The Holiday Season: Today

Today many of us yearn to make the holiday season
more meaningful, more loving, perhaps more spiritual.

Candlegrove traces the winter holiday season daily from Thanksgiving through Epiphany.

`December 10, 2007`

It's Human Rights Day and Nobel Prize Day, when this year's winners, including Al Gore, are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden.

It's also the seventh night of Hanukkah

`More on the tree dilemma`

From the National Chrismas Tree Association: Farmed Christmas trees are grown as a sustainable crop. One acre produces enough oxygen to support 18 people and provides wildlife habitat.

Buying artificial trees isn't necessarily more eco-friendly, since most are made from earth-toxic PVC and eventually end up in landfills.

Consider buying a live tree, but only if you keep it indoors for two weeks or less. More tips for keeping a living Christmas tree alive.

If you buy a cut tree, plan for a way to recycle it. Many cities offer services that convert trees to mulch. Earth911.org can help you locate a city treecycling service. Or here are other ideas for treecycling.

Winter Solstice 2007: Dec 22, 6:08 am Universal Time

Be sure to adjust for your time zone:
EST: Dec 22, 1:08 am
CST: Dec 22, 12:08 am
MST: Dec 21, 11:08 pm
PST: Dec 21, 10:08 pm

If your holiday celebration depends on knowing sunrise and/or sunset times for winter solstice or any other day in your location, find it online at the U.S. Naval Observatory. The database covers 22,000 US locations. For world locations, you'll need your latitude and longitude.

This site also lists solstices and equinoxes through 2020. You'll need to convert to your time zone from Universal Time.

Planning your holidays?

Some simple ideas for celebrating Winter Solstice.

Read other ideas from Candlegrove visitors.

Or share your plans with others by leaving me feedback.

Considering a solstice ritual?

Scroll down this page from Beliefnet for a couple articles that can give you ideas about the essential elements of a winter solstic ritual
Or here's a more formal ritual for a group, Tacoma's Welcome Yule Ceremony.

Online Snow Day

Make your own online snowflake, share a message with others, and see what others have done. Five million snowflakes and counting!
SnowDays

Online shopping tips

Buy beautiful organic and sustainable gifts at EcoExpress Gifts

Buy mistletoe online
Mistletoe Gift

Beeswax candles
Chase Honey Company
Love this family business! Check out the pinecones and other molded shapes.

The Body Shop - Free Shipping on Order over $50

This season's archive

A note about the commerce links on this site: Candlegrove is essentially non-commercial. In some cases, links from this site yield a small affiliate fee. Half of all funds generated by such links help sustain this site. The other half is donated to environmental organizations.

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