The Winter Solstice is this Sunday, December 21, 2025, at 10:03 a.m.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice is the day with the shortest amount of daylight of the year. It marks the exact moment when half of Earth is tilted the farthest away from the sun.
The word solstice comes from the Latin sol, meaning sun, and sistere meaning to stand still because the change in the sun’s noontime elevation is so slight that the sun’s path across the sky seems to stay the same or stand still. The day after the winter solstice, the sun’s path begins to travel northward again and each day brings a subtle increase in the amount of daylight.
The Winter Solstice a time of release, renewal, hope and new beginnings. The Solstice ceremony is the major releasing ceremony of the year where we can let go of whatever we want or need to. In this letting go, there is space created within us to welcome all that we wish to bring into the new year.
Here are a few simple ways to honour the Winter Solstice this Sunday:
- Light Candles: At the time of the Solstice, or any time during the day, light a candle on your altar if you have one or in a quiet spot in your home. Spend time in quiet contemplation with the flame to reflect on the year, to give gratitude for the passing season and to let go what you want to release. Then offer gratitude for the coming winter and reflect on what you want to bring in for the new cycle ahead.
- Light a Fire: If you have a fireplace or a fire pit outside, light a toasty fire. Spend time appreciating the warmth and illumination of the fire. Release into the fire anything you want to let go of. If it’s something physical and made of materials that don’t burn, bury it once it has cooled down (and the ground has thawed!). If you want to release something that is not a physical object, prepare prayer ties by wrapping a small pinch of tobacco in a cotton cloth (dark purple, indigo, red or natural cloth) and tying it up in a little bundle. Speak silently or aloud what you want to release into the tobacco tie, then burn it in the fire. Use a separate prayer tie for each thing you want to release. You can also make prayer ties for support and to bring something into your life using the same process as the releasing ties. Burn these prayer ties after the releasing ties.
- Have a Feast: Celebrate the Solstice by making a special feast of seasonal foods you enjoy. Enjoy the feast on your own or invite friends and family. Give gratitude for the abundance of the passing season and the returning of the light.
