I'm a recovering Catholic (Cathliholic), so, besides the manic Frenzy of Consumerism that permeates our "Entitled" Culture, the Holiday Season still has lots of cool childhood and adolescent memories for me.
The Midnight Mass in a Dark and Cold Church with all the back-lit beautiful 1950's stained glass, glowing from the beaming headlights of the arriving cars just outside the Church; in the grainy wooden vestibule, hundreds of candles lighting the arriving patrons from waist level, like those old Horror Movies, adding an almost spooky quality to people's faces; the Priests in their Purple and Gold, colorful metallic-fibered robes, appearing like Primitive but Lofty Roman Alchemists, and the alter-boys, like me, in our requisite black and white garb, all looking like Pagan Ritualists; the Stations of the Cross, signifying one of the many sad Processions in the history of man's most idiotic, fearful, and ignorant behavior; and finally, the Latin - which I personally think is the coolest part - being chanted like Ancient Magical Incantations, praying for Understanding, Tolerance and Peace in a better world.
In retrospect, it seems so Wiccan-ish Witch-Pagan-like cool.
I think the Solstice is a Wonderful Holiday (read: Full of Wonder). I can only imagine with incredible awe, early man realizing on this day so many years ago, that this seemingly unrelenting freeze was not the end of the world at all. When that brilliant Shaman who envisioned that Winter was just part of a bigger repeating sequence of events, had figured out a truly astounding thing: The Cycle of Life on Earth.
December 21st is the day that, anything just short of a global Armageddon, is the benchmark, the "been-running-up-this-damn-hill-and-am-just-about-to-go-over-the-summit" point where the days will now inch themselves the tiniest bit ahead to the day that is just slightly longer than the day before.
December 22nd is the first day in 6 long months that the daylight hours, rather than losing a little precious nurturing sunlight every day, start taking that small step forward to longer days. Just an infinitesimally minimal increment in this World-Wide amazing cycle towards the time when the days get even longer and warmer, the flowers bloom vibrant warm color once again in a fertile land, the crops grow prodigal and anew, and fruit fill the trees and bellies of ancient man.
An Ancient Magical Incantation: