December 18, 2007

As nearly as our calendar can match that of the ancient Romans, today is the festival day of the goddess Epona, the only Celtic goddess to make her way into the Roman pantheon. She was protectress of horses, riders and stables. Horses are one of the animals most commonly associated with winter solstice. Epona has her own site

The Nutcracker Suite debuted today in Russia..115 years ago! The first full-lenth American production wasn't till 1944 in San Francisco.

Tips for the day

In Japan, citrus fruits, especially the yuzu, a citron, as well as pumpkin figure prominently in traditions around winter solstice. A yuzu bath taken at winter solstice is said to bring health. Pumpkin is a traditional Japanese dish at this time of year. The traditions harken back to the days when Shinto, an ancient nature-based religion, was more prominent.

For a simple family ritual on Winter Solstice, you can pass around an orange. Each person peels off a portion of the rind, while thinking about one thing in their lives they would like to "peel away." Once it's fully peeled, the orange is passed around again. Each person eats a section, while thinking about one new wish or intention for the new year. If it's a mandarin orange, save the peel to make mandarin peel tea!

Inner Advent & Inner Christmas

Christmas is a season, most traditionally the 12 days between Christmas and Epiphany on January 6. So many people these days seem in a hurry to celebrate the season before Christmas, but I cherish the idea of maintaining a seasonal festival of 12 days. Counselor and writer Lynn Jericho encourages the process of Inner Christmas — a process of meaningful and enriching self-reflection from December 25 and January 6, the Twelve Holy Nights. It's designed for people of all faiths and traditions. You can view a movie and sign up for daily emails that she will send during the traditional 12-day period, each with a theme to encourage personal reflection. She also provides ideas for observing Inner Advent.

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