Winter Solstice 2025
December 21st (12/21) is a special day. For all of us, it is the Solstice (Winter/Summer, depending on your hemisphere), representing the turning point of light/dark. In the Northern Hemisphere, the days begin to gradually get longer, whereas it’s the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere. Personally, it's also a day that represents both birth and death, as well as light and dark. I was born on the Winter Solstice. My Dad also died on the Solstice, 4 years ago. For many, it could seem tragic to have a parent’s death day also be the birth day. However, for me, especially given it’s on the Winter Solstice, it feels appropriate. It’s the turning point– the one day out of 365 when the days begin to get longer and longer, until the Summer Solstice (which intentionally is my wedding day). Having the most extreme moments of life (birth & death) shared on the same day reminds me even more to celebrate what it is to be alive. As I’ve said before, life is unpredictable. For me, the Winter Solstice is another reminder to honor the gift of being alive.
This year, I’m turning one of those big numbers that ends in a zero. I am generally not one to have big birthday parties, but this is a different year. According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2025 was the Year of the Wood Snake – the year of transformation: shedding and releasing old ways and patterns. Instead of privately celebrating my birthday, I have chosen to use it as an excuse to bring some of my favorite people together – not to celebrate me per se, but as an excuse to be together and celebrate being alive! This year, there is a DJ, dancing, cake, and most significantly, time with those most important in my life.
Whenever I have completed another Solar Return, it is an opportune moment to reflect on the closing year. What were some of my highlights, lowlights, and challenges? Where did I grow? Where am I heading? What did I learn this year, and who am I becoming? Over the recent years, I’ve taken this time to literally write myself a birthday card. Let’s face it – no matter how well those closest to you know you, you still know yourself best! You know with painstaking detail and intimacy, the feelings and experiences of the prior year. Don’t get me wrong, I love receiving birthday cards from friends and family, but I really love to write a birthday card to myself. I carve out time to sit down with a card, my favorite pen, a candle, a cup of tea, some calming music playing, and if I’m lucky, a fire roaring – it is Winter for me after all! It also becomes the best birthday gift to yourself – to reread prior years cards to help remember where you’ve been!
Life moves fast. Culture has trained us to perpetually look ahead – what’s next? Where are we going? What goals are we striving for? For me, my birthday is a beautiful opportunity to slow down and spend some time gazing through the rearview mirror. What are some small moments that could have been easily overlooked and gone unnoticed, yet had an outsized impact? What were the immeasurable, intangible lessons, insights, and things I want to take note of and carry into the next year? We are really good at noticing and marking the BIG things, but I’m a firm believer that small moments deserve attention too. In fact, as a birthday gift for me this year, I’d love it if you notice your own small moments every day that bring a smile to your face and warmth to your heart.
This season has become too tainted by consumption, shopping, and material things. I am here to remind us that it’s actually most often the small, free, intangible, and non-material things that bring us the most joy. A smile with a stranger. A knowing glance. A hug. Those friends with whom you can bring your whole self forward. Seeing the sun make everything sparkle like diamonds after a fresh snow. The honking sound of flying geese who instinctively know exactly what they need to do, where they’re going, and how to get there without any high-tech systems. To me, these are some of the easily missed moments that bring warmth and joy to my heart. Slowing down enough to notice the small things helps me feel fully alive.
I wish you a holiday season filled with love, time with those special people in your life, and small moments that bring a smile to your face. I recognize it can also be a time of mourning for those no longer with us. Light a candle for them, knowing they live on in your heart. Onwards to longer days.
