"Dance the holly,
Dance the mistletoe!
The Light is soon returning,
And dark nights quickly go!"
A midwinter observance long before Christmas came into being, the Solstice is marked in modern times by a number of different cultures and religions, and in a wide variety of ways. The primary theme is the lengthening of daylight, an event which may initiate the beginnings of change in nature despite the fact that the increase is not noticeable to most people for several weeks. In many societies (ethnic and/or spiritual), it is a time of renewal and rebirth, of purification, of a positive flow of energy.
This year, the Solstice also marks the beginning of a new epoch according to the Mayan calendar. In a parallel to the Y2K predictions of doom, the end of the old era has led to a number of prophecies regarding the end of the world. If you feel the need to construct a tinfoil hat for the occasion, by all means do so. In the meantime, I will be celebrating the return of light as one of my favorite "personal holidays" of the year.
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