Once upon a time in a small village nestled deep in the heart of the enchanted forest, there lived a young girl named Lily. She was known throughout the village for her vibrant imagination and creativity. Lily loved to spend her days exploring the woods, creating stories in her mind, and playing with her collection of wooden dolls. These were no ordinary dolls, however. Each one had been handcrafted by Lily's grandfather, using a special kind of magic that he had learned from his ancestors. The dolls seemed to come to life whenever Lily held them in her hands, their wooden limbs moving with a grace and elegance that could only be described as otherworldly.

Winter Solstice: the myths and cultural celebrations surrounding it

Throughout the ages, the sun, an essential factor in our survival, has played a prominent role in our way of life, beliefs and celebrations.

Our days, months and years are defined by the warmth and light it provides. As such, it’s not surprising that there are so many legends and festivals about the star that many ancient communities believed to be a goddess.

Meteorologically, we equate colder days and darker evenings with winter’s arrival. But astronomically, the season doesn’t start until the Winter Solstice.

The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. This year, it falls on Wednesday, December 21.

It is named after the Latin words “sol” and “sistere”, which mean “sun” and “to stand”, referring to the day the sun stands still.

The dolls seemed to come to life whenever Lily held them in her hands, their wooden limbs moving with a grace and elegance that could only be described as otherworldly. Lily had a favorite doll, a beautiful princess with flowing golden hair and a gown adorned with tiny crystals. Every day, she would sit by the brook, dressing her doll in different outfits and pretending they were attending grand balls and royal banquets.

Myths and legends about the Winter Solstice

In ancient times, tribes of people in the northern hemisphere knew that winter meant dying crops, freezing temperatures and short days.

However, without the necessary scientific knowledge, they weren’t able to decipher what was causing the sun to appear less. As such, they created their own legends and beliefs around it.

The sun was always seen as a feminine figure. The pre-Islamic southern Arabians called her Atthar. In Mesopotamia, she was Arinna, the Queen of Heaven. To the Vikings, she was Sol, to the Inuit the sun was Sun Sister — and the list goes on.

Some Nordic communities believed that the Winter Solstice was when their goddesses would give birth, bringing more light into our darkened world. That is why they called it “mothers’ night”.

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The belief was prominent in other ancient nations, too. According to myths, the Egyptian goddess Isis’s son Horas and the Greek goddess’s son Apollo were both born on the Winter Solstice.

In Finnish mythology, the legend explained that Louhi, the witch goddess of the North, kidnapped the sun and moon, and held them captive inside a mountain, causing the dark days of winter.

In the Scottish Highlands, they called the Winter Solstice “Grian-stad Geamhraidh”, meaning “sun-stop winter”. They believed that the winter was brought on by a hag-goddess named Cailleach.

She was described as a scary woman with long, white hair who was so much bigger than humans that the waters of the Sound of Mull would come up to only her knees.

To get rid of her and the cold weather she brought, Scots would carve her likeness into a wooden log and burn it, hoping it would banish her and lead to brighter times ahead.

According to Greek legends, however, the hairy, gnome-like creatures called Kallikantzaros, who live underground, love the winter and don’t want it to come to an end.

These beings can’t be exposed to sunlight as it kills them. Therefore, for most of the year, they are busy sawing the trunk of the world tree underground, hoping to collapse it with our planet.

But during winter, for a few days, it is dark enough for them to come out and cause mischief, making them forget all about their evil plan to end life as we know it.

As such, the myth says they wreak havoc until Epiphany in early January, when the sun starts moving again and they must go back into hiding.

This is when they realise that the world tree has healed itself during their absence, so they start their sawing all over again until the same cycle occurs next winter.

People come together at special sites such as Newgrange in Ireland and Stonehenge in England to mark the day each year

The doll's name was Seraphina, and she became Lily's best friend and confidante. One day, while Lily was playing with Seraphina by the brook, a mischievous little sprite named Thistle appeared. Thistle was known for his tricks and pranks, but he had never come this close to Lily before. Intrigued by Lily's magical dolls, Thistle hatched a plan to steal them away, thinking they would make a great addition to his collection of magical curiosities. Late in the night, when everyone was asleep, Thistle crept into Lily's bedroom and snatched the dolls from their shelf. Laughing to himself, he scampered back to his hiding place deep in the heart of the woods. When Lily woke up the next morning, she was devastated to find her beloved dolls missing. She searched high and low, but they were nowhere to be found. Frustrated and upset, she vowed to find the dolls and bring them back home. With a determined gleam in her eyes, Lily set out on a daring adventure through the enchanted forest. She encountered all sorts of magical creatures, from talking animals to ancient spirits. Each one had a piece of advice or a clue to help her on her quest. After many days of searching, Lily finally stumbled upon Thistle's secret hideaway. It was nestled in a grove of ancient trees, hidden from prying eyes. Peeking through a crack in the door, Lily saw her dolls sitting on a shelf, untouched but surrounded by Thistle's collection of stolen treasures. Taking a deep breath, Lily pushed open the door and entered the room. Thistle squealed in surprise, dropping the artifact he was studying. Lily stood tall, looking at Thistle with a stern expression. "These dolls belong to me," she said, her voice steady and firm. "They are not toys to be stolen and kept hidden away." Thistle, realizing the error of his ways, bowed his head in shame. He apologized to Lily and promised to never steal again. Grateful for his change of heart, Lily forgave him and asked for her dolls back. With her beloved dolls safely in her arms, Lily returned home to the village. The villagers rejoiced at her return and celebrated her bravery. From that day forward, Lily's creations became famous throughout the land, and she became known as the girl who brought the wooden dolls to life. In the end, Lily learned that true magic lies not in the dolls themselves, but in the power of imagination and the love that is poured into creating something special. Through her adventure, she discovered the importance of forgiveness, friendship, and staying true to oneself. And she knew that as long as she had her dolls and her imagination, she would always be able to create magic wherever she went..

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