Longest Night

Today is the Winter Solstice! It is the longest night of the year whilst also being the shortest day. The original idea of the twelve days of Christmas/Yule/whatever starts on the winter solstice. Today is the first of the twelve days, taking us all the way to the brand new year and the slow lengthening of the days ahead.

The entire year was inching towards a longer night, all to reach an apex on this day. It feels sacred. Significant. Powerful. The longest dark of the year with the promise of longer days ahead. Many Pagans celebrate this as a rebirth of the sun. The Norse believed that the world stood still, only to be brought back to light by the burning of the Yule log for twelve days. It is an exceptional day; one to create tradition.

So, my partner and I delegated to participate in the twelve days in a Pagan fashion. We wrote down twelve wishes each on twelve different cards and folded them up. We are to burn one for each day without looking at them. Only, when one remains on New Year’s Eve, do we open the last wish. Supposedly, this is the wish that will come true in the new year.

We wrote down our wishes, folded our papers, and labeled our little jars. I was enthused that my partner was as equally as excited and intrigued as I was about the idea. It’s a wonderful thing that he wants to participate with me, and I can’t wait to see what our final wishes are.

I think I’ll even store our little jars with the Christmas decorations. Just so we don’t forget to do this new tradition next year :)