Winter Solstice and Christmas Spirit: meaning, origin and how to live it consciously

A bit of context: Winter Solstice and Yule

The winter solstice happens when the Sun reaches its lowest point in the sky of the Northern Hemisphere, creating the longest night and shortest day of the year. The word “solstice” comes from the Latin solstitium, meaning “the Sun stands still.”
In many ancient cultures, especially among the peoples of northern Europe, this moment was celebrated as the festival of Yule — a pagan winter feast associated with the rebirth of light amid the darkness.
Over time, many of these traditions blended with later celebrations, including the Christian Christmas. From there come symbols like candles, fire, wreaths, feasts, and the ideas of rebirth, closing cycles, and kindling new hope.

Winter solstice traditions around the world

• Yule (Norse Tradition): The Vikings celebrated 12 days dedicated to Thor and Freyr, burning the Yule log to ward off darkness.

• Saturnalia (Roman Tradition): Festivities where social roles were temporarily reversed, accompanied by banquets and gift-giving.

• Inti Raymi (Incan Tradition): Though celebrated in June in the Southern Hemisphere, this festival honors the Sun God with dances, offerings, and sacred ceremonies.

• Tōji (Japanese Tradition): Baths with yuzu (a citrus fruit) for purification, and the Hoshi Matsuri ritual to wish for health.

• Stonehenge (England): Thousands gather at this prehistoric monument, designed to align perfectly with the solstice.

The Spirit of Christmas in Venezuela: tradition, family, and intention

In Venezuela (and several Latin American countries), December 21st is known as the arrival of the Spirit of Christmas. Though it has pagan roots and is not directly part of Christian tradition, for many families it has become a special day to:

• Gather at home with family and friends.

• Prepare a table with fruits, colorful candles, cinnamon, and spices.

• Fill the house with the scent of tangerine.

• Write a list of wishes for the coming year.

• Burn or symbolically release the previous year’s list.

• Give gifts to children.

For me, December 21st was never about cacao rituals, women’s circles, or the “new spirituality” aesthetics that flood Instagram today. It was something simpler and deeper: being truly present with those you love, remembering what’s essential, sharing the table with an open heart, and giving thanks without filters.
That day was a small, private portal between what is leaving and what is arriving. A pause before the noise of Christmas Eve and New Year’s. A moment to look at the year with honesty, to be grateful for what happened, and to put into words what the heart longs for.

Winter solstice rituals: beyond the Instagram trend

Today, the winter solstice has become filled with “social media–perfect” rituals — elaborate ceremonies, aligned crystals, photogenic practices that can be beautiful but often pull us away from the essence when we focus only on the empty form.
For me, the winter solstice and the Spirit of Christmas remind us of something very simple:

• Make space: clean, organize, release what no longer resonates.

• Renew energy: change something in your home, your routine, your mindset.

• Remember the essential: shared meals, laughter, honest conversations.

• Be grateful: for what came, what left, and what you still don’t understand.

It’s not about performing the “perfect Pinterest ritual” or following 20 steps to “activate cosmic portals.”
It’s about genuine presence: being fully there — in your body, your home, your everyday life — honoring with honesty what no longer serves you and consciously welcoming what is being born.

How to live this winter solstice / Spirit of Christmas

Here are some simple yet meaningful ideas:

1. Write a closure list: what ends in you this year (habits, relationships, patterns).

2. Write your wishes for the new cycle: not only material things but inner states too.

3. Create a simple altar or table with fruit, a candle, spices, something citrus (tangerine, orange), and something that symbolizes prosperity for you.

4. Light a candle with the intention of bringing light into the new cycle.

5. If it feels right, burn your old list or a piece of paper where you’ve written what you choose to release.

6. Above all, share — a meal, a call, a hug.

Final reflection: beyond the name, the essence

Call it winter solstice, Yule, or Spirit of Christmas.
What matters is not the name, the country, or the belief system.
What matters is making space — letting go of something old, honoring what’s closing, and allowing new light to enter your life.
Traditions shape us, yes, but our energy changes too, and with it, the way we celebrate.

Maybe this year you don’t need so many things on the table — just more truth in your heart.
Maybe you don’t need a big ritual — only a real moment with yourself and those you love.

However you experience it, may this winter solstice bring you what we often forget amid all the noise:
The simple and profound gratitude of being here, alive, crossing another turning of the wheel.
Honor what you’ve lived, give thanks for what you’ve learned, even in the painful moments. Look at your loved ones aware that perhaps not everyone will be here next year. Value their presence now, and be thankful for their health — and yours — even if it’s not perfect.

Less noise, more presence. Less pressure, more heart.
Because, in the end, the real ritual is this: to be here, now, inhabiting your life with honesty, joy, and gratitude.

Blessings to you and your family.
Happy Winter Solstice and happy Spirit of Christmas Day.
May light and high-frequency energies awaken in your life in every possible way, and may the Creator Father cover you, guide you, and sustain you in every new cycle. 🕯️✨