Page 17 - 200912 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - December 2009

17 Winter Solstice Celebrations 17 Winter Solstice Celebrations Winter Solstice small meals and visit with friends and family. It Celtic beliefs and practices. Wiccans recognize Winter Solstice celebrations: a.k.a. is a time of worship and contemplation. A time eight seasonal days of celebration. Four are celebrations: a.k.a. minor sabbats and occur at the two solstices and to strengthen family and community ties." Because Ramadan is part of a lunar- Christmas, Saturnalia, based calendar, it starts about 11 days earlier the two equinoxes. The other are major sabbats Christmas, Saturnalia, which happen approximately halfway between Yule, the Long Night, each year. In the year 2000, the nominal date an equinox and solstice. The winter solstice Yule, the Long Night, etc. will be NOV-27. Ramadan is thus not associated sabbat is often called Yule. It is a time for etc. introspection, and planning for the future. with the winter solstice as are other religious Continued from Page 16 celebrations. It is just by coincidence that it has Wiccans may celebrate the Sabbat on the Continued from Page 16 occurred during December in recent years. evening before the time of the actual solstice, at * JUDAISM: Jews celebrate an 8 day sunrise on the morning of the solstice, or at the * DRUIDISM: Druids and Druidesses formed the professional class in ancient Celtic festival of Hanukkah, (a.k.a. Feast of Lights, exact time of the astronomical event. Festival of lights, Feast of Dedication, Monotheistic religions, like Judaism, society. They performed the functions of modern day priests, teachers, ambassadors, Chanukah, Chanukkah, Hanukah). It recalls the Christianity and Islam, tend to view time as linear. It started with creation; the world as we war fought by the Maccabees in the cause of astronomers, genealogists, philosophers, religious freedom. Antiochus, the king of Syria, know it will end at some time in the future. musicians, theologians, scientists, poets and conquered Judea in the 2nd century BCE. He Aboriginal and Neopagan religions see time as judges. Druids led all public rituals, which were terminated worship in the Temple and stole the circular and repetitive, with lunar (monthly) and normally held within fenced groves of sacred trees. The solstice is the time of the death of the sacred lamp, the menorah, from before the altar. solar (yearly) cycles. Their "...rituals guarantee the continuity of nature's cycles, which At the time of the solstice, they rededicated the old sun and the birth of the dark-half of the year. Temple to a Pagan deity. Judah the Maccabee traditional human societies depend on for their It was called "Alban Arthuan by the ancient lead a band of rebels, and succeeding in retaking sustenance." Druids. It is the end of month of the Elder Tree Jerusalem. They restored the temple and lit the * NEOLITHIC EUROPE: Many and the start of the month of the Birch. The three days before Yule is a magical time. This is menorah. It was exactly three years after the remains of ancient stone structures can be found in Europe dating back many millennia. Some flame had been extinguished -- at the time of the the time of the Serpent Days or Pagan rite. appear to have religious/astronomical purposes; transformation...The Elder and Birch stand at Although they had found only sufficient others are burial tombs. These structures were the entrance to Annwn or Celtic underworld consecrated oil to last for 24 hours, the flames built before writing was developed. One can where all life was formed. Like several other myths they guard the entrance to the burned steadily for eight days. "Today's only speculate on the significance of the winter solstice to the builders. Two examples of menorahs have nine branches; the ninth branch underworld. This is the time the Sun God is for the shamash, or servant light, which is passage tombs are: journey's thru the underworld to learn the used to light the other eight candles. People eat At Newgrange, in Brugh-na-Boyne, secrets of death and life. And bring out those potato latkes, exchange gifts, and play dreidel County Meath, in eastern Ireland. It is perhaps souls to be reincarnated." A modern-day Druid, Amergin Aryson, has composed a Druidic ritual games. And as they gaze at the light of the the most famous of the 250 passage tombs in menorah, they give thanks for the miracle in the Ireland. It covers an area of one acre, and has an for the Winter Solstice. Temple long ago." internal passage that is almost 60 feet (19 m) * INCA RELIGION: The ancient Incas Modern-day Jews celebrate Hanukkah celebrated a festival if Inti Raymi at the time of by lighting one candle for each of the eight days long. The tomb has been dated at about 3,200 BCE; it is one of the oldest structures in the the Winter Solstice. Since the Inca Empire was mainly south of the equator, the festival was of the festival. Once a minor festival, it has been world -- and the roof still doesn't leak after 5,200 years! Above the entrance way is a stone growing in importance in recent years, perhaps held in June. It celebrates "the Festival of the because of the pressure of Christmas. "roof box" that allows the light from the sun to Sun where the god of the Sun, Wiracocha, is * NATIVE AMERICAN penetrate to the back of the cairn at sunrise on honored." Ceremonies were banned by the SPIRITUALITY: and near the winter solstice. The horizontal Roman Catholic conquistadores in 1572 century The Pueblo tribe observe both the as part of their forced conversions of the Inca summer and winter solstices. Although the dimension of the box matches the width of the sun as viewed from the back of the passage. In people to Christianity. A local group of Quecia specific details of the rituals differ from pueblo the years since the tomb was constructed by Indians in Cusco, Peru revived the festival in to pueblo, "the rites are built around the sun, the Neolithic farmers, the Earth's tilt on its axis has 1944. It is now a major festival which begins in coming new year and the rebirth of vegetation changed from about 24 to about 23© degrees Cusco and proceeds to an ancient amphitheater a few miles away. in the spring....Winter solstice rites now. As a result, the sun rises about two solar diameters farther south today. The monument is include...prayerstick making, retreats, altars, * IRAN: Shabe-Yalda (a.k.a. Shab-e emesis and prayers for increase." surrounded by a circle of standing stones that Yaldaa) is celebrated in Iran by followers of The Hopi tribe "is dedicated to giving were added later during the Bronze Age. many religions. It originated in Zoroastrianism, aid and direction to the sun which is ready to At Maeshowe, (Orkneys, Scotland). It is the state religion which preceded Islam. The name refers to the birthday or rebirth of the sun. 'return' and give strength to budding life." Their a chambered cairn built on a leveled area with a ceremony is called "Soyal." It lasts for 20 days surrounding bank and ditch. It has been carbon People gather at home around a korsee -- a low and includes "prayerstick making, purification, dated at 2750 BCE. Inside the cairn is a stone square table -- all night. They tell stories and rituals and a concluding rabbit hunt, feast and structure with a long entry tunnel. The structure read poetry. They eat watermelons, blessing..." is aligned so that sunlight can shine along the pomegranates and a special dried fruit/nut mix. There are countless stone structures Bonfires are lit outside. created by Natives in the past to detect the entry passage into the interior of the megalith, and illuminate the back of the structure. This * ISLAM: During the period 1997 to solstices and equinoxes. One was called happens at sunrise at and near the winter 1999, the first day of the Islamic lunar month of Calendar One by its modern-day finder. It is in solstice. Starting in the late 1990's, live video Ramadan occurred in December. The nominal a natural amphitheatre of about 20 acres in size and still images have been broadcast to the dates were 1997-DEC-31, 1998-DEC-20 and 1999-DEC-9. The actual date for the start of in Vermont. From a stone enclosure in the center world via the Internet. of the bowl, one can see a number of vertical Ramadan depends upon the sighting of the rocks and natural features in the horizon which The Winter Solstice in the crescent moon, and thus can be delayed by a formed the edge of the bowl. At the solstices The Winter Solstice in the few days from the nominal date. This is the and equinoxes, the sun rises and sets at notches Northern Hemisphere Northern Hemisphere holiest period in the Islamic year. It honors the (UT): lunar month in which the Qura'n was revealed or peaks in the ridge which surrounded the (UT): calendar. by God to humanity. "It is during this month * NEOPAGANISM: This is a group of that Muslims observe the Fast of Ramadan. religions which are attempted re-creations of 2010 DEC-21 @ 23:38 Lasting for the entire month, Muslims fast ancient Pagan religions. Of these, Wicca is the 2010 DEC-21 @ 23:38 during the daylight hours and in the evening eat most common; it is loosely based on ancient