Winter Solstice
[Millview, January 2020]
Winter Now - Samuel Longfellow
‘Tis winter now; the fallen snow
Has left the heav’ns all coldly clear;
Though leafless boughs the sharp winds blow,
And all the earth lies dead and drear.
And yet God’s love is not withdrawn;
His life within the keen air breathes;
His beauty paints the crimson dawn,
And clothes the boughs with glittering wreaths.
“O come, Thou Dayspring from on high, And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh; Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death’s dark shadows put to flight. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!”
For the Northern Hemisphere, December 21st marks the Winter Solistice - the “shortest day” of the year and the beginning of a new season. How fitting that the day with the least daylight falls just before Christmastide. A foreshadowing of the feast to come where we celebrate the light breaking into the darkness.
Genesis 1:14 “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:”
Genesis 8:22 “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
A Winter Favorite - Mulled Cranberry Juice
2 tablespoons of mulling spices
double-layer cheesecloth and string
1/2 gallon of Cranberry Juice
Place spices in the cheesecloth and secure with string. Place juice and spice pouch into a pot, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low for about half an hour. Discard the spice pouch, and serve.