From a magical tree, Van Atta's Greenhouse, 2009. Please visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for all of this week's Pink Saturday participants.Our Pink Saturday challenge this week is to talk about our favorite December holiday decorations and why.
It seems as though I'm wild about Christmas -- and I am. But you'll hear about that all month. So today I thought I'd share another holiday that really touches me -- the Solstice. And with that comes my Solstice Tree, filled with suns, moons and stars.
In ways that remind me of Thanksgiving, the Solstice is not a holiday of gifts but one of reflection. As we make way for the light literally, we are also looking at the light as a metaphor.
Those of us who crave the light, knowing that we have reached the darkest night of the year and all days henceforth are "brighter," find the day brings with it a deeper meaning.
The Solstice has been honored in tradition for centuries, often thought of as a pagan holiday.
But I find it more than that. I find it symbolic to my personal well being. I am a woman of the light. I shut down in the dark.
And as the Solstice passes, and return to the light, I hum one of my favorite Beatles songs -- "Here Comes the Sun."
And it's all right.So, I decorate my little Solstice tree with its sun, mood and stars.
And I smile.(I have to say, this was tough because most of my decorations are significant -- either because they are of family, they were something given to me or something I chose because I loved it so much! I have lots of trees -- the "great big everything" tree, the cat tree, the white winter wonderland tree, the new pink tree, little kitchen trees, the bigger kitchen tree (which is really in the family room), the tree in honor of my dad, the snowman tree, the angel tree... you get the idea!
But the Solstice is truly symbolic to me. And I just love it!
Please visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound to see other Pink Saturday participants on this theme!
16 comments:
What a nice reflection on LIGHT!
Happy PINK...Lorena
Very appealing ornaments! Is the solstice tree a true descendant of the ancestors of the modern Christmas tree?
LOVE your solstice ornaments!! And I love the idea of having a solstice tree.
I love the solstice tree, and have been thinking about how to celebrate the solstice more and here I have my answer. Next year I am having a solstice tree. I'll spend the year finding wonderful ornaments for it. Thank you so much for the idea. This year I have my big Real tree with all the years of ornaments and a smaller fake tree of all birds. My family humors me in having the two trees but now I think hmm I should be able to have a few more..
Kate
What a lovely post, your suns are all so sweet and have such detail. Happy Sat.
Marie @ Lemondrop ViNtAge
OK, that does it! We're sisters of sorts, I'm sure, based on all these "sun" pictures - I have a collection of suns and one or two of the same designs you've pictured here!
Can't wait 'til we visit one each other but in the meantime, I think Indianapolis would be perfect.
I won't catch up on reading all the past posts but will try to be a tiptop December reader (and maybe post a thing or two myself.)
What to do first? wrap? craft?
I'll email you a picture of the silent auction basket that "we" put together, as well!
Cheers!
I love your little snow people below....they're just too wonderful, especially when there are lots of them together....like a village :)
and lucky you to be in love with ornaments and the love of the holiday...i'm still not there.....
warm hugs to you....
We don't need elaborate decorations or a big tree or numerous gifts under a tree. All any of us needs is to carry the spirit of Christmas in our hearts and to share it all year long with everyone we meet.
Thank you so much for sharing your blog with me today. Yes, I'm crazy about ♥PINK♥ but I'm also devoted to visiting some of the nicest blogs in cyberspace.
Hoping your weekend is filled with peace.
You're like my sister with your multiple trees. It's wonderful that you can proliferate Christmas this way, since you love it so much. What a great idea to have a Solstice tree!!
I'm thinking of you at the show! I hope it goes very well.
Oops I thought I was leaving a comment at my blog. :|
Mary Chapin Carpenter has a song called "The Longest Night of the Year" that is one of my favorites this time of the year. I agree with you about Winter Solstice.
I will never forget the day that a "friend" came to a winter solstice/Christmas party at my home, and called me a pagan! I had to laugh.
I love this tree - what a lovely idea, and so wonderfully, cheerfully, you! I think I could have these sunny, smiling, ornaments hanging around all year. A good reminder of all the wonderful things, and light at the end of the tunnel, and tomorrow is another day, and brighter days ahead:
"The sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but shines into the eye and the heart of the child." R.W. Emerson
That is very cool!
What lovely ornaments. I love pink - the first photos is very pretty.
Hey, you know that skinny gold moon in the background of your third to last picture? Is it glass? If yes, I had that same ornament. I loved it so much that I cried when I dropped it and it broke. I think I still have the pieces somewhere.
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