HI!

I said i’d be back posting ‘tomorrow’ but that was over a week ago, so i’m sorry for my optimism on the first post. And the poor gramma/sentence structure (or lack thereof!) I need to proof read before posting, and plan ahead. As a means of redressing my lack of interaction, issue two of Designing Out Suicide is now on a permanent sale here: designingoutsuicide.bigcartel.com

Thank you for reading and sharing the first part of our Winter Solstice posts.  And thank you for being patient waiting on this 2nd post.

Winter Solstice part one was themed around the science of seasonal depression or SAD (seasonal affective disorder). Part 2 is more of about marking a celebratory date in your diary.

This time of year can be hard. Whether you celebrate it or not, it’s hard not to feel a sense of high-alert in the lead up to Christmas and the new year. With the shorter days and change in temperature it may feel even harder for us to pop our head out into fresh air and take time to care for ourselves. In the midst of this fast- paced period, we will be passing the shortest day of the year. In the UK (Northern Hemisphere) this falls on the 21st of December.

The Winter Solstice, or ‘Midwinter’, is an astronomical episode in the Earth’s yearly cycle where the sun’s rays are at their most limited. In other words it marks the date of our longest night and our shortest day. After this point has passed, we experience a progressive rise in sunlight. This phenomenon is celebrated worldwide across creed and culture.

The image i’ve used for this post is taken from here. It is a winter solstice celebration of the Hopi Indians of Northern Arizona, called Soyal. The Hopi celebrate with forms of dancing, purification, gift giving and song. Soyal is the celebration of welcoming Kachinas – mountain spirits who bear protection. This sounds more exciting to me than the western-world’s Christmas celebrations!

Do you have any alternative ways that you might celebrate the Winter Solstice?
Here is some interesting reading and ideas:
– Earth Sky
-7 winter solstice celebrations
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09bfnhc – thank you Simon!

The way that I will share my appreciation of the Solstice will be to set a date to release Issue 3 of Designing Out Suicide! The digital copy will be available to view on our digital zine site issuu.com/designingoutsuicide from the 21st of December, and the physical copy will be available in the new year.