Winter Solstice Around the World

Winter Solstice in ancient Rome

Western culture owes many of its midwinter traditional celebrations, including Christmas and the Winter Solstice festival, to Saturnalia, the ancient Roman festival dedicated to Saturn, the god of agriculture and time. This celebration originally began as a one-day event in December and later expanded into a week-long party that lasted from December 17 to 24. Over time, during these Roman festivities, the social norms of Roman society were eroded and replaced by gambling, drinking, revelry, and gift-giving.

Winter Solstice in Scandinavia

Lighting a fire to ward off spirits during the longest night of the year is a very ancient tradition in the Scandinavian peninsula, combined with the celebration of St. Lucia, forming one of the most beautiful annual festivals in this geographical region. St. Lucia's Night is the longest night of the year, and on St. Lucia's Day, thousands of candles are lit. The St. Lucia Festival is held in honor of Lucia, a Christian saint, on December 13th, in all cities of Sweden and Scandinavian countries such as Finland, Denmark, and Norway. A woman dressed in white with her hair down and a crown full of candles walks through the streets, accompanied by followers, who are usually women holding candles. Three little boys wearing star-shaped hats symbolize the three wise men that announced the birth of Christ and join this procession. The word "Lucia" means light and the essence of this festival signifies how St. Lucia overcame darkness and brought light. St. Lucia's Day is celebrated at home with coffee, saffron bread, and cinnamon cookies.

Winter Solstice in