is celebrated with huge bonfires on December 22nd . In Toji, they take warm baths scented with a “yuzu” citrus to ward off colds and influenza.

The winter solstice is noted to have been celebrated in the southern hemisphere in addition to those that have taken place in the northern hemisphere. The Incas of Peru were known to celebrate the winter solstice (around June 21st ) with a celebration known as Inti Rami. Inti Rami is celebrated with a three day fast before the solstice waking early on the 4th morning to watch the sun rise. When the sun rose on the solstice, celebrants bowed down before the sun offering sacred cups of beer. The practice of Inti Rami involved sacrificing animals for a feast to break their fast. On the solstice the Incas would use a mirror to focus the sun’s rays and start a fire. The practice of Inti Rami was banned when the Spanish conquered Peru before being revived in the 20th century.

As we can see, the winter solstice has been celebrated in various forms around the world throughout history. As many of us know, Christmas definitely co-opted pagan traditions celebrated at the winter solstice as a way to spread Christianity. As we can see with the celebration of Christmas, when you co-opt other cultures’ and religions’ beliefs and customs, you lose a certain amount of control over how that holiday or event is celebrated. From history we can also see that if you try to outlaw fun or festive celebration; it is only a matter of time before people will push back and rebel.

Whatever Holiday you celebrate during the winter solstice, hope you enjoy it with friends and family and the ones you love!

Bibliography:

(1). Newengland.com

By: Eric Thiem