A winter solstice party

It’s winter. The snow is falling, the air is cold – or depending where you live down right frosty – Christmas is on its way and the nights are almost to the point where they’re so long that they start to get shorter again.

In Toronto, about 30 minutes from where I live, there’s this wonderful market, Kensington, you may have heard of it. For those of you who’ve never been, it’s a mix of many things: small cramped boutiques, run down artist shops, specialty food shops, army surplus stores, cafes and restaurants, some of the coolest second hand and vintage shops in the city and tiny unnavigable streets full of people and cars. Oh, and did I mention, in the summer it smells, I mean really smells.

Kensington is odd. There are strange tenants, strange tourists, strange old cars growing plants; it’s full on sensory overload. But the one thing I really love about Kensington is being there for the winter solstice. The neighbourhood streets are shut down, it’s freezing cold, and everyone arrives carrying lanterns, beat- ing drums, blowing on horns and dancing to chase the cold dark night away.

In the midst of the gloomy dark and depressing depths of winter, everyone gathers to celebrate hope, bring in warmth and in a way celebrate life.

There are actually quite a lot of festivals and celebrations at this time of year. From Christmas, to Hanukkah, Brumalia and Hogmanay, all of which are designed to spread cheer, good wishes and hope for the future.

Saami, the indigenous people of Finland, Sweden and Norway, call theirs Beiwe Festival. Beiwe, the sun-goddess of fertility and sanity travels through the sky on a structure made of reindeer bones to herald back the greenery which the reindeer feed on. Sounds sort of like Santa Claus to me.

The Romans also had a winter solstice festival, Brumalia, which honoured Bacchus and of course included drinking and merriment. The word bruma means “shortest day.”

You might be able to get out and attend all these parties and experience all that this season has to offer, but what about your residents? Sure family may come and take them out to a gathering or even visit a few more times over the holiday season, but what are you doing for the resident who doesn’t have the benefit of loving family who live nearby, or who are even loving to begin with. Why not have your own winter solstice party? Gather for some singing (not necessarily Christmas songs), and hot chocolate, if not around an outdoor bonfire then at least some candlelight indoors. Help them chase away the cold dark night and look forward to the ensuing warmer, brighter and longer days.