#winter-solstice

#winter-solstice

Whatever winter holiday you might honor or tradition you might practice, December is a month where we mark another cycle around the sun and celebrate it through art and cultural practices. Integral to our ceremonies and our family gatherings are the art, music, dance, theater, crafts and poetry we share. These are our offerings to each other. Whether your stories are told through intimate family folktales, hand-crafted gifts, stunning visual imagery or grand performances, this is the season for spinning magic.

When we humans moved into northern Europe 40,000 years ago, it's likely that to cope with the depths of the cold winter we got together to cheer ourselves up, and also to mark the turning of the year back towards summer. It's no coincidence that Christmas Day falls very close to the winter solstice, when the sun begins its journey back to warmer and longer days.

Between now and the winter solstice, write down 13 things you'd like to see happen in 2026. Don't write them down as "I wish," "I want," or "I'd like," but rather "I have" or "I am" statements, she specifies. You might do one or two a week, making sure they feel true to you and are things that hold meaning. When you're done writing one down, fold it and hold onto it.

Mark your calendar: Wednesday, September 17, 2025, will be the final day the sun sets at or after 7pm in New York City. Sunset will officially hit at 7:01pm, with sunrise at 6:38 am-just over 12 hours and 22 minutes of daylight. Consider it your last chance to leave the office and still pretend you've got hours of daylight left.