So, 12 years ago, at midnight on December 21, I went outside to a tree on the lawn of the house were living in. I patted the tree gave it a hug and reassured it that warmth and light was coming and it would be all right. I still do this every Solstice Eve. Short and sweet but meaningful to me... and I think, to the tree.
Last year in this, our new house in Ohio, we didn't have any trees, so I "borrowed" the neighbor's gigantic oak which is right beside our driveway, gave it a hug and a pat and said that it would be all right. The cold was going to go away.
This year, I'll have our own trees to reassure at Solstice tomorrow night. We've planted 5 trees on our little city lot. Here they are.
Acer griseum, Paperbark Maple
Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansey', Eastern Redbud
Betula nigra 'Heritage', River Birch
Picea, Spruce (sorry I can't remember the cultivar)
And finally, the fifth young tree is Cercis canadensis, Redbud (a different cultivar from the first one)
So, maybe tomorrow, Monday night, you will think about the miracle of the planet we live on and be happy that the warmth and light will be returning, plants will be growing, all us gardeners will be checking every day to see what is growing and be thrilled when we see that miracle returning again.
Go pat a tree and plant a flower (next spring).
9 comments:
What a great tradition, CF. Thanks for sharing!
We were talking today about how wonderful the shortest day of the year is, when you're celebrating it in Mexico - where the days are so much longer than they are at home. But I can remember the relief I used to feel when I lived up north, and counted the days until the light cycle reversed, and the light slowly returned.
Enjoy the day!
Yay! I've been so excited for this day! :) Thanks for sharing your tradition! I think I'll start our own tradition this year as this is definitely one of my favorite days of the year. :)
Hooray for less darkness!!!
It is nice to have traditions to mark important events throughout the year. As I get older and the time seems to be flying by out of control, I take comfort in traditions both great and small.
Marnie
Wonderful CF, a perfect way to celebrate the solstice.
Hi Beth, and as far north as Idaho is, the days were really short. When we lived in WA we were so amazed at how far the sun "moved" from north to south and back again through the year.
Hi Melissa, thanks for sharing this day with me. Glad you like it too. It is a special time.
Hi Marnie. Boy! I know what you mean about how fast the time goes. Just when you're at an age where you/we can relax a bit, the time just speeds up horrendously. I enjoy my traditions.
Hi Olivia. I'm glad you like my little celebration. It's easy but it makes me "remember".
Hi CF,
You know me and traditions. I think it's a great tradition, and I'm glad you shared it with us.
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