Solstice Celebration, Old Forge

The community’s annual Winter Solstice Celebration will be on Friday, December 20 starting at 4 pm at the Old Forge Library.

Community members of all ages are invited to meet in the Community Room at the library to make pinecone bird feeders with neighbors and friends. All materials will be provided. The natural birdfeeders are a gift to our feathered friends on the shortest day of the year. At 4:30 pm, the celebration will move outside and continue with fire and lights. The participants will reflect on togetherness while focusing on the symbolic return of light and the coming longer days, fostering a sense of community and connection.

Cultures around the world have long celebrated the winter solstice.

Since Neolithic times, people have marked the solstice with ceremonies and offerings that mark the symbolic death and rebirth of the Sun. The gradual waning of daylight hours is reversed and begins to grow again. Fire and light are traditional symbols of festivities held on the darkest day of the year.

The library has planned this year’s celebration with friends and neighbors at Weaving Home. It is an opportunity to gather, celebrate and encourage people to connect, share experiences, support one another and work towards common goals, fostering a strong sense of belonging and unity regardless of our differences.

Those wishing to participate are invited to bring lights, and to dress for the weather, as the solstice ceremony is held outside.