Midwinter – Wineberry Woods

27Jan 2026 by catbird No Comments

Simmer Pot Cake

The doldrums of winter can start to feel overwhelming. It’s dark, it’s cold, I am completely tired of chipping ice out of the chicken’s water every morning. It’s time for a pick-me-up. Midwinter is a time for rest and rebirth. Storing up energy in preparation for spring. It’s no secret that I love a simmer pot in the winter, and I have written extensively on their benefits, but this recipe takes it a step further and essentially makes a simmer pot that you can eat! The first step is to slow cook oranges and spices, just like you would with a simmer pot. It will warm the air, lift your mood, and make your house smell like oranges and spice. I like the idea of setting intentions and then consuming them,…

16May 2024 by catbird No Comments

“Mother Holle”

Craft Project, Folklore, Learning, Midwinter, Picture Book Buds, Recipes, Winter

Picture Book Buds are a fun and easy way to incorporate literacy into nature study. Read a book (you can even read it outside!) and then enjoy the related activity and snack suggestions! Mother Holle Written by: The Grimm Brothers & Illustrated by: John Stewig Mother Holle is a classic Grimm’s fairytale in which a mistreated step sister falls down a magical well to a fairy realm where she is rewarded for being kind to Mother Holle with gold. (There is of course also a “bad” sister who does everything wrong and is punished in proper Grimm fashion.) The moral of the story is that “industrious children are rewarded and lazy children are punished” although I like to view it in a more modern sense- that kindness is rewarded. Mother Holle…

28Jan 2024 by catbird No Comments

Hibernating Bear Countdown Clock

Craft Project, Folklore, Midwinter, Nature Art, Winter

A few years ago I read about a folktale in passing that completely captivated me. It said that bears hibernating in their dens turn over on Midwinter. I spent years trying to track down this folktale, and finally determined it is a Norwegian story. I still haven't found a text, but I have done a ton of research and written my own retelling. (More on that later) In Celtic tradition this time of year is called Imbolc and in that climate people are starting to see signs of spring. In many other parts of the world, mine included, Midwinter is the dead of winter with the worst still to come. I like to call this holiday Midwinter, not just because it is the secular names, but because it is so…

28Jan 2024 by catbird 1 Comment

What is Midwinter?

Craft Project, Folklore, Midwinter, Winter

Midwinter is a celebration halfway between the Winter Solstice (the official start of winter) and the Spring Equinox (the official start of spring.) It is a time that straddles between winter and spring. The date changes slightly from year to year, but is generally on or around February 2nd. It is what is known as a “cross quarter” day on the Wheel of the Year. These days are seasonal midpoints in between the “quarters” or solstices/ equinoxes. This celebration in the dead of winter is about looking forward to spring, and while it often doesn’t feel that way, the days are steadily getting longer and brighter and the earth is slowly waking up from its slumber. Deep underground seeds are just beginning to think about stirring. Sap is starting to…

28Jan 2024 by catbird 1 Comment

Brigid Weaving

Craft Project, Midwinter, Nature Collection, Winter

Brigid's crosses are a traditional thing to make this time of year in Ireland and the UK. They are part of the observance of Imbolc which is one of the many names and traditions surrounding Midwinter. I have never really gotten very into these because crosses aren't my thing, but upon further research they almost certainly predate the cross as a Christian symbol and were just repurposed by the church when the goddess Brigid became a saint. Most people recognize the four armed version, but there are literally hundreds of different ways to make these little weavings, many of which are hyper local to specific areas and towns. Most frequently they are made with rushes or straw, but the material used can also change depending on the area. I like…

08Jan 2024 by catbird 1 Comment

Fun Ways to Study and Celebrate Hibernation!

Craft Project, Hibernation Celebration, Midwinter, Play, Recipes, STEAM, Winter

Five fun ways to celebrate hibernation in winter. Save for later!

01Sep 2023 by catbird No Comments

Hunt for Animal Tracks

Hike Ideas, Midwinter, Play, Winter, Winter Solstice

Whether you have snow or mud, winter is a great time to hunt for animal tracks. The lack of underbrush makes them much easier to spot. Younger friends will likley just be excited to find and identify some tracks, but older friends might enjoy tracking the paths the prints take and trying to reconstruct what the animal might have been doing and or where it is living. We spent literally hours following those raccoon tracks around the forest and mapped out what we hypothesized was a whole community of raccoons. They went to the water, they went to different trees that appeared to have dwellings in them, it was pretty fascinating. Another fun step would be to draw and illustration or write a story about what you found, in our…

21Jan 2023 by catbird 2 Comments

Garden Planning with Kids at Midwinter

Garden, Learning, Midwinter

Midwinter is when I start to organize and sort through my seeds. In the fall when I’m harvesting everything I’m more focused on collection than organization. During the winter solstice season I take a break and by midwinter I’m usually itching to jump back in and sort seeds, plan gardens and look through all the seed catalogs. This is the snowiest time of year in my area and not at all the time to start seeds, but it’s the best time to dream and scheme for spring which is honestly one of the best parts. It’s also the time of year that I invariably find a bunch of random bags and jars of unlabeled plant parts that I swore I would remember the purpose of but which I promptly forgot.…

21Jan 2023 by catbird 5 Comments

Frost Lanterns

Craft Project, Frost Moon, Full Moon, Midwinter, Nature Art

Midwinter is a snowy sleepy time. The days are 42 minutes longer and brighter than then were on the Winter Solstice, but they don't really feel like it yet. In one of my favorite winter nature books, Grandmother Winter, Grandmother shakes her down comforter out and the feathers become snow. This image is actually drawn from the Grimm's fairytale Frau Holle, which itself is drawn from a much earlier myth. In early Germanic and Nordic folklore, Frau Holle controlled the weather and kept children safe in the winter. In modern lexicon she is a kindly old woman who makes it snow by shaking out her quilts. I like the idea of a sweet old woman who makes snow and looks after children. It follows to me that giving children lanterns…

19Jan 2023 by catbird 2 Comments

Midwinter Nature Activities for Kids

Bath & Body, Craft Project, Midwinter, Nature Art, Recipes, Winter

Ten ways to celebrate the Midwinter with kids!! Pin for later! Click the pictures below for more info. (Tutorials for the candles and moon milk will be in my upcoming Midwinter guide!) Midwinter is an inward facing, puttering kind of celebration, in contrast to all of the pomp of the December holidays. It’s cleaning out the old and looking forward to the new-- spring, new gardens and days filled with light all while staying cozy and warm. You can celebrate by making soap, candles, tidying the house, pouring over seed catalogs, laying out garden plans, forcing branches or making traditional foods with milk, honey and seeds. It's a great time to practice hygge, taking pleasure in slower, simple things.

Category: Midwinter