The Light Still Shines

December 21st is the shortest day of the year and marks the beginning of winter and the period of yuletide.  Living in the northeast, it is a time that my husband and I do not look forward to.  We love the harvest of October and abundance of November; the walks in the woods with the smell of smoke in the crisp air.  When December comes, the light in the sky dwindles; days are shorter and night is longer. We walk in the dark now with the cold settling deep in our bones.  It is dark by 4 o’clock, and we still feel like we have the whole day ahead of us, but the light is gone and with it our energy.

However, I am not deterred.  I turn on all the house lights, add candles in every area of our home I can think of.  I spend time decorating for Christmas and make hearty soups and stews to sustain us through this cold and dark time.  My husband outdid himself this year and bought me four winter hats, which he gave to me a week before Christmas.  The knit black cap with a bright white fur pom-pom on top is my favorite.  I wear it as I head out on a late afternoon walk, hoping it will light my way or maybe scare off a raccoon or two.  As I walk, I count the days till spring.  I yearn for its light, its warmth, its promise.  I dig my hands deeper into my pockets, hunch my shoulders, and take in the cold stillness all around me. It is beautiful here.  People are snug inside, and I’m free to wander the woods in silence.  A peace and calm comes with the fading light.  I reclaim this season for my own and find solace.

I like the idea of celebrating with time of year with light.  I search for brightness in people, songs, and stories.  All around me, I look for the surprise of gold, silver, white, and red whether it be in ornaments, clothing, or birds gathering around a scattering of seeds.  This idea of solstice does not belong to one religion. It does not divide or isolate. It includes all beings living in every part of the world.  It celebrates nature’s cycle and change of seasons. It puts people in closer touch with the earth they live on.  

As is my nature, I look for books to help me celebrate.  There are many picture books for children that explain the day and the legends and folktales that are connected to it.  When I return to school in January,  I plan to read these to the children during the next couple of snowy months, as we all await the return of spring.

Winter Solstice Picture Books

• A Solstice Tree for Jenny by Karen Shragg
• Bright Winter Night by Alli Brydon
• Old Mother Frost by Jennifer Hartman
• On the Shortest Day by Laura Sulentich Fredrickson
• One Short Day in December by Lilith Rogers
• Sleep Tight Farm: A Farm Prepares for Winter by Eugenie Doyle
• Snow Party: A Story of the Winter Solstice by Harriet Ziefert
• The First Day of Winter by Denise Fleming
• The Longest Night by Marion Dane Bauer
• The Return of Light: Twelve Tales from Around the World for the Winter Soltice by Caroline McVicar Edwards
• The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Soltice by Wendy Pfeffer
• The Soltice Badger by Robin McFadden
• The Story of the Snow Children by Sibylle von Olfers
•  The Tomten by Astrid Lindgren
• The Tomten and the Fox by Astrid Lindgren
• The Winter Solstice by Ellen Jackson and Jan Davey Ellis