21 December: Winter Solstice

Winter solstice, the longest night of the year, also known in the pagan wheel of the year as Yule, falls today. 10 things you might not know about this celebration. 

1. Yule is derived from the Anglo-Saxon Yula, which means Wheel of the Year.
2. In many traditions, virgin mothers give birth to sacred sons. Rhiannon to Pryderi; Isis to Horus; Demeter to Persephone. Not to mention that it's almost Christmas as well. The sun itself is said to be reborn on this day and the days start getting longer.
3. An old tradition many Witches and Pagans still observe is bringing in the Yule Log, once a centre of the Yule celebrations. The log should be lit on the eve of the solstice from the remains of the previous year's Yule log. It should light on the first try, and be kept burning for twelve hours, for luck. It was also customary to wish on the log.
4. Another custom was carrying a corn dolly from house to house while singing Carols.
5. Mistletoe played a part in pagan Yule traditions, too. Druids believed the plant had special powers, and enemies who met under mistletoe were required to lay down their weapons, greet each other, and honour a truce until the next day. It was also used in fertility rites. It was customary on this day for the chief Druid to climb a tree to cut down the mistletoe, while other Druids would stand below with a sheet to catch it in. The idea was that no mistletoe should touch the ground.
6. Houses would be decorated with greenery and lights.
7. In some traditions, this was seen as a dangerous time to be out and about. In the Orkney Islands, for example, it was said to be the night of the wild hunt, led by Odin on his eight-legged Horse.
8. In Iran, people would stay awake throughout the longest night of the year, keeping all the lights on, reading poetry to one another, waiting for the sun's triumphant return in the morning.
9. In Asia, tonight is the Dongzhi Festival, celebrating the return of positive energy. Families get together to eat Rice balls cooked in sweet or savoury broth, and sometimes brightly coloured.
10. Another name for the winter solstice is hibernal solstice. It occurs when one of the Earth's poles is at its furthest point from the sun. This occurs in December in the northern hemisphere and in June in the southern hemisphere.

See also Summer Solstice

My Christmas Novella!

A Very Variant Christmas

Last year, Jade and Gloria were embroiled in a bitter conflict to win back their throne and their ancestral home. This year, Queen Jade and Princess Gloria want to host the biggest and best Christmas party ever in their palace. They invite all their friends to come and bring guests. Not even the birth of Jade's heir just before Christmas will stop them.

The guest list includes most of Britain's complement of super-powered crime-fighters, their families and friends. What could possibly go wrong?

Gatecrashers, unexpected arrivals, exploding Christmas crackers and a kidnapping, for starters.

Far away in space, the Constellations, a cosmic peacekeeping force, have suffered a tragic loss. They need to recruit a new member to replace their dead colleague. The two top candidates are both at Jade and Gloria's party. The arrival of the recruitment delegation on Christmas Eve is a surprise for everyone; but their visit means one guest now faces a life-changing decision.

Meanwhile, an alliance of the enemies of various guests at the party has infiltrated the palace; they hide in the dungeon, plotting how best to get rid of the crime-fighters and the royal family once and for all. Problem is, they all have their own agendas and differences of opinion on how to achieve their aims.

Not to mention that this year, the ghosts who walk the corridors of the palace on Christmas Eve will be as surprised by the living as the living are by them.

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