What is Winter Solstice?

What is Winter Solstice?

Folklore, Learning, Winter, Winter Solstice
The Winter Solstice is the day that the earth is tilted the furthest away from the sun and consequently has more hours of darkness and less hours of light then any other day of the year. Every day after the Winter Solstice there is gradually a little more light until the Summer Solstice. The sun is at its lowest point in the sky on the Winter Solstice and shadows become stretched out and longer than usual. Ancient people thought that the sun was dying and being reborn on this day. The Winter Solstice most often falls on December 21st and has long been a day of celebration. In fact, it was a whole season of celebration in ancient times. The time between Winter Solstice and the Twelfth Night was once…
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Yule Hot Cocoa

Yule Hot Cocoa

Recipes, Winter, Winter Solstice
This time of year I will happily drink pretty much any kind of hot chocolate, any time and so will my kids. It is the definition of cozy. Being cozy is practically a religion in my household. That said, it recently occurred to me that I have never made a special Winter Solstice cocoa and that simply won't do! So, to correct this oversight, I present to you my Yule hot cocoa. To make it extra Yule-y I added oranges to coax back the sun, cinnamon and cloves for luck, peace and protection (as well as holiday spice), and a little bit of spruce for the ultimate winter evergreen magic. Evergreens are remarkably citrus-y in flavor too. It’s all topped off with a sun shaped marshmallow dusted with turmeric and…
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