Winter has arrived at Porter Preserve
December 18: Winter Solstice and the Yule Log
The longest days of darkness are upon us, but the return of light is on the horizon. December 21st is the winter solstice, the day with the shortest amount of daylight we will experience this year. In Boothbay Harbor the sun will rise at 7:09 AM and set at 4:04 PM, giving us light for 8 hours and 54 minutes (and darkness for 15 hours and 6 minutes). The following days the sun begins to set later and later until we reach the Summer Solstice on June 20th when the sun sets at 8:24 PM, and we experience daylight for 15 hours and 28 minutes. Then the return to darkness begins, with the sun setting earlier and earlier until we reach the winter solstice once again.
We are able to endure the lack of light thanks to modern electricity and the invention of the lightbulb, but our ancestors had a great reason to celebrate the winter solstice and the return of daylight. Around the world traditions and festivals developed to recognize this special time in the yearly calendar. Winter solstices throughout history focused on light and warmth through fire, and incorporated natural materials such as evergreens and winter berries that showed persistence in the cold. One such tradition from the past that my family continues today is that of the yule log.
2019 BRLT Babes in the Woods participants make yule logs at Oak Point Farm.
The yule log was originally an entire tree which brought into the house and slowly fed into the open hearth, taking several days to burn. As home heating changed over time, the log got smaller, and in some cases was replaced by a log shaped cake when no fireplace was present. There are many variations of the yule log and the traditions associated with it, but for my family we start with some round pieces of firewood and some string. We then go on a walk and gather dead natural materials from the forest floor such as evergreens, red berries, dried flower stalks, and pinecones.
Once at home, we bundle the natural materials on top of the logs and wrap it with a ribbon to make a festive bundle. One tradition we have followed includes writing down the misgivings of the previous months on a piece of paper, folding it up, and tucking it under the bundle. The thought is that when the yule log burns, so will all of the problems of the past. This seems especially suiting for all that we have endured in 2020, so I am encouraging everyone to do this. Our yule log is displayed until the winter solstice arrives, when we add it to a cozy fire, bringing light and warmth to the shortest day of the year.
