Solstice” comes from the Latin words “sol,” meaning sun, and “sistit,” meaning stands. It literally translates as “sun stands still,” because for several days before and after the solstice, the noontime sun appears to hold the same position in the sky.

An ancient Greek mathematician named Eratosthenes used this knowledge and his mathematical abilities to determine the circumference of the earth 200 years before the birth of Christ. Eratosthenes was director of the famous Library at Alexandria, in northern Egypt. He knew that on the summer solstice, when the sun was at zenith, it shined directly above the southern Egyptian town of Syene.

There are two different stories to explain why he knew this. One says there was a deep well in Syene, and sunlight reflected off its water only once a year — at noontime on the solstice. Another version claims he noticed that a stick in the ground at Syene cast no shadow at all during the solstice zenith, but did cast a shadow — albeit a tiny one — in Alexandria.

At any rate, Eratosthenes knew the earth was round, and also knew the distance between the two Egyptian cities. Using this knowledge and some complex calculations to compare the different angles of the zenith, he determined that Earth had a circumference of 25,000 miles. (This is actually off by 100 miles, because Eratosthenes made his calculations on the assumption that Earth is a perfect sphere. It’s not, the planet actually flattens slightly at the poles and bulges a bit at the equator.)

Eratosthenes also calculated the 23.5 degree tilting of the earth’s axis, so it was no mystery to him why, after the summer solstice, sunset comes a minute or two earlier each day: because each day the northern hemisphere tilts a tiny bit further from the sun until the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, on Dec. 21.
 

Blessed Litha, Summer Solstice, Alban Heflin, Alben Heruin, All-couples day, Feast of Epona, Feast of St. John the Baptist, Feill-Sheathain, Gathering Day, Johannistag, Midsummer, Sonnwend, Thing-Tide, Vestalia, and whatever you acknowledge! Brightest Blessings!

Once again, the Wheel of the Year turns to the Summer Solstice. Annual almanacs say Litha will begin on June 21, 2009 at 5:45 a.m., Greenwich Time.

On Litha Eve,  when the powers of Nature are at their highest point, and believed to be when 'the veil between worlds' is again thin, we use this time for divination of the future.

Litha dawning, was usually observed outdoors at standing stones, circles, and on hillsides, where the Sun can be seen at both sunset and sunrise. In England, robed figures walk into the ancient Stonehenge circle before sunrise, to witness the Sun's climb over the heelstone, the only time that the Sun rises over this ancient point in the circle. Here, in America, there will be an afternoon gathering at what is called "America's Stonehenge", in New Hampshire, to witness the setting of the Litha Sun over a monolith that has marked the point in the sky for over a 1,000 years.

The ancients marked the Summer Solstice with the rising of Sirius, the Dog Star, and the coming "Dog Days of Summer." The almanac states those days will be heralded by the rising of Sirius, 12 days after Litha, and adjourned by its setting 10 days after Mabon, August 1, the Pagan first day of Fall. We Pagans observe Litha Eve and the day, being mindful of the Sun's waning into the harvest days of Fall.

Under its English name and earlier calendar equivalent of Midsummer Day, 24 June or St John's Day, the solstice has long been associated with merriment. Fairs, parties and torchlight processions are documented from mediaeval times and continue to this day across Europe. Here in Cambridge our Midsummer Fair is opened by the mayor throwing newly minted pennies into the crowd. In country districts fire was carried round the fields, asking a blessing against mildew and other blights.

Pagan religion looks for and celebrates the hidden significance in natural phenomena. At the most obvious level these midsummer fairs celebrate the triumph of warmth and light, without which the crops would fail and life itself would cease to be. Cold and darkness need no effort, we feel, but light and warmth must be actively generated, and celebrated when they occur.

Earlier Pagans seem to have drawn a similar conclusion. In ancient Rome at midsummer the market gardens on Vatican Hill saw an annual celebration at the three temples of Fortuna, in which smallholders took part in the hope of a good harvest. Fortuna's symbol was the wheel, representing not only the unpredictable cycle of prosperity and penury, inflation and recession, but also the regular wheel of the year with its different seasons, and the disc of the sun. Ceremonies involving burning sunwheels, usually rolled downhill to a river, are reported from ancient times to the present day right across Europe. As people joyfully celebrate the high point of the season, they acknowledge their hard work in colder months in order to make the most of this opportunity, and they prepare for more work in the coming months so as to survive the low point of the cycle. Such cycles apply to more than agriculture, and the solstice can alert us to their existence.

But there is a further significance. The Isle of Man continues the Nordic tradition of holding a law court at midsummer. The House of Keys, the island's parliament, meets for the ceremony on Dingwall, the ancient moot hill. Here we might see simply the practicality of holding a necessary meeting in the light and dry season, when travel is at its easiest. But a deeper meaning is hinted at by runic scripts, in use at the time when these parliaments were instituted. The rune for fire and the rune for the mind are one and the same, and the rune for the sun is a double fire-rune. In the metaphors even of contemporary language, the sun illuminates, it enlightens; insight flashes upon us, understanding dawns. Light brings knowledge, and both justice and compassion become possible. Seeing the tribulations of humankind, the goddess Freya wept tears of gold over land and of amber over the water.


Welcome the Sun

The evening of June 23, St. John's Eve, is the eve of celebration before the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist. The Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:36, 56-57) states that John was born about six months before Jesus, therefore the feast of John the Baptist falls on June 24, six months before Christmas. This feast day is one of the very few saint's days to mark the anniversary of the birth, rather than the death, of its namesake.

The Feast of St. John coincides with the June solstice also referred to as Midsummers. The Christian holy day is fixed at June 24, but, in the old way, festivities are celebrated the night before, on St. John's Eve.

St. John's Eve (or Oiche Fheile Eoin (Bonfire Night)) is celebrated in many parts of rural Ireland with the lighting of bonfires. This ancient custom has its roots in pre-Christian Irish society when the Celts honored the Goddess Áine, the Celtic equivalent of Venus and Aphrodite. She was the Goddess Queen of Munster and Christianised rituals in her honour (as Naomh Áine) took place until the nineteenth century on Knockainy, (Cnoc Áine - the Hill of Áine) in County Limerick.

During the festival, people would say prayers, asking for God's blessing upon their crops. They would also take ashes from the fire, and spread them over their land as a blessing for protection for their crops. It was also common to have music, singing, dancing, and games during the festival
 

Samhain marks one of the two great doorways of the Celtic year, for the Celts divided the year into two seasons: the light and the dark, at Beltane on May 1st and Samhain on November 1st. Some believe that Samhain was the more important festival, marking the beginning of a whole new cycle, just as the Celtic day began at night. For it was understood that in dark silence comes whisperings of new beginnings, the stirring of the seed below the ground. Whereas Beltane welcomes in the summer with joyous celebrations at dawn, the most magically potent time of this festival is November Eve, the night of October 31st, known today of course, as Halloween.

Samhain (Scots Gaelic: Samhuinn) literally means “summer's end.” In Scotland and Ireland, Halloween is known as Oíche Shamhna, while in Wales it is Nos Calan Gaeaf, the eve of the winter's calend, or first. With the rise of Christianity, Samhain was changed to Hallowmas, or All Saints' Day, to commemorate the souls of the blessed dead who had been canonized that year, so the night before became popularly known as Halloween, All Hallows Eve, or Hollantide. November 2nd became All Souls Day, when prayers were to be offered to the souls of all who the departed and those who were waiting in Purgatory for entry into Heaven. Throughout the centuries, pagan and Christian beliefs intertwine in a gallimaufry of celebrations from Oct 31st through November 5th, all of which appear both to challenge the ascendancy of the dark and to revel in its mystery.

In the country year, Samhain marked the first day of winter, when the herders led the cattle and sheep down from their summer hillside pastures to the shelter of stable and byre. The hay that would feed them during the winter must be stored in sturdy thatched ricks, tied down securely against storms. Those destined for the table were slaughtered, after being ritually devoted to the gods in pagan times. All the harvest must be gathered in -- barley, oats, wheat, turnips, and apples -- for come November, the faeries would blast every growing plant with their breath, blighting any nuts and berries remaining on the hedgerows. Peat and wood for winter fires were stacked high by the hearth. It was a joyous time of family reunion, when all members of the household worked together baking, salting meat, and making preserves for the winter feasts to come. The endless horizons of summer gave way to a warm, dim and often smoky room; the symphony of summer sounds was replaced by a counterpoint of voices, young and old, human and animal.

In early Ireland, people gathered at the ritual centers of the tribes, for Samhain was the principal calendar feast of the year. The greatest assembly was the 'Feast of Tara,' focusing on the royal seat of the High King as the heart of the sacred land, the point of conception for the new year. In every household throughout the country, hearth-fires were extinguished. All waited for the Druids to light the new fire of the year -- not at Tara, but at Tlachtga, a hill twelve miles to the north-west. It marked the burial-place of Tlachtga, daughter of the great druid Mogh Ruith, who may once have been a goddess in her own right in a former age.

At at all the turning points of the Celtic year, the gods drew near to Earth at Samhain, so many sacrifices and gifts were offered up in thanksgiving for the harvest. Personal prayers in the form of objects symbolizing the wishes of supplicants or ailments to be healed were cast into the fire, and at the end of the ceremonies, brands were lit from the great fire of Tara to re-kindle all the home fires of the tribe, as at Beltane. As they received the flame that marked this time of beginnings, people surely felt a sense of the kindling of new dreams, projects and hopes for the year to come.

The Samhain fires continued to blaze down the centuries. In the 1860s the Halloween bonfires were still so popular in Scotland that one traveler reported seeing thirty fires lighting up the hillsides all on one night, each surrounded by rings of dancing figures, a practice which continued up to the first World War. Young people and servants lit brands from the fire and ran around the fields and hedges of house and farm, while community leaders surrounded parish boundaries with a magic circle of light. Afterwards, ashes from the fires were sprinkled over the fields to protect them during the winter months -- and of course, they also improved the soil. The bonfire provided an island of light within the oncoming tide of winter darkness, keeping away cold, discomfort, and evil spirits long before electricity illumined our nights. When the last flame sank down, it was time to run as fast as you could for home, raising the cry, “The black sow without a tail take the hindmost!”

Even today, bonfires light up the skies in many parts of the British Isles and Ireland at this season, although in many areas of Britain their significance has been co-opted by Guy Fawkes Day, which falls on November 5th, and commemorates an unsuccessful attempt to blow up the English Houses of Parliament in the 17th century. In one Devonshire village, the extraordinary sight of both men and women running through the streets with blazing tar barrels on their backs can still be seen! Whatever the reason, there will probably always be a human need to make fires against the winter’s dark.



Samhain was a significant time for divination, perhaps even more so than May or Midsummer’s Eve, because this was the chief of the three Spirit Nights. Divination customs and games frequently featured apples and nuts from the recent harvest, and candles played an important part in adding atmosphere to the mysteries. In Scotland, a child born at Samhain was said to be gifted with an dà shealladh, “The Two Sights” commonly known as “second sight,” or clairvoyance.

Apple Magic
At the heart of the Celtic Otherworld grows an apple tree whose fruit has magical properties. Old sagas tell of heroes crossing the western sea to find this wondrous country, known in Ireland as Emhain Abhlach, (Evan Avlach) and in Britain, Avalon. At Samhain, the apple harvest is in, and old hearthside games, such as apple-bobbing, called apple-dookin’ in Scotland, reflect the journey across water to obtain the magic apple.

Dookin' for Apples
Place a large tub, preferably wooden, on the floor, and half fill it with water. Tumble in plenty of apples, and have one person stir them around vigorously with a long wooden spoon or rod of hazel, ash or any other sacred tree.

Each player takes their turn kneeling on the floor, trying to capture the apples with their teeth as they go bobbing around. Each gets three tries before the next person has a go. Best to wear old clothes for this one, and have a roaring fire nearby so you can dry off while eating your prize!
If you do manage to capture an apple, you might want to keep it for a divination ritual, such as this one:

The Apple and the Mirror
Before the stroke of midnight, sit in front of a mirror in a room lit only by one candle or the moon. Go into the silence, and ask a question. Cut the apple into nine pieces. With your back to the mirror, eat eight of the pieces, then throw the ninth over your left shoulder. Turn your head to look over the same shoulder, and you will see and in image or symbol in the mirror that will tell you your answer.

(When you look in the mirror, let your focus go "soft," and allow the patterns made by the moon or candlelight and shadows to suggest forms, symbols and other dreamlike images that speak to your intuition.)

Dreaming Stones
Go to a boundary stream and with closed eyes, take from the water three stones between middle finger and thumb, saying these words as each is gathered:

I will lift the stone
As Mary lifted it for her Son,
For substance, virtue, and strength;
May this stone be in my hand
Till I reach my journey’s end.

(Scots Gaelic)
Togaidh mise chlach,
Mar a thog Moire da Mac,
Air bhrìgh, air bhuaidh, ‘s air neart;
Gun robh a chlachsa am dhòrn,
Gus an ruig mi mo cheann uidhe.

Carry them home carefully and place them under your pillow. That night, ask for a dream that will give you guidance or a solution to a problem, and the stones will bring it for you.
All Saints Day when the Church has historically celebrated the lives of God's followers who now reside with God. I like celebrating the saints of my life. It helps me with my grief to remember and share stories with others. It seems like a blessing from God, even when I still don't like accepting loss — especially when I find myself angry with God over that loss.

Halloween may seem like a silly holiday, meant to boost the profits of the Hershey company and dentists across America, but All Saints Day has real meaning for me. And with one you get the other — great joy and great sorrow; great love and great pain.

a time to reflect on "that great cloud of witnesses" who had gone to be with God and the influence their lives and faith
 

The Halloween rituals and symbols that take children door-to-door have evolved in part from the Christian observance of All Saints Day melded atop an older pagan belief that, on a certain night of the year, the spirits of the dead were given free rein to roam the Earth.

But, in the Christian church, those who have died become part of what is called "the communion of saints," and the souls of the faithful are remembered on All Hallows Eve for their examples of service and fidelity, courage and holiness. Churchgoers the world over recite their belief in "the communion of saints"

...Christians may be surprised, or even dismayed, to know that the origin of Christmas and its practices find their roots in Paganism.

According to Gibbon’s “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” early Christians chose Dec. 25 to mark the birth of Jesus to make it coincide with the Roman festival celebrating the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun in honor of Bacchus. This way, the Christians avoided attracting attention to themselves, which might lead to their persecution.

Pagan cultures in the northern hemispheres celebrated festivals at this time of the year, especially in agrarian societies. The start of the lengthening of the daytime was important for growing crops.


~ Why December 25? ~


It is a fact that the early Christians celebrated the birth of the Savior for the first three and a half centuries on March 25. In the year 345 AD, however, Pope Julian II decreed that henceforth, the followers of Jesus Christ should unite with those of Mithra and Bacchus in celebrating the rebirth of the deity under solar symbolism at the winter solstice.

It is said that there were 136 versions of the date of the birth of Christ. Early Christians did not know the actual date of birth of the Savior. They observed the festival on various dates. How they finally chose Dec. 25 has something to do with the manipulation of the calendar by the Roman Emperors.

Hence, the different dates under the Julian and the Gregorian calendars. The first time the definite date of Dec. 25 was chosen was in the Calendar of Philocalus in the year 354.

In determining this important date, scientists take into account the winter solstice—the point at which the sun is farthest south of the equator and ready to commence its northward journey. Likewise considered are the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. These four points form what is called the Mystic Cross.

Injecting an astrological link, the theosophical writer Gottfried de Purucker suggests that it is because about this time of the year, the Sun, Mercury, Venus, the Moon and the Earth are almost always in alignment. Thus, the life-giving forces emanating from the Sun would pass through or near the inner planets and the Moon.


~ The Virgin Birth ~


It may come as a surprise to the Christian world that it has no monopoly of the concept of the Virgin Birth. Four thousand years before the Virgin Mary gave birth to the child Jesus, the concept of the Madonna and Child was already extant in Egypt as Isis holding her infant Horus.

In fact, on the walls of the temple of Luxor, as early as 1700 BC, there were carved four scenes which were reproduced in the Gospels as first century Christian history.

From India, much earlier, in 3,228 BC, to Devaki was born Krishna manifesting as an Avatara of Vishnu. (“Avatara” means the descent of a divine being manifesting in human form.) Although she was related to the monarch Kansa, she had to flee from the kingdom with her infant son, just as Mary and Joseph later did in the Christian Gospel because the king ordered that all infant boys be put to death.

Also in India, in 643 BC, Queen Maya dreamed that a six-rayed magnificent star had fallen down from heaven and entered her womb. She gave birth to Prince Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha.

As early as 1,500 BC, in ancient Syria, where the Babylonian and Egyptian cultures had fused, the Semitic goddess Astarte gave birth to Tammuz, also in the period of the winter solstice.


~ Hidden Meanings ~


One who aspires to fully understand the Bible would do well not to read it as an ordinary literature.

The Scriptures of different religions belong to a special category called the “Sacred Language” or “Mystery Language.” While the narratives may have a historical basis, underlying them are spiritual or occult truths. Through the use of allegories or symbols, learned men of the ancient world concealed divine lore through this Orphic method.

Jesus himself made liberal use of allegories and metaphors in the parables which He imparted to the multitude. Afterwards, He would invite His chosen few, his disciples, to the “mountaintop,” there to reveal to them the truth behind those parables. “Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables.” (Mark 4:11)

Yet, He refrained from imparting all the secret teachings to his disciples.

Christianity, as with other religions, contains a hidden or esoteric side. The early Christian fathers and Bishops of the Church were aware of the existence of Mysteries, called the Mysteries of Jesus, or the Mystery of the Kingdom.


~ Knowledge Bestows Power ~


Why conceal parts of the Truth from some, but reveal these to others? It is said that allegories contain such knowledge as bestows power which, in the wrong hands, may be abused by the possessor and those of his followers.

The renowned clairvoyant, Geoffrey Hodson, has expounded in his book “The Hidden Wisdom in the Holy Bible” the esoteric significance of the allegories and symbols in the Scriptures and offered “keys” to unlock the secrets of the ages.

The Christmas story itself is full of metaphors—the inability of Mary and Joseph to find a room at the inn; the birth of Jesus in a stable with domesticated animals; the Three Wise Men guided by a Star to Bethlehem and the offering of certain gifts to the Babe in the manger.


~ Nativity in Our Hearts ~


While there are several layers of meanings in biblical narratives, for the individual, the significance of the Nativity is the birth of the Christ within him. The Christ tries to enter the heart of man (read, the inn) only to be turned away repeatedly. Mankind is too preoccupied with mundane matters. Indeed, as the poet William Wordsworth said: “The world is too much with us …”

Every man is a potential Christ, a bud that has yet to bloom. Awareness is the key that will unlock this latent power. Such expressions as “sapagkat ako ay tao lamang” betrays the perceived gulf that separates one from the deity.

Yet one does not have to reach out to the unreachable. He only has to realize the indwelling Christ within him. Rid his mind of the bogeys of doubt and fear. Stop worshipping at the altar of the false gods of materialism, ambition and lower desires.

Through spiritual exercises, like meditation, self-surrender and study, and living a life of service to others, one can attain “unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians, 4:13)

Very pointed allusions to the Christ in us are found in the Bible. As St. Paul said: “… Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27). “My little children, of whom I travail again until Christ be formed in you.” (Galatians 4:19).

The goal of the Christian is to discover the Divine Presence within him, thus attaining unity with God. “At that day, ye shall know that I am in my Father and He in me and I in you.” (John 14:20). This is the mystical, the spiritual message of Christmas. Hark back to the definition of the word “Christmas.” It means “Christ-..birth”—the birth of Christ within man.

Transcending religious dogma and theology is the “formula” of the German mystic of the Middle Ages, Scheffler (also known by his pen name Angelus Silesius), for attaining the interior experience of spiritual illumination:

“Though Christ a thousand times in Bethlehem be born.

And not within thyself, thy soul will be forlorn.

The Cross on Golgotha thou lookest to in vain

Unless, within thyself, it be set up again.”




.. >







Perched upon the muzzle of a cannon,

A yellow butterfly is slowly

opening and shutting its wings.

~ Amy Lowell




And they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruning hooks:

nation shall not lift up a sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war any more.

~ Isaiah 2:4









A Zen student came to Bankei and complained:

"Master, I have an ungovernable temper. How can I cure it?"

"You have something very strange," replied Bankei.

"Let me see what you have."

"Just now I cannot show it to you," replied the other.

"When can you show it to me?" asked Bankei.

"It arises unexpectedly," replied the student.

"Then," concluded Bankei,

"it must not be your own true nature.

If it were, you could show it to me at any time.

When you were born you did not have it,

and your parents did not give it to you.

Think that over."

~ Zen story









The repose of the sage is not what the world calls repose.

His repose is the result of his mental attitude.

All creation could not disturb his equilibrium: hence his repose.

~ Chuang-tse (ch.XIII)









I wish to mention here,

that through these rites a three-fold peace was established.

The first peace, which is the most important,

is that which comes within the souls of men when they realize their relationship,

their oneness, with the universe and all its Powers,

and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us.

This is the real Peace, and the others are but reflections of this.

The second peace is that which is made between two individuals,

and the third is that which is made between two nations.

But above all you should understand

that there can never be peace between nations

until there is first knowledge that true peace which,

as I have often said, is within the souls of men.

~ Black Elk









Deep peace of the Running Wave to you,

Deep peace of the Flowing Air to you,

Deep peace of the Quiet Earth to you,

Deep peace of the Shining Stars to you,

Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you.

~ Gaelic blessing









The wolf shall also dwell with the lamb,

and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;

and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;

and a little child shall lead them."

~ Isaiah 11:6













Origins of winter solstice celebration




The seasons of the year are caused by the 23.5 degree tilt of the earth's axis. Because the earth is rotating like a top or gyroscope, it points in a fixed direction continuously -- towards a point in space near the North Star. But the earth is also revolving around the sun. During half of the year, the southern hemisphere is more exposed to the sun than is the northern hemisphere. During the rest of the year, the reverse is true. At noontime in the Northern Hemisphere the sun appears high in the sky during summertime and low in the sky during winter.

The time of the year when the sun reaches its maximum elevation occurs on the day with the greatest number of daylight hours. This is called the summer solstice, and is typically on JUN-21 in the Northern Hemisphere -- the first day of summer.

"Solstice" is derived from two Latin words: "sol" meaning sun, and "sistere," to cause to stand still. The lowest elevation occurs about DEC-21 and is the winter solstice -- the first day of winter, when the night time hours are maximum.

In pre-historic times, winter was a very difficult time for Aboriginal people in the northern latitudes. The growing season had ended and the tribe had to live off of stored food and whatever animals they could catch. The people would be troubled as the life-giving sun sank lower in the sky each noon. They feared that it would eventually disappear and leave them in permanent darkness and extreme cold.

After the winter solstice, they would have reason to celebrate as they saw the sun rising and strengthening once more. Although many months of cold weather remained before spring, they took heart that the return of the warm season was inevitable.

The concept of birth and or death/rebirth became associated with the winter solstice. The Aboriginal people had no elaborate instruments to detect the solstice. But they were able to notice a slight elevation of the sun's path within a few days after the solstice -- perhaps by DEC-25. Celebrations were often timed for about the 25th.









December celebrations in many faiths
and locations - ancient and modern


ANCIENT BRAZIL

Brazilian archeologists have found an assembly of 127 granite blocks arranged equidistant from each other. They apparently form an ancient astronomical observatory. One of the stones marked the position of the sun at the time of the winter solstice and were probably used in religious rituals.


ANCIENT EGYPT

The god-..man/saviour Osiris died and was entombed on DEC-21. "At midnight, the priests emerged from an inner shrine crying 'The Virgin has brought forth! The light is waxing" and showing the image of a baby to the worshipers."


ANCIENT GREECE

The winter solstice ritual was called Lenaea, the Festival of the Wild Women. In very ancient times, a man representing the harvest god Dionysos was torn to pieces and eaten by a gang of women on this day. Later in the ritual, Dionysos would be reborn as a baby. By classical times, the human sacrifice had been replaced by the killing of a goat. The women's role had changed to that of funeral mourners and observers of the birth.


ANCIENT ROME

Saturnalia began as a feast day for Saturn on DEC-17 and of Ops (DEC-19). About 50 BCE, both were later converted into two day celebrations. During the Empire, the festivals were combined to cover a full week: DEC-17 to 23.

By the third century CE, there were many religions and spiritual mysteries being followed within the Roman Empire. Many, if not most, celebrated the birth of their god-man near the time of the solstice. Emperor Aurelian (270 to 275 CE) blended a number of Pagan solstice celebrations of the nativity of such god-..men/saviors as Appolo, Attis, Baal, Dionysus, Helios, Hercules, Horus, Mithra, Osiris, Perseus, and Theseus into a single festival called the "Birthday of the Unconquered Sun" on DEC-25.

At the time, Mithraism and Christianity were fierce competitors. Aurelian had even declared Mithraism the official religion of the Roman Empire in 274 CE. Christianity won out by becoming the new official religion in the 4th century CE.


ATHEISTS

There has been a recent increase in solstice observances by Atheists in the U.S. For example, The American Atheists and local Atheist groups have organized celebrations for 2000-DEC, including the Great North Texas Infidel Bash in Weatherford TX; Winter Solstice bash in Roselle NJ; Winter Solstice Parties in York PA, Boise ID, North Bethesda MD, and Des Moines IA; Winter Solstice Gatherings in Phoenix AZ and Denver CO: a Year End Awards and Review Dinner (YEAR) in San Francisco, CA.


BUDDHISM

On DEC-8, or on the Sunday immediately preceding, Buddhists celebrate Bodhi Day (a.k.a. Rohatsu). It recalls the day in 596 BCE, when the Buddha achieved enlightenment. He had left his family and possessions behind at the age of 29, and sought the meaning of life -- particularly the reasons for its hardships. He studied under many spiritual teachers without success. Finally, he sat under a pipal tree and vowed that he would stay there until he found what he was seeking. On the morning of the eighth day, he realized that everyone suffers due to ignorance. But ignorance can be overcome through the Eightfold Path that he advocated.

This day is generally regarded as the birth day of Buddhism. Being an Eastern tradition, Bodhi Day has none of the associations with the solstice and seasonal changes found in other religious observances at this time of year. However, it does signify the point in time when the Buddha achieved enlightenment and escaped the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth through reincarnation -- themes that are observed in other religions in December.


CHRISTIANITY

Any record of the date of birth of Yeshua of Nazareth (later known as Jesus Christ) has been lost. There is sufficient evidence in the Gospels to indicate that Yeshua was born in the fall, but this seems to have been unknown to early Christians. By the beginning of the 4th century CE, there was intense interest in choosing a day to celebrate Yeshua's birthday. The western church leaders selected DEC-25 because this was already the date recognized throughout the Roman Empire as the birthday of various Pagan gods.

Since there was no central Christian authority at the time, it took centuries before the tradition was universally accepted:
- Eastern churches began to celebrate Christmas after 375 CE.
- The church in Jerusalem started in the 7th century.
- Ireland started in the 5th century
- Austria, England and Switzerland in the 8th
- Slavic lands in the 9th and 10th centuries.

Many symbols and practices associated with Christmas are of Pagan origin:
holly, ivy, mistletoe, yule log, the giving of gifts, decorated evergreen tree, magical reindeer, etc.

Polydor Virgil, an early British Christian, said "Dancing, masques, mummeries, stageplays, and other such Christmas disorders now in use with Christians, were derived from these Roman Saturnalian and Bacchanalian festivals; which should cause all pious Christians eternally to abominate them."

In Massachusetts, Puritans unsuccessfully tried to ban Christmas entirely during the 17th century, because of its heathenism. The English Parliament abolished Christmas in 1647. Some contemporary Christian faith groups do not celebrate Christmas. Included among these was the Worldwide Church of God (before its recent conversion to Evangelical Christianity) and the Jehovah's Witnesses.


DRUIDISM

Druids and Druidesses formed the professional class in ancient Celtic society. They performed the functions of modern day priests, teachers, ambassadors, astronomers, genealogists, philosophers, musicians, theologians, scientists, poets and judges. Druids led all public rituals, which were normally held within fenced groves of sacred trees. The solstice is the time of the death of the old sun and the birth of the dark-half of the year.

It was called "Alban Arthuan by the ancient Druids. It is the end of month of the Elder Tree and the start of the month of the Birch. The three days before Yule is a magical time. This is the time of the Serpent Days or transformation.....The Elder and Birch stand at the entrance to Annwn or Celtic underworld where all life was formed. Like several other myths they guard the entrance to the underworld. This is the time the Sun God journey's thru the underworld to learn the secrets of death and life. And bring out those souls to be reincarnated." A modern-day Druid, Amergin Aryson, has composed a Druidic ritual for the Winter Solstice.


INCA RELIGION

The ancient Incas celebrated a festival of Inti Raymi at the time of the Winter Solstice. Since the Inca Empire was mainly south of the equator, the festival was held in June. It celebrates "the Festival of the Sun where the god of the Sun, Wiracocha, is honored." Ceremonies were banned by the Roman Catholic conquistadores in 1572 century as part of their forced conversions of the Inca people to Christianity. A local group of Quecia Indians in Cusco, Peru revived the festival in 1944. It is now a major festival which begins in Cusco and proceeds to an ancient amphitheater a few miles away.


IRAN

Shabe-Yalda (a.k.a. Shab-e Yaldaa) is celebrated in Iran by followers of many religions. It originated in Zoroastrianism,.. the state religion which preceded Islam. The name refers to the birthday or rebirth of the sun. People gather at home around a korsee -- a low square table -- all night. They tell stories and read poetry. They eat watermelons, pomegranates and a special dried fruit/nut mix. Bonfires are lit outside.


ISLAM


During the period 1997 to 1999, the first day of the Islamic lunar month of Ramadan occurred in December. The nominal dates were 1997-DEC-31, 1998-DEC-20 and 1999-DEC-9. The actual date for the start of Ramadan depends upon the sighting of the crescent moon, and thus can be delayed by a few days from the nominal date. This is the holiest period in the Islamic year. It honors the lunar month in which the Qura'n was revealed by God to humanity.

"It is during this month that Muslims observe the Fast of Ramadan. Lasting for the entire month, Muslims fast during the daylight hours and in the evening eat small meals and visit with friends and family. It is a time of worship and contemplation. A time to strengthen family and community ties."

Because Ramadan is part of a lunar-based calendar, it starts about 11 days earlier each year. In the year 2000, the nominal date will be NOV-27. Ramadan is thus not associated with the winter solstice as are other religious celebrations. It is just by coincidence that it has occurred during December in recent years.


JUDAISM

Jews celebrate an 8 day festival of Hanukkah, (a.k.a. Feast of Lights, Festival of lights, Feast of Dedication, Chanukah, Chanukkah, Hanukah). It recalls the war fought by the Maccabees in the cause of religious freedom. Antiochus, the king of Syria, conquered Judea in the 2nd century BCE. He terminated worship in the Temple and stole the sacred lamp, the menorah, from before the altar. At the time of the solstice, they rededicated the Temple to a Pagan deity. Judah the Maccabee lead a band of rebels, and succeeding in retaking Jerusalem. They restored the temple and lit the menorah. It was exactly three years after the flame had been extinguished -- at the time of the Pagan rite.

Although they had found only sufficient consecrated oil to last for 24 hours, the flames burned steadily for eight days. "Today's menorahs have nine branches; the ninth branch is for the shamash, or servant light, which is used to light the other eight candles. People eat potato latkes, exchange gifts, and play dreidel games. And as they gaze at the light of the menorah, they give thanks for the miracle in the Temple long ago."

Modern-day Jews celebrate Hanukkah by lighting one candle for each of the eight days of the festival. Once a minor festival, it has been growing in importance in recent years, perhaps because of the pressure of Christmas.


NATIVE AMERICAN SPIRITUALITY

- The Pueblo tribe observe both the summer and winter solstices. Although the specific details of the rituals differ from pueblo to pueblo, "the rites are built around the sun, the coming new year and the rebirth of vegetation in the spring......Winter solstice rites include.....prayerstick making, retreats, altars, emesis and prayers for increase."

- The Hopi tribe "is dedicated to giving aid and direction to the sun which is ready to 'return' and give strength to budding life." Their ceremony is called "Soyal." It lasts for 20 days and includes "prayerstick making, purification, rituals and a concluding rabbit hunt, feast and blessing..."

- There are countless stone structures created by Natives in the past to detect the solstices and equinoxes. One was called Calendar One by its modern-day finder. It is in a natural amphitheatre of about 20 acres in size in Vermont. From a stone enclosure in the center of the bowl, one can see a number of vertical rocks and natural features in the horizon which formed the edge of the bowl. At the solstices and equinoxes, the sun rises and sets at notches or peaks in the ridge which surrounded the calendar.


NEOPAGANISM

This is a group of religions which are attempted re-creations of ancient Pagan religions. Of these, Wicca is the most common; it is loosely based on ancient Celtic beliefs and practices. Wiccans recognize eight seasonal days of celebration. Four are minor sabbats and occur at the two solstices and the two equinoxes. The other are major sabbats which happen approximately halfway between an equinox and solstice.

The winter solstice sabbat is often called Yule. It is a time for introspection, and planning for the future. Wiccans may celebrate the Sabbat on the evening before the time of the actual solstice, at sunrise on the morning of the solstice, or at the exact time of the astronomical event.

Monotheistic religions, like Judaism, Christianity and Islam, tend to view time as linear. It started with creation; the world as we know it will end at some time in the future. Aboriginal and Neopagan religions see time as circular and repetitive, with lunar (monthly) and solar (yearly) cycles. Their "...rituals guarantee the continuity of nature's cycles, which traditional human societies depend on for their sustenance."


NEOLITHIC EUROPE

Many remains of ancient stone structures can be found in Europe dating back many millennia. Some appear to have religious/..astronomical purposes; others are burial tombs. These structures were built before writing was developed. One can only speculate on the significance of the winter solstice to the builders. Two examples of passage tombs are:

- At Newgrange, in Brugh-..na-Boyne, County Meath, in eastern Ireland. It is perhaps the most famous of the 250 passage tombs in Ireland. It covers an area of one acre, and has an internal passage that is almost 60 feet (19 m) long. The tomb has been dated at about 3,200 BCE; it is one of the oldest structures in the world -- and the roof still doesn't leak after 5,200 years! Above the entrance way is a stone "roof box" that allows the light from the sun to penetrate to the back of the cairn at sunrise on and near the winter solstice. The horizontal dimension of the box matches the width of the sun as viewed from the back of the passage. In the years since the tomb was constructed by Neolithic farmers, the Earth's tilt on its axis has changed from about 24 to about 23© degrees now. As a result, the sun rises about two solar diameters farther south today. The monument is surrounded by a circle of standing stones that were added later during the Bronze Age.

- At Maeshowe, (Orkneys, Scotland). It is a chambered cairn built on a leveled area with a surrounding bank and ditch. It has been carbon dated at 2750 BCE. Inside the cairn is a stone structure with a long entry tunnel. The structure is aligned so that sunlight can shine along the entry passage into the interior of the megalith, and illuminate the back of the structure. This happens at sunrise at and near the winter solstice. Starting in the late 1990's, live video and still images have been broadcast to the world via the Internet.