Séilot nédwyl and the Winter Solstice
In Elithoan society and tradition, and by extension in the societies and traditions of most Celinophone nations and territories, the days surrounding the winter solstice (séildrosos féifrairig or séildrosos go w-Féifrair) are of particular cultural importance. Séilot nédwyl – ‘the short days’, as they are known in Celinese – constitute one of the major holiday periods in Elitho. Traditionally, the night of the solstice is one of two focal points of a nine day period of festivities, covering the final two days of the month of Féifrair, all five days of the intercalary period and the first two days of Niosair, the first month of the new year. In the public imagination, the solstice is associated with friendship, resilience and rebirth, and the festival surrounding it is imbued with spiritual and philosophical significance. There are records dating back to the 2nd century referring to the festival, and it is one of the major sairséilot go r-ilðın (literally natural holidays; festivities celebrating nature) alongside the High Summer, Harvest and Spring equinox festivals.
Celinophone writers of all persuasions have long extolled both the importance and the symbolism of the winter solstice. The earliest references are contained in spiritual treatises written by ilðınaraðírain, early exponents of cosmolatry, Elitho’s principal spirituality to this day. The second book of Heðwyc (written c. 209) declares that the shortest day is a crucial part of ‘an eternal and divine circle of decline and rebirth, darkness and light, cold and warmth.’ The fifteenth book of Elôwyn (c. 215) cited this and added that ‘whilst some may lament the forbidding darkness of the shortest days, it is due to these that we can appreciate the heady days of high summer, the path to which begins with the longest night.’ Other spiritual writers, such as the heliolater Sainthwyn, spoke in more poetic terms of the death and resurrection of ‘the sun god, whose domain over the skies strengthens from this night forward.’
Contemporary accounts suggest that the festival began as a low-key night of prayers and contemplation restricted to cosmolaters, which subsequently expanded into a simultaneously spiritual and secular festival of wider cultural prominence. A winter solstice entry in the 277 journal of poet and diarist, Édith Mythelbír, notes that ‘the Féifrair solstice continues to be a solemn and quiet day for some, but in recent years, the holiday has become livelier and more general to the entire population. Whilst a dearth of light may, on the face of things, not seem an appropriate thing to celebrate, the fact that no night is longer than tonight leads people to celebrate the prospect of longer and warmer days. The yearly circle begins afresh, leading the populace to celebrate the achievements of the past year and reflect on the year ahead in the company of friends.’
In Elitho, a number of traditions accompany the séilot nédwyl, most notably a mass retreat for four to five days to log cabins in cerônéiforain, highland villages that, for the duration of the festival, are host to colourful fairs and markets and myriad sporting and leisure activities. Elithoans typically make their winter retreat to the mountains in friendship groups and spend the entire night of the solstice with their closest friends in what is known as a caigwyn. The group locks themselves into one room in the log cabin and they talk, share stories, play games and music, write, and so forth, until the dawn. This custom is the origin of the word cênorairír, (lit. with-night-person), closest friend - one must be a dear and trusted friend to be invited to a caigwyn. As dawn breaks, the members of the caigwyn leave the room together, brandishing two sheets of paper; each have one sheet listing what they want to consign to the past, which is buried, and another sheet on which they have listed three hopes for the next year, which is attached to a balloon and sent into the air.
Having spent four or five days in the company of non-familial friends, most Elithoans spend the remainder of the holiday period with their families, the highlight of which time is the eve and day of Ifaneifos (the human new year), which features a family feast, games, making arts and crafts and - for many families - some time spent adding scrolls, handmade objects and other items of personal and sentimental interest from the past year to the elínberoth, the family treasure, a collection which for some families can date back hundreds of years.
The next winter solstice occurs on 30 Féifrair, 989 (1st January, 2013) and the new year falls on 1 Niosair, 990 (7th January, 2013). Mereð séildrosos go w-Féifrair ar ifaneifos lyra!
