The Christmas Season

Whether you celebrate Christmas as a secular or religious festival, or focus on some other holiday at this time of year, there is much to be said for the joy of sharing a winter festival with family and friends. Today is the Winter Solstice, which was always a very welcome day to me when I lived in Scotland.

If you've never been to Scotland, or looked at it on the globe, it's actually pretty far north. The winter dark can be depressing. Just the intellectual understanding that days lengthen after the solstice can be a boost to getting through the cold, dreary days of winter. For a Scottish solstice sunrise take a look at LindaB's Occasional Scotland.

Yesterday I was awarded a Christmas Spirit Award by Kailana at The Written World. I'd like to thank Kailana and participate by listing 5 things I love about the Christmas season.

1. Christmas carols - the tradition associated with them brings me joy. Music moves me.
   
2. Decorations - the brightness of them has always brought cheer to the cold, darker days of winter for me.
3. Family and the pleasure of sharing. My favorite part of that is the joy on children's faces as they experience the season.
4. Food - I am thankful for the plenty I have in my life. There is nothing more loving to me than preparing a meal to share with others.
5. Receiving cards and letters from those I can't visit with because of geographical distance. It is lovely to catch up with what has been happening in their lives.

My hope for you this Christmas season is that you have loving people to share the joy with. Of course I can't leave the topic without passing you a few learning links.

• An explanation of the solstice with details of how ancient architecture marked it. A purely astronomical explanation.
• I am in awe of Wendy who celebrates the solstice by staying in the dark for a day. I think that is beautiful - so in tune with nature. If you've thought of celebrating the winter solstice and need more ideas, you can find more ideas on celebrating the solstice.
• A winter solstice poem by a blogging author who loves the Middle Ages.
• Medieval Christmas portrayed by another blogging author.
  
• The history of Christmas carols.
  

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