I just wrote a LONG entry and accidentally pressed the "Clear entries" button! Argh!

Anyway, I do Solstice, Christmas, and everything else that comes up to celebrate. Like Brett I honor all the celebrations that shine a light of hope in the darkness of the time of year.

However, there are ways to make Solstice look a bit different, if that's important. One way is to use colors other than red and green, such as blue (for the night sky) and gold (for the Light, and for the sun, moon and stars).
I know someone who uses twelve gold balls on a long garland to signify the twelve months of the year. Another friend has shapes cut from plywood representing the sun, moon, stars and planets, painted gold, as the only ornaments on her tree. She has one small string of white lights wrapped around the trunk, and twelve real candles on the outer branches. It is a magical sight!
Another friend will be having a Solstice bonfire, which will burn all night long until the rising sun. I'll be at the early evening celebration, but won't last the night- I have to work the next day! We'll drink wassail and sing and the kids will have a pinata in the barn and we'll celebrate our friendships most of all.

The point of all of these holidays is the Light. Although I admit I'd be bugged buy a gian electric cross in my neighbor's window (Christian-pagan-universalist that I am!) I still see the daily increase of lights in our neighborhood and in the community as the common, primal need to shine a light against all the darkness and hate and evil in the world. Happy everything!