A small but colourful celebration takes place on the archipelago of Mauritius. However, it's believed that this date was chosen to offset pagan celebrations of Saturnalia and Natalis Invicti. How it all works has fascinated people for thousands of years. These men carry the Zuni prayers for rain “to all the corners of the earth.” The Zuni deities are believed to provide “blessings” and “balance” for the coming seasons and agricultural year. She remembered that each community held their own gatherings, with unique drumming, singing and dance styles. In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice usually falls on December 21/December 22, which is the southern hemisphere's summer solstice. The Zuni are intensely private, and most events are not for public viewing. So, when African people decorate trees during this period, they are sending regards to ancient times when Ra’s birthday was celebrated. You’ll need love, joy, passion, good friends, a soft place to land, magic and the ability to recognize it. Later, in my own research, I learned that the Blackfeet moved their dances and ceremonies during the early reservation years from times on their religious calendar to times acceptable to the U.S. government. This thousands-of-years-old festival on December 21, 22, or 23 is celebrated with family gatherings and a … What is the solstice? They passed their knowledge down to successive generations through complex stories and ritual practices. While Christmas is celebrated in most of the African countries, one has to acknowledge that a considerable part of Africans are of Muslim faith. Collage by Chani. There are numerous festivals in Africa celebrating this evens, the most popular being the Timket Festival in Ethiopia. It is an astronomical event caused by the tilt of the earth on its axis and its orbit around the sun. One such place was at Cahokia, near the Mississippi River in what is now Illinois across from St. Louis. All the Winter Solstice symbols are a reminder that the sun is eternal, the cycle is renewing, and so are you. However, winter solstice is still celebrated by many. Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, The University of Montana. Winter Solstice 2020 in the Northern Hemisphere will be at 5:02am Eastern Standard time and 11:02am Central European time on Monday, December 21, marking the first day of winter. Yule/Winter Solstice December 21st. The sun is a symbol of our interconnectedness. The days for the celebration are selected by the religious leaders. As religion scholar Tisa Wenger writes, “The Zuni believe their ceremonies are necessary not just for the well-being of the tribe but for "the entire world.”. Also the T The Amazigh people of Mahbgreb, or the berbers, follow, unlike other parts of Africa, the so-called Julian Calendar. In many African countries, it symbolizes the birth of African God Ra (Osiris). The Epiphany Day is another important holiday for the Christian world. It is customary for families to attend the mass and sing specific hymns on the Christmas day, and in some places they might even decorate a small palm and use it as a Christmas tree. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t find other ways to celebrate. Each year they hold annual harvest festivals and numerous religious ceremonies, including at the winter solstice. Not to mention the numerous tribes and their interesting ceremonies dedicated to the winter season. People dress up and gather in Stonehenge to welcome the latest dawn and sunrise of the year. Winter solstice traditions: Dong Zhi, China. Like everywhere in the world, winter time is celebration time in Africa, especially around the winter solstice (22nd of December). An interesting practice associated with this event is that of piercing. Modern Times. At the time of the solstice, Hopi welcome protective spirits from the mountains, known as kachinas. You’ll need a thick skin to weather the worst of the world and a tender heart to receive the best of it. At the time of the winter solstice they hold a multiday celebration, known as the Shalako festival. Winter solstice 2020, the shortest day of year and the official start of winter, is on Monday, December 21. Winter Solstice Rituals – December 21, 2019. There is evidence that humans observed the Winter Solstice as early as the Neolithic period—the last part of the stone age, beginning in about 10,200 BC. On the day of winter solstice, many Native American communities will hold religious ceremonies or community events. Winter solstice 2020: The shortest day is long on ancient pagan traditions For six months, the days have grown shorter and the nights have grown longer in the Northern Hemisphere. The Zulu people of Africa celebrate the solstice as a harvest festival. It is also considered the celebration of the winter solstice in some countries. To understand the purpose of Woodhenge, scientists watched the sun rise from this structure on winter solstice. Kwanzaa, which takes place from December 21 to January 1, is a cultural holiday that celebrates African heritage. At the Winter Solstice we reach the depth of that darkness with the longest night of the year. The returning sunlight is "invited in" with many symbols: Trees and evergreens, a variety of fires, candles, logs; and always singing and dancing. You have to know that Africa is an extremely diverse continent so different people will have different traditions and celebrations in winter. Darkness has reached its peak. When it comes to experiencing unabridged wilderness, the African continent has no equivalent. They grow corn, beans, squash, sunflowers and more. For that hemisphere, the winter solstice is the day with the shortest period of daylight and longest night of the year, when the Sun is at its lowest daily maximum elevation in the sky. The Stonehenge in England, was built between 3000 BC and 2000 BC and is known for its Winter Solstice traditions a. They also found that the sun aligns with a different temple mound on summer solstice. There are even winter holidays for the nonserious: Festivus , a holiday that originated in a joke on the TV show Seinfeld , has emerged as a celebrated observance with followers who are cynical about more traditional holiday traditions. Soaking in baths full of fruit in Japan. Zuni Pueblo is a contemporary example of indigenous people with an agricultural society in western New Mexico. Mauritius has a numerous Hindu community and they dedicate the last days in January to a series of religious ceremonies and blessings. Rosalyn R. LaPier does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. At this time, the sun appears over the Tropic of Capricorn, roughly 23.5 degrees South of the earth's equator. Also known as “Shab-e Yalda,” this is the ancient Persian Winter Solstice celebration, which … The day of the winter solstice is the shortest day and the longest night of the year. As a scholar of the environmental and Native American religion, I believe, there is much to learn from ancient religious practices. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere. Another popular holiday in the Muslim word is Amazigh New Year. So today people of Muslim faith sacrifice a lamb in remembrance of this day and share its meat with families or the less fortunate. Kwanzaa, a celebration of African American and pan-African culture and community based on Zulu and Ashanti harvest festivals, is situated during the festive midwinter weeks. The winter solstice is the day of the year when the Northern Hemisphere has the fewest hours of sunlight and the Southern Hemisphere has the most. Celebrate the winter solstice and its warm traditions with a concert of original and traditional acoustic music from award-winning Windham Hill artists. But what is shared with the public is near the end of the ceremony, when six Zuni men dress up and embody the spirit of giant bird deities. At this time in the Northern Hemisphere we are experiencing the longest and darkest nights of the year and the shortest days with the least amount of daylight. The Amazigh people of Mahbgreb, or the berbers, follow, unlike other parts of Africa, the so-called Julian Calendar. These days, religious observance of the winter solstice are not as common as it once was. Some believe that celebrating the birth of the “true light of the world” was set in synchronization with the December solstice because from that point onwards; the days began to have more dayli… Fun Facts about African Christmas Traditions Today, my family still spends the darkest days of winter playing card games and attending the local community dances, much like my grandmother did. Instead the Blackfeet viewed the time of the winter solstice as a time for games and community dances. Winter Solstice Traditions: Rituals for a Simple Celebration This year, let your winter solstice celebration be an occasion to look deeply at small things, to feel at home in the world and to be just where you belong. The winter solstice is approaching. Copyright © 2010–2021, Academic Journalism Society, Clip from ‘Cahokia’s Celestial Calendar (Woodhenge)’ episode of PBS’ ‘Native America.’. At Samhain we honour, celebrate and welcome the descent into, and return of, the dark - the beginning of the New Year, acknowledging that all beginnings emerge from darkness. Brandi and I will both be traveling at Full Moon so we will gather just in time for the Solstice! The following are among the most popular and widely celebrated winter holidays and traditions in Africa: Christmas in Africa is celebrated in a manner similar to the western countries: Christmas means carols, presents, family gatherings and joy. As a child, my grandmother enjoyed attending community dances at the time of the winter solstice. In modern times Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day, which falls on December 25. Dongzhi Festival. Scientists have speculated that the Cahokia held rituals to honor the sun as a giver of life and for the new agricultural year. Its opposite is the summer solstice. Archaeological evidence suggests that the people of Cahokia venerated the sun as a deity. Christians then continued the tradition of holly as a winter holiday decoration. On the last day of the journey we will experience the historic Solar alignment at Karnak Temple. The history of the winter solstice and its traditions are both past and present. In Cahokia, indigenous people built numerous temple pyramids or mounds, similar to the structures built by the Aztecs in Mexico, over a thousand years ago. They rarely held large religious gatherings in the winter. 2019 December Holidays—Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice Dates; Last Full Moon of the Decade Will Fall on 12/12 at 12:12 A.M. EST While many traditions are ancient, they are still being celebrated today by cultures around the world. By Deena Wade . WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WINTER SOLSTICE? Learn about unique traditions, celebrations, and holidays that occur around the world during December and January. This is the day when the divine origin of baby Jesus was revealed, and therefore a great reason for joy and celebration. They marked the time of the winter solstice and the “return” of the sun or “Naatosi” on its annual journey. Celebrating the African Goddess Mawu for Winter Solstice. Winter Solstice Concerts. They give thanks and feast on the fruits of the season’s harvest. The tradition of celebrating Winter Solstice is rich with symbolism and dates back hundreds of thousands of years. They also faced their tipis – or portable conical tents – east toward the rising sun. At day's end on the winter solstice, the sun glows like a … Scholars believe that ancient indigenous societies observed the solar system carefully and wove that knowledge into their architecture. Winter solstice is the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere. 896 likes. This year the winter solstice falls on Thursday 21 June 2018 in South Africa. The Blackfeet tribe in Montana, where I am a member, historically kept a calendar of astronomical events. At the pole, there is continuous darkness or twilight around the winter solstice. Mistletoe, which represents the female element, also holds much importance as it was used by Druid priests in special ceremonies during the Winter Solstice. When the sun falls, the sunlight right passes through the gap between the certain two stones, which only happens on that day. This year it will be on Wednesday, 21 December 2016 at 4:44 a.m. central time. According to the Chinese, Yang symbolizes the positive, and Yin is negative. Yalda. South of the equator, the height of winter hits in June and July. As we all know very well, the story had a happy ending, as God allowed Abraham to sacrifice a lamb instead. What they found was telling: The sun aligned with both Woodhenge and the top of a temple mound – a temple built on top of a pyramid with a flat top – in the distance. According to Traditional Festivals, Inti Raymi, a winter solstice festival that recalls the traditions of the Inca Empire, is generally held throughout South America's mountainous Andean region on June 24.In ancient times, Inti Raymi was a harvest festival held to honor the sun god, Inti, during the solstice. Eid Al Adha is an important holiday in the Islamic world, when people remember the importance of faith in their lives. Thus, the New Year’s Eve is celebrated on the 12th of January – when people invite their friends in for a festive dinner with aromatic chicken and couscous. Write an article and join a growing community of more than 123,400 academics and researchers from 3,949 institutions. Not all indigenous peoples ritualized the winter solstice with a ceremony. Or as the Zuni Pueblo’s rituals for all peoples of the earth demonstrate – of an ancient understanding of the interconnectedness of the world. First Fruits. Among their constructions, what most stands out is an intriguing structure made up of wooden posts arranged in a circle, known today as “Woodhenge.”. At the time of the winter solstice they hold a multiday celebration, known as the Shalako festival. The winter solstice, hiemal solstice or hibernal solstice occurs when one of the Earth's poles has its maximum tilt away from the Sun. Thus, the New Year’s Eve is celebrated on the 12 th of January – when people invite their friends in for a festive dinner with aromatic chicken and couscous. Make it the deep jungles o... Africa is for certain not a first option when it comes to luxury travel – with its deep jungles, huge deserts and thir... Africa stands for wilderness, safaris, jungles, the Sahara desert and adventure. They believed that its green leaves represented the fertility of the Mother Goddess, and its white berries, the seed of the Forest God or Oak King. The origin of this holiday is the Biblical story of Isaac and Abraham, in which Abraham was asked by God/Allah to sacrifice his only son as a sign of faith. Christian symbolism holds the red berries to represent Christ’s blood and the thorns to represent his crown during the crucifixion. Yule Traditions: Mistletoe. For indigenous peoples, it has been a time to honor their ancient sun deity. Join the Goddess Full Moon Group for a celebration and discussion of the African Creatrix Goddess Mawu for Winter Solstice. The dances held at the time of the solstice were moved to Christmas Day or to New Year’s Eve. A pair of adult capybara and three babies take a yuzu-yu, or a … For decades, scholars have studied the astronomical observations that ancient indigenous people made and sought to understand their meaning. During this time, prayer sticks are often crafted and used for blessings and various rituals. Winter Solstice is a time of renewal and rebirth and on the 21st of December, Karnak Temple in Luxor aligns with the sun and illuminates the temple - one of the most important events of the Egyptian calendar. Discover the science of why it happens, its ancient pagan traditions and a delightful skytime bonus for 2020. Although some winter solstice traditions have changed over time, they are still a reminder of indigenous peoples understanding of the intricate workings of the solar system. The days for the celebration are selected by the religious leaders. is a Chinese festival that celebrates the arrival of the Winter Solstice, and is related to the philosophy of Yin and Yang. The big difference about the African Christmas is that unlike in USA or Europe where the earth is covered in ice and snow, December is the first month of summer in the Southern part of Africa, so people try to enjoy the warm weather as well.
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