Let the light bring peace ... Happy Solstice.

'red alert cocktail dress ...' (2006)

If there is light in the soul,
There will be beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person,
There will be harmony in the house.
If there is harmony in the house,
There will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
There will be peace in the world.
Chinese Proverb

Here, in the Northern Hemisphere, today is the Winter Solstice ~ the shortest day of the year and the longest night. It is the point in the year at which the days begin to lengthen and the light begins to weave its way back into our lives. It's officially the first day of winter and one of the oldest-known holidays in human history. Anthropologists believe that solstice celebrations go back at least 30,000 years, before humans even began farming on a large scale. Many of the most ancient stone structures made by human beings were designed to pinpoint the precise date of the solstice. The stone circles of Stonehenge were arranged to receive the first rays of midwinter sun.

For me it is the December holiday that feels the most authentic as it has been celebrated for thousands of years by many people all around the world and stems from the cycles of Mother Nature. As our lives are more and more connected to and dependent on technology and electronics I feel there is this dire need to reconnect with the cycles and wisdom of nature.

The Winter Solstice is a celebration of light going back thousands of years when people were not sure if the sun and warmth would come back, a time before scientists explained the earth's orbit. So they lit huge bonfires to tempt the sun to come back which lead to our tradition of decorating our houses and our trees with lights at this time of year.

The Winter Solstice can be traced back thousands of years and is associated with numerous religious and philosophical beliefs:

• In ancient Japan the winter solstice was believed to be the time when the sun goddess Amaterasu emerged from her cave bringing light to the darkness. 
• The Incas held winter solstice celebrations in honor of Init, the sun god. 
• In ancient Egypt and Syria, people celebrated the winter solstice as the sun's birthday
• In Germany, the winter solstice was a time to celebrate Hertha, the Norse goddess of light. 
• In ancient Rome, the winter solstice was celebrated with the festival of Saturnalia, during which all business transactions and even wars were suspended, and slaves were waited upon by their masters.
• The Roman celebration of Sol Invictus, the Roman deity of the sun, was held on December 25th and represented the rebirth of the sun. 
• Interestingly, there are many parallels between these celebrations and Christmas. Traditionally, Christians celebrate Christmas as the day of the birth of the Son of God while other traditions were celebrating the rebirth of the Sun. (interesting play with phonics).

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