Raising Luminaries & Books for Littles are free and accessible for readers who can’t afford a paywall. Posts may contain affiliate links, which allow me to earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Check out the full affiliate disclosure along with my statement of accountability.

Let’s Learn How the Winter Solstice Connects Us

Learning about traditional stories, faith traditions, and world festivals surrounding light and the scarcity of it during the solstice, kids get a sense of our shared humanity across cultural divides.

The solstice is a poignant time to explore world faiths and religions, particularly because most faith practices have at least one celebration of light, particularly in the winter when the sun and the moon are the only changing thing in a frosty landscape.

Understanding our shared values, our common needs, aspirations, and ancestors inspires kids to be more generous, more compassionate, and more curious about how to connect with people we might otherwise feel have nothing in common with us.

When is it?

• Around December 21 or 22 in the Northern hemisphere
• Around June 20 or 21 in the Southern hemisphere

Read:

• Lucia and the light (ages 3-8), content warning for close death of a family due to starvation/cold
• Raven Brings the Light (ages 4+)
• Sun Bread (ages 3-5)

Discuss

• Choose one set of the family guided discussion questions in our post about How We Are All Connected – Interfaith Kids Books for the Winter Solstice, especially the one about appreciating our resources more when they’re scarce 😉
• Are there any winter holiday traditions we’re participating in that no longer align with our values?
  (Example: gross holiday consumerism supporting evil corporations, trampling retail workers.)

Take Action

• Identify one change we can make to our family winter holiday observances that reaffirms a family value.
• Identify one winter holiday we don’t celebrate, that we can learn more about.

More Resources to Dig Deeper

• How We Are All Connected – Interfaith Kids Books for the Winter Solstice
• Acknowledging the winter solstice as an act of decolonization
• 5 Indigenous Winter solstice celebrations that honor the shortest day of the year