#wintersolstice

[enchantedbook]

'Deer Mother', the image is from 'The Wickedness of Modern Society from the Discources of T. De Witt Talmage, 1887 Artist : unknown.

[akkifuar]

новогоднее настроение у родителей дома, здесь и случится встреча с январем 💫

"Они отправлялись в долгие прогулки сквозь сдержанное безмолвие зимнего леса, через серебряные джунгли замерзших деревьев и повсюду находили красоту. Иногда чудилось, что они находятся в зачарованном мире из хрусталя и жемчуга, среди белых сияющих озер и небес. Воздух был так чист и хрустящ, что почти дурманил."

[kat-von-rose]

• Ostara Spring Returned •

And so spring returned, to a place where springs had long been absent, carrying in its hands the light that reminded the earth how to breathe.

[whencyclopedia]

Medieval Feasts, Pagan Roots, and the Nativity Story

Christmas blends a Christian birth narrative with older winter customs and lavish medieval celebrations that shaped how we celebrate today.

Christmas centers on the Nativity story but absorbed many pagan winter traditions over centuries, producing the holiday’s mix of religious observance and seasonal revelry. In medieval Europe, feasting and spectacle dominated celebrations: wealthy households served exotic meats and layered desserts, changed tablecloths between courses, and filled the day with music, plays, and acrobats. These practices helped turn Christmas into both a sacred festival and a public party that evolved into modern customs.

Key Facts

Origins: Christmas commemorates Jesus’ Nativity alongside earlier winter festivals that influenced its timing and customs.

Pagan influence: Pre-Christian midwinter rites contributed symbols and practices later attached to Christmas.

Medieval feasting: Nobles served roast peacock, swan, boar’s head, fish, nuts, oranges, cakes, figs, and dates at grand Christmas meals.

Entertainments: Tableside entertainment included music, jesters, acrobats, and plays performed by minstrels.

Dining ritual: Medieval feasts often featured a changed tablecloth after each course and were commonly held as an early lunch.

Drinks: Festive beverages included spiced or sweetened wine, cider, and ale.

Historical Context

Christmas grew from early Christian attempts to mark Jesus’ birth and intentionally overlapped with popular winter festivals, allowing church observance to merge with existing seasonal customs. Medieval social hierarchy shaped the holiday into a spectacle where elites displayed status through food and performance.

Historical Significance

The medieval fusion of sacred story and theatrical feasting set patterns for later Christmas traditions—rich foods, communal entertainment, and a seasonal cultural peak—so that modern Christmas remains both religious celebration and popular festival.

Learn More: The History of Christmas Celebrations

[ends-2-beginnings]

The Winter Solstice alignment at Stonehenge today.

Photo credit Nick Bull.

source

[sophira-lou]

There is beauty in frost and darkness, just as there is loveliness in light and warmth. Embrace it all this winter solstice.

Happy winter solstice lovelies enjoy the longest night with an abundance of merryness and feast well

[coffeenuts]

[yunnathearcher]

December 15th Mars » Capricorn

December 16th Sun in Sagittarius squares Saturn in Pisces; Yunna's 36th Solar Return

December 17th ☾ » Sagittarius; Sun conjoins Juno in Sagittarius

December 18th Venus in Sagittarius trines ℞ Chiron in Aries

December 19th New Moon in Sagittarius 28°; ☾ » Capricorn December 20th Sun in Sagittarius squares Neptune in Pisces; Mercury in Sagittarius bends the Pisces/Virgo Nodes; Sun in Sagittarius squares Neptunes in Pisces December 21st Sun » Capricorn - Winter Solstice; Venus in Sagittarius squares Saturn in Pisces; ℞ Jupiter in Cancer squares ℞ Chiron in Aries December 22nd ☾ » Aquarius; Venus conjoins Juno in Sagittarius