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December 22, 2009, is the winter solstice. "Solstice," derived from Latin for "sun stands still," is the shortest day and the longest night of the year. Today in the marks the return of longer days in the Northern Hemisphere. After a year of market collapse, hemorrhaging unemployment, and heart-breaking foreclosures, the days ahead are finally (literally) looking brighter.

Although it was traditionally a Pagan holiday and still celebrated by modern misfits everywhere, as National Geographic News observes, “Pagans aren't alone in commemorating the winter solstice in modern times.”

So in the interest of history, spirituality, and general fun, I bring to you:

Top Ten Ways to Celebrate the Winter Solstice!

     Number 10 - Sacrifice a Human!

Sorry! I couldn’t help myself.

In Ancient Greece, Lenaea, or the “Festival of the Wild Women” occurring during the winter solstice festival, harvest god Dionysus was said to have been torn to pieces and eaten by a gang of women on this day.  Therefore, to commemorate Dionysus, his followers and worshipers would have women tear an actual, live man to pieces to commemorate their god.  In classical times, the human was replaced with a goat. In modern times, neither is really kosher. The Ancient Romans borrowed this tradition into Brumalia, a solstice festival honoring Bacchus (the Roman equivalent of Dionysus), which was instead a month-long festival, ending December 25, filled with drinking and merriment.

Although it would be interesting to sacrifice something, trying to get around laws against doing it could be a hassle. Let’s not and say we did, unless questioned by the authorities.

     Number 9 - Meditate on the Eightfold Path!

Perhaps human sacrifices are a bit hard to stomach, not to mention a logistical nightmare to pull of! If so, how about a quieter commemoration?

Bodhi Day, celebrated on the Sunday immediately preceding December 8th, commemorates the day Buddha is said to have achieved enlightenment in 596 BC. Leaving all his earthly possessions at 29 years of age, Buddha, a prince, sought the meaning of life and the reason behind suffering. He studied with great teachers in vain. Finally, Buddha sat under a pipal tree, and on 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 birthday of Buddhism.  It signifies the Buddha’s enlightenment - an escape from endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth through reincarnation. 

A good way to celebrate Bodhi Day is by reflecting on what’s important and how to achieve happiness by escaping materialism. Especially considering the commercialization of the season, now is a good time to pull back from the zeal over the Kindle, and to consider the four truths and concentrate on the eightfold path that stresses Wisdom, Ethical Development, and Mental Development.

     Number 8 - Visit Neolithic sites across the pond!

Sure, contemplation may be easier to do than a human sacrifice, but where’s the fun in that? If you’re asking yourself the same thing, then a vacation might be right for you.

Sightseeing is always a great idea and Stonehenge is popular. Every year, on the shortest night, modern pagans and druids come this ancient and mysterious formation of rocks near Salisbury, England, to commemorate the dawn.

Also, the Newgrange tomb is quite a site to see. Ireland's mysterious Newgrange tomb is aligned to capture the light at the moment of the winter solstice sunrise.  It is located in Brugh-na-Boyne, County Meath, in eastern Ireland. The tomb dates back to about 3,200 BC, making it one of the oldest structures in the world. 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 monument is surrounded by a circle of standing stones that were added later during the Bronze Age.

     Number 7 - Watch the Pros Sing and dance international folk!

But a vacation, especially in this economy, is so expensive. Not to mention that if you’re going to get on a plane in the winter, it will be South. Britannia does not top the list. In that case, let’s travel not too far, and join other in a performance of traditional music across the globe.

This is especially so if The Christmas Revels are coming to a city near you! (For example, New York City).  This production originated in Watertown, Massachusetts that celebrates the winter solstice with an annually changing set of traditional music and dance from around the world. According to its director, Patrick Swanson, "It's a lot of fun for us to dig up the traditional dance and music and even the plays [honoring] that time of the year."

Songs are integral to celebrations on the Solstice. In Japan, for example, they have Requiems of the Dead, dating back to the 7th Century. A little bit morbid, but I already proposed human sacrifices, so I can't complain. This festival celebrates the re-emergence of Amaterasu, the sun goddess of Japanese mythology. The loud celebration tricks the goddess to return, bringing sunlight back to the universe. Requiems for the dead were performed throughout the night. This tradition continues to this day on New Years.

     Number 6 - Family dinner!

Places to see, things to think about, people to kill, but where’s the food!? Perhaps a nice, quiet dinner with the family is all you need!

The Dongzhì Festival, for the “extreme of winter,” is marked with feasting by the Chinese and other East Asians on or around December 21, on the first day of the dongzhi solar term.  Traditionally, this is a time for family. One activity that occurs during the family get-together is making, and of course eating, Tangyuan or Ta-ng Yuán, which are balls of glutinous rice, which symbolize reunion.  In Korea, families prepare similar balls of glutinous rice pronounced Saealsim, with traditional porridge and sweet red bean (Patjook).  Patjook was believed to have a special power and sprayed around houses on winter solstice to repel sinister spirits. This practice was based on a traditional folk tale, in which the ghost of a man that used to hate patjook comes haunting innocent villagers on the winter solstice.

     Number 5 - Celebrate Community with feasts and flames!

Okay, but what if you don’t like your family? Well, then let’s join in the whole community! Many multi-spiritual communities that observe the solstice, such as the Kitsap Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Bremerton, Washington, by having children light candles into a design on the floor of the chapel, one by one, and then feasting with follow parishioners.

Getting together for food and friends is even agreeable to atheists! In New Jersey, American Atheist Center held two events over the weekend to celebrate the Solstice.  This is so for “vampyres” as well, who celebrate "the Long Night" - a festival where the community relaxes and socializes.  With Twilight such a hit among the youth, perhaps the Long Night will make a resurgence.

     Number 4 - Sing songs and read stories of hope for the future!

Besides, Christmas caroling is not just for the Christians.

In addition to the candle vigil and the church-goer feast Monday night, Kitsap Unitarian kicked things off by reading stories and singing songs of hope for the future. Rev. Elizabeth Stevens, whose Church also celebrates Christmas and Hannukah, explained the significance of the Winter Solstice as way of affirming love in the face of fear. “We do need faith that we’re going to be OK,” she said.

American Unitarians are not the only ones. Shabe-Yalda, celebrated in Iran by followers of many religions, originated in Zoroastrianism. The name refers to the birthday or rebirth of the sun. In celebration, people gather at home at night to tell stories and read poetry while outside bonfires burn bright.

     Number 3 - Burn the Yule log and roast marshmallows!

Hey, it’s cold and it’s dark. Let’s celebrate with fire by camping in-doors.

According to the National Geographic, Germanic peoples of Northern Europe honored the winter solstice with Yule festivals—the origin of the still-standing tradition of the long-burning Yule log.  James George Frazer in his work on anthropology, The Golden Bough traced the yule-log origin to "the ancient fire-festival of the winter solstice" and believed that the Yule log custom held religious significance for the Pagans. However, other historians disagreed, and instead claimed that the Yule log was instead simply a festive decoration with practical uses.

This is a splendid, low-cost, delicious, practical and fun way for the whole family to celebrate the winter solstice. Throw in a log, set it on fire, roast marshmallows. Your kids will like it, and you don’t even have to go camping in the freezing cold!

     Number 2 - Dress up in Costumes!

Halloween in the middle of Winter? Don't mind if I do!

In the Caribbean, Junkunoo is a masquerade and street festival, that is traditionally performed toward the end of December. The parades are accompanied by bands usually consisting of fifes, drums, and coconut graters used as scrapers, and Jonkanoo songs are also sung.  North Carolina observed this festival in the 19th century. 

It’s a lot like Mardis Gras, but I prefer Halloweeny winters. That's where Karachun comes in.  This is a Slavic holiday that commemorates the day when Hors, the old sun, dies by being defeated by the evil spirits of the black god. Therefore, of course, the longest night of the year. On this night, it is said that evil spirits are most potent. In honor of Hors, the Slavs of Bulgaria, Russia and Ukraine dance a ritual chain-dance. On December 23rd, Hors is resurrected and becomes the new sun, Koleda. On this day, Western Slavs burned fires at cemeteries to keep their departed loved ones warm.

In ancient times, the festival of Kaleda began at Winter Solstice and lasted for ten days. Each family made a fire in their hearth and invited their personal household gods to join in the festivities. Children dressed up in constumes themselves at night and visited houses singing wishes of good luck.  As a reward, they were given little gifts, a tradition called Kolyadovanie.

That’s right. Christmas caroling and trick-or-treating. Both at the same time!
So this year, instead of Christmas caroling, go Halloween caroling. Dress up and confuse the heck out of your neighbors.

And the very, very best way to celebrate the Winter Solstice this year, no matter what your religion happens to be is...

     Number 1 - Celebrate Christmas!

This one tops the list because: (a) it really is a celebration of the Solstice; and (b) come on, everybody’s doing it. You wanna be cool, don’t you?

Jerusalem mangers just weren’t that great at keeping birth records back in the days, so no one is really sure on what Jesus was born.  If Christ had to prove the whereabouts of his birth, he’d have as hard a time as Obama.

However, one theory is that after deciding on Easter - that Christ’s death and resurrection should be in the spring - and feeling that Jesus’s conception should be equivalent with his crucifixion, it only made sense that 9 months later, Jesus would have been born. In an attempt to convert Pagans, joining Christ’s birthday to the winter solstice made the Christian traditional more appealing.

"This gave rise to an interesting play on words," according to Harry Yeide, a professor of religion at George Washington University. "In several languages, not just in English, people have traditionally compared the rebirth of the sun with the birth of the son of God." In fact, Pagans traditionally celebrated the 25 of December, as of 46 BC, when Julius Caesar in his Julian calendar established December 25 as the date of the winter solstice of Europe.

And besides, the lights, the tree, the songs, and gifts! There’s so much merrymaking to be had that Christians shouldn’t be the only ones out there having all the fun! So bake those cookies, and hang that mistletoe. And when believers wish you a Merry Christmas, wish them one back!