December 21st marks the longest, darkest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere: the Winter Solstice. Over the centuries, many traditions like the Roman Saturnalia and the Scandinavian Juul have developed, but I came up with a little celebration of my own a few years ago.
Winter is an extremely social month for me, between Christmas and New Years and my birthday shortly after. One holiday comes and I'm already preparing for the next. Not that I don't love this time of year; you would be hard-pressed to find a more holly jolly person than me. But having all that holiday spirit does create a lot of pressure to make my Christmas as big and wonderful as possible, and a lot of anxiety when I can't meet those expectations. I'm an introvert, and no matter how much you love your family, there is such thing as too much togetherness. Add the lingering aftershocks of final exams and the ending of the semester, and things can seem pretty bleak.
But then, December 21st comes. Night arrives and I excuse myself from whatever I am doing, sit by myself with some hot chocolate, and let go. Every single mistake, every single regret that has built up over the entire year? It's done. I wipe the slate and start anew.
A big part of my Solstice tradition is "watching the sun"-- waiting up all night to see the first sunrise after the longest night. The time until then is spent meditating, fixing up my bullet journal for the next year, and looking back at all the good things that had happened to me throughout the year. It serves a similar function to New Year's Eve, minus all the loudness and partying. That is my time for welcoming in the new, this is my time for letting go of the old.
I think there's something valuable in making your own holidays, creating your own reasons to give yourself something that you need. For me, that's introspection and some peace and quiet. For others it may be a wild night out with friends, or some quality time with family. The thing that makes it special is what you bring to it.
Have any made up holidays or traditions of your own? Comment them below and happy holidays!
