Amber called her uncle, said, "We're up here for the holiday
Jane and I were having Solstice, now we need a place to stay"
And her Christ-loving uncle watched his wife hang Mary on a tree
He watched his son hang candy canes all made with red dye number three
He told his niece, "It's Christmas Eve. I know our life is not your style"
She said, "Christmas is like Solstice, and we miss you, and it's been a while"
So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able
And just before the meal was served, hands were held and prayers were said
Sending hope for peace on earth to all their gods and goddesses
The food was great, the tree plugged in, the meal had gone without a hitch
Till Timmy turned to Amber and said, "Is it true that you're a witch?"
His mom jumped up and said, "The pies are burning!" and she hit the kitchen
And it was Jane who spoke. She said, "It's true your cousin's not a Christian
But we love trees, we love the snow, the friends we have, the world we share
And you find magic from your God, and we find magic everywhere"
So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able
And where does magic come from? I think magic's in the learning
'Cause now when Christians sit with Pagans, only pumpkin pies are burning
When Amber tried to do the dishes, her aunt said, "Really, no, don't bother"
Amber's uncle saw how Amber looked like Tim and like her father
He thought about his brother, how they hadn't spoken in a year
He thought he'd call him up and say, "It's Christmas, and your daughter's here"
He thought of fathers, sons, and brothers, saw his own son tug his sleeve
Saying, "Can I be a Pagan?" Dad said, "We'll discuss it when they leave"
So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able
Lighting trees in darkness, learning new ways from the old
And making sense of history and drawing warmth out of the cold
~ Dar Williams
Today marks the shortest day of the year. Or if you prefer, the longest night. Or you can call it the first day of winter. I prefer Winter Solstice. Often thought of as a "pagan holiday," which tends to make it seem improper to other religions, I like to think of it as a "holiday" that we can ALL celebrate, regardless of our religion or ethnicity or traditions. To be fair, recognition of the holiday depends on which hemisphere you inhabit. If you are in the Northern hemisphere, today is Winter Solstice! But if you are in the Southern hemisphere, you will have to wait until June. Sorry. (I did get to celebrate Summer Solstice four years ago when I was traveling in Australia in December. Strange, but cool!)
Paganism is a term used to label those who practice polytheism (worship of multiple deities, such as gods and goddesses). Dating back to the early 4th century, the term was used by Christians in a derogatory fashion to dismiss those who had not accepted Christ as their savior. And it seems that the stigma survived. Pagans are often put in a basket with witches and warlocks and heathens, groups that probably would not be able to gain admission to Sam's Club or the local YMCA or PTA. (But I could be wrong on that, so don't quote me.)
In Dar Williams' cleverly told story, it is possible to discover that we have more in common than we think, despite our religious (or non) affiliations. We all want peace on earth, don't we? A popular choice when Dar performs, the song can be found on 1996's Mortal City. Although her focus in the song is Christians and Pagans, I can imagine the song being about 'The Republicans and the Democrats" or "The Conservatives and the Liberals" or "The Rappers and the Rockers." I repeat, we all want peace on earth, right?
Winter Solstice is special to me. For many years, my husband and I celebrated both Winter and Summer Solstice with our dear friends, Jim and Lois. We'd met up for drinks after work one afternoon many years ago, and it happened to have been on Winter Solstice. We made a vow then to get together every solstice. "The long and the short of it," Jim quipped. Pete and I were in charge of Summer Solstice, which involved finding a place to go and footing the bill. Jim and Lois were in charge of Winter Solstice. Every year, we upped the ante a bit. One memorable Winter Solstice was the one in which we were picked up in a limousine, driven to a famous seafood restaurant in New York City, and then seated in the fifth row for a performance by the Paul Winter Consort at St. John's Cathedral. Memorable!
I carried my reverence for Winter Solstice into my teaching, celebrating the afternoon with my Creative Writing students. We enjoyed poetry, musical performances, and food and beverages in the school's library. It was my favorite day of the school year!
However you celebrate the shortest day, imbue it with peace and love and tolerance. And those attributes can apply even without a celebration. Namaste!
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