Welcoming the Winter Solstice: Rituals & Events for the Shortest Day of the Year

Traditions to help us embrace the cold and dark season

By Anna Faller | Dec. 13, 2025

With the winter solstice quickly approaching, it’s hard not to notice how dark each day feels. Astronomically, this is because the North Pole is nearing its farthest point from the sun. Culturally, though, the winter solstice, also known as Yule (a term with roots in Old Norse), is also a time of celebration, marked by storytelling, feasts, and community gatherings throughout the globe.

“Yule as we know it comes from the word Jól or Jul, which literally translated, means ‘the wheel,’” explains Bellamy Black, professional witch and owner of Blessed Be Tea & Apothecary in Traverse City. “It’s the beginning of the [new] year’s wheel turning, so we’re seeing this cycle of rebirth.”

Jeanie Williams, holder of the dance at Northern Michigan Ecstatic Dance, says we’ve been programmed to associate the early winter months and holidays with hustle and bustle, from cooking and cleaning to hosting, buying presents, and preparing for holiday parties.

“It’s a jangly time,” she notes, “and it doesn’t feed what we’re here to do.”

She believes the winter solstice—which historically followed a months-long harvest and led into longer nights and cold weather—lends itself to cultivating quieter, slower experiences. In other words, the winter solstice should actually be the opposite of “jangly,” with connective endeavors like volunteering and community gatherings at the fore.

“For as long as humans have been around, communities have gathered at these potent times of the year,” Williams says. “[It’s about] remembering where you are in your community; that you’re part of something. That helps us feel more human.”

For many of us, finding meaning in the bleak midwinter first requires a mindset shift. So let’s talk solstice celebrations, modern rituals, and practical ways to welcome the winter.

From the Inside Out

Black tells us that the solstice provides a natural opportunity to be more present, both in terms of the energy we project (“How can we be kinder to our fellow human?” she asks), as well as that which we invest in ourselves through rest and introspection.

She suggests starting with practices that promote guilt-free rest, like blending herbal teas, lighting candles, and stringing up fairy lights—anything that brings you comfort and joy as you sink into hibernation mode.

“I consider the winter solstice to be a time to appreciate, to nurture, and to explore that subconscious parts of ourselves,” Sarah DiViasmeņi, owner of Poetess and Stranger in Petoskey, adds. “It’s a phenomenal time to appreciate how far you’ve come and dream about the future.”

DiViasmeņi says that pursuit is all about “enriching the interior,” prioritizing gentle activities that strengthen the mind and soothe the soul. This could include reading or journaling, as well as meditative activities like crafty DIYs or the alchemy of cooking.

“You’re building a colorful universe inside,” she explains. “I think that’s worthwhile, especially in our northern climate, where it’s gray and gets darker earlier, to keep your spirits up.”

From an external standpoint, Williams also suggests being present for sunrise and sunset each day (even better if you habit-stack that time with singing, praying, or meditating!). Connecting with nature and your community, she says—dancing around a bonfire, for instance, or walking outside—are also key to staying grounded in the transitional time between autumn and winter.

Loving the Darkness

But, how do you approach the solstice in a positive light when everything feels so, well, dark?

The first step is to take care of your mind by taking care of your body. This begins with the basics: fueling up with healthy foods, staying hydrated, or even temporarily stepping away from substances like alcohol.

Getting outside to soak in the daylight, even if it’s only for a minute or two, is also a biggie, not only for some fresh air in your lungs, but also the boost in the vitamins and balancing chemicals critical to staving off Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

And for when you’re really in a funk? Changing up your environment (think: taking a dip in the tub, getting out of the house, or even hanging upside down off the couch for a few moments), making new connections through classes and events, and if you have the bandwidth, giving back to your community, are all surefire tools for winter survival.

“Now is the time to be giving more than anything else,” Black notes. “Giving of your time and your energy, and when you’re spending money, spending it locally and hitting those small businesses that are conscious of supporting the community.”

If all else fails, the darkest stretch of the year is only about six weeks. Though it feels long, it’s a surprisingly short swath of time, so we might as well do our best to embrace it.

“I think you just have to say, ‘I’m into it, and I’m doing this,’” Williams says. “You just have to love the darkness.”

How to Celebrate

As for solstice day festivities? There’s no right or wrong way to observe Dec. 21, though all three women highlight the day as an ideal time for peace and contemplation.

Both DiViasmeņi and Black make use of an altar, for example, which could house anything from crystals and incense to holiday lights or evergreen boughs. Lighting candles, whose flames represent life and rebirth, is also a popular practice, as is traversing a Waldorf Solstice Spiral to symbolize finding light on the year’s darkest day.

Other winter solstice rituals could include making medicines or tincturing herbs, as well as wintry activities like making bird feeders, pomanders for abundance (aka, oranges studded with spices), or holiday simmer pots, all of which feel broadly traditional, but with an added layer of intention.

“Even just sitting and thinking is enough,” DiViasmeņi adds. “Meditation and contemplation are the best [practices] for me that I do.”

Here are a few other local events to help you ditch the winter blues and reset for the solstice:

December 19
- Candlelight Hike at Mt. McSauba (5pm, Charlevoix)

December 20
- Annual Winter Solstice Party at Blessed Be Tea and Apothecary (Traverse City, 6-8pm), Psst—be sure to check out the shop’s newly-established nonprofit organization, Conscious Community Coven!
- Fifth Annual Strolling Lights Festival, Crystal River Outfitters (11am, Glen Arbor)
- Winter and the Blues, Art on Union Gallery (11am, Traverse City)
- Lighting of the Bridges, Grass River Natural Area (6pm, Bellaire)
- Winter Solstice Celebration, Farm Club (4-7pm, Traverse City)

December 21
- Winter Solstice Day of Dance, hosted by Northern Michigan Ecstatic Dance (8am-8pm, Traverse City)
- Solstice Silent Disco, Dennos Museum Center (6pm, Traverse City)
- Holiday Cheers and Beers, Short’s Pull Barn (12-3pm, Elk Rapids)
- Fire and Seed Winter Solstice – Fifth Annual Community Celebration, Northern Natural Cider House & Winery (3pm, Kaleva)