Winter Solstice symbolises a turning point where the days start to get longer again almost like the beginning of a new year. Celebrating this time of year is helping make our dark days not seem so dismal. It’s a time to spend indoors reenergising with more time to sleep. We get to reconnect with each other being in close quarters and work on quiet projects.
We were so lucky to see the lunar eclipse early this morning. It was the first time the lunar eclipse fell on this holiday in almost 400 years! It was a sight worth seeing and truly remarkable that famously grey and rainy Prince Rupert had mostly clear skies giving us a wonderful few. I got my tripod out and took many pictures. Here are just a few.
We made another apple chain this year with all our highlights and memories from the past year. Lily stuck them up on the wall in a slightly unconventional chain fashion.
Here are just some of our memories that we been reminiscing about:
- Camping on Lucy Island
- Finally making new aprons
- Music Festivals in Kispiox and on Haida Gwaii
- Getting into a running routine
- Spending time on Gabriola Island and chicken dispatching for the first time
- Soccer Camp
- Camping on a remote nameless beach
- Visiting Canada’s youngest lava flow
- Bike Riding
- Our trips to our cabin, here, and here.
We decorated some of the sparse bushes and trees outside. The Steller’s Jays and deer have already eaten half of what we strung out there!
We made new lanterns to carry with us on our nightly walk. That was really fun.
We made marshmallows the night before (my next blog post!) to share with friends and enjoy around our annual Solstice bonfire. We ate more of them at home in hot chocolate. It started to snow this morning so we went out to Oliver Lake with hot dogs, smore makings and skates. We met up with friends and made a couple new ones.
And then made Wish Bread to look at the coming year with all our hopes and dreams. Yum!
It was another excellent winter holiday. I wish you all a wonderful holiday, however you celebrate it! xx
What a beautiful day! Happy Solstice to you!
We missed the lunar eclipse after enthusing about it to many of my friends. It was last night and the whole family crashed asleep just before moonrise. Thanks for the photos.
wow, you busy lady. gorgeous moon pics! amazing to have such clear skies up here as well, very lucky! looks like you’re all really enjoying the season!
Happy Solstice to you!! Looks like you had a lovely day!
Happy solstice indeed :) I made honeyed seed cake (from your recipe) because those yellowy, beige ingredients just scream SUN to me and ate breakfast and dinner by candlelight. We also made a list of things were grateful for in the past year. I’m so disappointed about our cloudy Montreal sky last night but so thrilled to see your gorgeous pictures.
I love the way you celebrate solstice–especially reviewing the memories and highlights of the previous year. We haven’t yet got into the habit of doing much or anything for winter solstice, though I’d like to change that. Seems like Christmas overwhelms it and hogs the limelight each year. Anyway, thanks for the inspiration.
xoxo
I, like Justine, admire the thoughtfulnes you have put into marking this time of year…so enriching and grounding. I would love, love love to incorporate more meaning inti the winter celebrations. My efforts were a little dashed for our own celebration this year, but the ideas are swelling like the buds on the branches of spring trees, and I shall begin anew with future planning!!
Happy Solstice, Annie!!! xo
What a lovely celebration you’ve had, Annie! Those eclipse photos are amazing. And I’m in love with your apple chain idea. Such a great way to look back on the year together. HAppy Solstice dear friends!
We had a campfire in our yard (it’s a big yard) in our new fire ring. We have decided to claim Solstice as OUR holiday, so all 3 of us opened gifts around the fire. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows and had fun being a family around the fire. We tried to watch the eclipse, but had clouds all night. :( Still, the huge moon the next night was great with the fire. In the future, Santa will bring the stocking and hide it in the trees so that our daughter will have to go, easter egg hunting style, to find what Santa has left. The best part of it, it was quiet and all ours. Very primal with the fire and moon… like connecting to the eons of peoples all marking the longest night.
Happy Solstice, Annie.
And blessings on the new season.
Happy solstice! And a lovely day it was. Wishing you LIGHT!
Happy Solstice! I love the apple chain idea, and the wish bread. I’m going to incorporate them into our celebrations next year.
Looks like your family had a great day. I love how you foster magic and meaning in the lives of your children. It’s inspiring.