Head talvist pööripäeva❄️!
No, that's not a typo!
Happy winter solstice (aka Head talvist pööripäeva🇪🇪!) my friends and family! I hope you’ve been having a wonderful holiday season so far, filled with lots of cozy rest and laughs with loved ones!
For those that don’t know, my mum’s side of the family is from Estonia, where lots of pagan traditions live on…including the summer and winter solstices which some Estonians consider to be even bigger celebrations than Christmas!
The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year- and that makes for a VERY long night in Estonia: around 18 hours long depending on where exactly you are!
In many cultures (especially Pagan ones!) the winter solstice is also all about celebrating the “death” of the old year and “rebirth” of the sun’s start to longer days! This means it makes it the perfect time to reflect, honour your ancestors, and set intentions for the new year :)!
To give a little more context about Paganism: before Christianity spread across Europe, there were many Pagan rituals paying respect to nature and their corresponding “gods”. If you know anything about current Indigenous traditions, many Pagan rituals have a similar theme: having a deep connection to Mother Earth and her cyclical patterns.
Over the years, Christianity adopted and reframed many of the Indigenous and Pagan rituals, which resulted in many of the traditions we celebrate today! For example: the Christmas tree, Yule log, St.Nick, mistletoe, and even Mexico’s Day of the Dead are all rooted in ancient Pagan traditions!
🎄I may be biased, but I think Estonia is one of the coolest countries to visit in December, because they do a magical job at blending Christmas with Pagan traditions- which results in a very unique holiday experience!! In fact, my time there with my family still remains one of my favourite Christmases to date.
👀Want to know more about some modern winter solstice traditions in Estonia? Then here are some fun facts to grow your brain🧠 and share with your family at Christmas dinner🎅🏻!
Heard of the Yule log? Many Estonians still bring a large log into the house to keep burning throughout the longest night of the year- a symbol of life and the returning sun🪵! You can also write any worries you have on paper and then burn them in the fire!
Although bonfires are more traditional for the summer solstice, some people like to have fires outdoors to ward off bad spirits🔥!
People light candles in their windows (and on graves), as well as leave food out to honour and welcome the spirits of deceased relatives and ancestors back home🕯️!
Speaking of spirits, you are supposed to be very quiet this night so that your “visitors” feel welcome and at peace👻!
Thorough physical and spiritual cleaning is done before the solstice to drive out bad luck for the new year (especially with straw)🧹!
To ensure abundance for the new year, hearty meals of pork, sauerkruat, and blood sausage are enjoyed🍗!
Sauna! Estonians love their sauna routine, and the solstice is no different! Bathing and relaxing in the sauna with your family before the big feast symbolizes purification and renewal🧖🏼♀️!
Some lucky animals are given special treats to ensure good health throughout the winter🐄!
Many Estonians also think this is the perfect night for fortune games about the coming year🔮! Although some wait until the Christian calendar’s New Year, these games were traditionally done on the Pagan New Year.
Curious to read more about everything you need to know about Estonia’s sauna traditions? Click here! Or here if you’d like to read about the UNESCO-listed smoke sauna traditions!
One more thing about this special time of year! We’re also nearing the end of the Chinese Zodiac’s Year of the Snake (February 17th) and Numerology’s “Universal Year 9” (January 1st) - which means there’s an EXTRA collective “shedding” of what no longer serves you. Here are a few end-of-year/winter solstice journal prompts if you’d like to take advantage of this moment!
Am I still holding onto something that no longer supports me?
What limiting beliefs have I outgrown but continue to revisit out of fear or habit?
What would it feel like emotionally in my body to truly let go of what I know I need to?
What have I learned from [this past] season[s] of darkness?
What do I want to bring with me into the new year’s light?
How can I rest during this transition of “shedding” and renewal?
What does it look like to love myself and others more?
What’s ending for me? What’s beginning for me? How do they connect?
Alright! In the spirit of practicing what I preach, I’m taking a little screen time break until 2026 so that I can connect and be more present with my loved ones this holiday season so I’ll see you back here then! Happy holidays✨ and lots of love to you all❤️!
P.S. If you’d like some really great self-care ideas to practice during this busy time of year, I recommend checking out Alex Friedman ‘s latest post on Hot Tip:
