# Happy Solstice **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 21, 2007, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-solstice/430856 "2007-12-21T19:38:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-solstice/430856/1 "2007-12-21T19:38:39Z")
Does anyone else celebrate summer or winter Solstice? Summer Solstice is usually a super party up here. It is a real big deal. Winter Solstice is noted and hardly a phone call or greeting today will be missed without the accompanied Happy Solstice. There will be a few parties as well. Not as big as summer and a bit combined with Christmas parties. **Happy Solstice** everyone Do you celebrate Solstice? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-solstice/430856/2 "2007-12-21T19:47:59Z")
Heh, yes, I believe [some](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=448409) do. I find it interesting and noteworthy, although I know decidedly less about it than others, probably way less than I should. I did however follow it more closely when I lived in an extreme, your extreme actually, Alaska back in the 90s. Yeah, that was quite the party. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-solstice/430856/3 "2007-12-21T20:24:09Z")
And a Joyous Solstice to you. I usually celebrate it about 4 days late, but there might be some mead spilled (and some ingested, as well) tonight. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-solstice/430856/4 "2007-12-21T20:27:49Z")
I just sent a Happy Solstice card to my niece earlier today. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-solstice/430856/5 "2007-12-21T21:26:44Z")
Happy Solstice to y’all too. 🙂 I’m trying my darndest to make this the shortest workday of the year too… ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-solstice/430856/6 "2007-12-21T22:03:41Z")
Yay! Happy and Blessed Solstice, everyone! ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-solstice/430856/7 "2007-12-21T23:43:29Z")
Technically another six and a bit hours to go. ---
**Author:** ![coffinjumper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@coffinjumper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffinjumper)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-solstice/430856/8 "2007-12-22T00:16:03Z")
Happy Yule here too. ---
**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-solstice/430856/9 "2007-12-22T01:17:28Z")
I looked forward to it, but it was surprisingly inconspicuous here in the tropics (HK). ---
**Author:** ![Valteron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f17d59/32.png) [@Valteron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valteron)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-solstice/430856/10 "2007-12-22T03:12:16Z")
[QUOTE=fifty-six] Does anyone else celebrate summer or winter Solstice? Summer Solstice is usually a super party up here. It is a real big deal. Winter Solstice is noted and hardly a phone call or greeting today will be missed without the accompanied Happy Solstice. There will be a few parties as well. Not as big as summer and a bit combined with Christmas parties. **Happy Solstice** everyone Do you celebrate Solstice? [/QUOTE] Christians are celebrating solstice right now. They just don’t know it. You see, people in the northern hemisphere and especially in Europe have always needed something to get their spirits up during the shortest days of the year. A feast with lots of lights and a lighted tree, lots of food. candles, etc. chases the gloom away. There is absolutely no indication as to when Jesus was born. Nothing tells us it was December 25. The Christian Church just hijacked the Winter Solstice Celebration and with their usual intolerance turned it from a pagan feast to an alleged feast of the birth of Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-solstice/430856/11 "2007-12-22T03:34:24Z")
Happy Solstice, y’all! It is now going to get lighter up here on the northern end of the earth. We aren’t doomed to an eternity of cold and ice! Yay! (And you wonder why the Norse believed Hell was cold and dark and quiet…) ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-solstice/430856/12 "2007-12-22T03:37:37Z")
It’s the **Wife’s** birthday, so yeah we celebrate, though not technically because it’s the Solstice. ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-solstice/430856/13 "2007-12-22T03:37:52Z")
A Blessed Solstice to you and to everyone!! ---
**Author:** ![Abraca\_Deborah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e495f1/32.png) [@Abraca\_Deborah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abraca_Deborah)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-solstice/430856/14 "2007-12-22T04:56:52Z")
For anyone who is an early bird you might want to catch the webcast of the winter solstice which is being broadcast on the mornings of Dec. 21 and 22 from Newgrange. To see the morning sun warm the inside passage would be a real treat. Hope the skies are clear! [http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/Solstice2007/](http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/Solstice2007/) Happy Solstice! ---
**Author:** ![Electrical\_Storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac8455/32.png) [@Electrical\_Storm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electrical_Storm)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-solstice/430856/15 "2007-12-22T06:03:01Z")
We do - summer Solstice usually involves a backyard celebration, but winters down here are generally mild so we often can celebrate Winter Solstice with an outdoor shindig. Happy Solstice all! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-solstice/430856/16 "2007-12-22T06:22:09Z")
And, in fact, the actual solstice took place about fifteen minutes ago. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-solstice/430856/17 "2007-12-22T09:17:21Z")
I celebrated Winter Solstice Observed with **Hamish** and a few friends a couple of days ago, before he went off to BC; tonight I’m vigilling with my boyf – keeping a candle lit until dawn, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-solstice/430856/18 "2007-12-22T14:01:57Z")
Happy Solstice! I’ve been counting down for the last several weeks and I am thrilled it’s finally here. It’s not the cold I mind\*, it’s the _dark_. \*Well, since all of the plumbing in my house has been frozen since Thursday, I actually am annoyed at the cold at the moment. Thaw, goddamn it!