I love Solstice
No, I certainly don't love winter; I rather loathe it. Hope it will be mild this year, as they predict (hope?) But it is good to remember that some festivals we may have reason to hate because of the schlock, mindless overconsumption (or exclusion from any consumption) or interpersonal dynamics have their roots in the natural world. The Summer Solstice is now Aboriginal Peoples' Day, and la Fête nationale du Québec was "La St-Jean", which had its roots in this celebration. Both Solstices involve lights and fire, and gatherings of family and friends (and frenemies, and the family equivalent)... Food and Drink (sometimes too much)... song, stories, defying the terrors nature held for people in earlier times.
I've found Joyeux Solstice references among French secularists a long time ago (remember, they had it in for their "own" Church, nothing to do with the perversion of secularism among certain Front national "identitaire" types).
I was looking over the origins of Christmas and found this enlightenment. I think I like Birth of the Unconquered Sun.
http://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/the-f...
Yes, that was very enlightening in terms of the adoption and "Christianisation" of the Solstice festival.
Happy Solstice!
Nice thought for the season: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40E4Cj9IE4I Buffy Ste-Marie's version of UB40'S "Sing our own song".
Sing Our Own Song
We’re done with colonial control and we rejoice in our own cultures.
I modified the words of UB40’s original great anti-apartheid song.The powwow sample is from the astounding traditional drum group Northern Cree; ki chi migwetch, my Brothers.
Sing Our Own Song
© Words & Music UB40 (1986). Modified words Buffy Sainte-Marie (2014). Sample Northern Cree Singers.
The great flood of tears that we’ve cried
For our brothers and sisters who’ve died
Over five hundred years has washed away our fears
And strengthened our pride, now we turn back the tide
We will no longer hear your command
We will slide your control from our lands
Re-direct the flame of our anger and pain
And pity the shame
For what you do in God’s name.
We will stand for the right to be free
We will rebuild our own society
And we will sing, we will sing
We will sing our own song
When the ancient drum rhythms ring
The voice of our forefathers sings
The will to live will beat on, we will no longer be pawns
to greed and to war
We will be Idle No More
We will stand for the right to be free
We will build our own society
And we will sing, we will sing
We will sing our own song
When the ancient drum rhythms ring
The voice of our grandmothers sings
Native America run, we will no longer succumb
to oil and ore, we will be Idle No More
We will stand for the right to be free
We will build our own society
And we will sing, we will sing
We will sing our own song
We will teach about the right to be free
We will build our own society
And we will sing, we will sing
We will sing our own song
Dance dance for the right to be free
We will build our own society
And we will sing, we will sing
We will sing our own song
And occupy for the right to be free
We will rebuild a just society
And we will sing, we will sing
We will sing our own song
Amandla a-way-thu
I'm glad that I don't have to buy anyone any Solstice gifts ("A healing crystal! Thank you!!").
But in the spirit of the "I Hate Christmas" threads, I'll suggest that if the birth of the Jeebus-Child is a poor excuse for a celebration, so is the fact that the Earth has an elliptical orbit.
To a non-Druid, non-hippie, celebrating the furthest orbital moment of the Earth from the Sun is a bit like celebrating that a square has four corners.
Happy Solstice anyway, though. Sorry to go full-Spock.
Magoo, notice that I did not submit anything Druidy or Wiccan. I don't like that stuff any more than the Abrahamic Monotheisms.
I certainly don't "celebrate" the elliptical orbit. However, it exists, and it is a NATURAL phenomenon that has fascinated - and terrified - humans as long as we've been humans. And that is the materialist basis of the current "Festive Season".
The Idle No More song (and the earlier Amandla version) are just about people taking control of their own destiny.
Beautiful, thank you lagatta.
Here it comes. A great rendition of this song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muFOeZSIC2U