The shortest day of the year falls between 3-4am this year on December 22nd, and that means it’s officially winter here in the northern hemisphere. As has been the custom for thousands of years, we also celebrate the return of the sun. Of course, this was more significant in ancient times, when famine was prevalent throughout winter in Europe, as crops couldn’t grow. Sacrificing a cow for the ancients meant you wouldn’t have to feed it during the coldest months, and could have a feast providing sustenance for your entire tribe. Win win!

These days, we still do the feasting and the merriment. But, what of the other old traditions?

As a former archaeologist, I value history, and human traditions. I enjoy celebrating Saturnalia (Dec 17) and Yule ( this year Dec 22) as I like the aspect of welcoming the sun back into the world. Lighting candles is a fun way I like to do this.

I love writing books based on folklore too. Here are a couple of my books that involve important dates on the calendar for the ancient Celtic and pagan people who lived in the UK and Ireland, where I’m from. Gods of Avalon Road is set on May 1st and has been described in a review as ‘Wickerman lite’. The Fairy Lights is a strong seasonal seller at this time of year, as it is set on Yule.

My hubby and I also run Bindweed Anthologies, our biannual creative writing publications, featuring talented writers and poets from all over the world. Midsummer Madness and Winter Wonderland are published on June 21 and December 21. So, if you’re looking to discover new authors, you can give these seasonal reads a go too!

Posted by on December 22, 2023 in Biography, Opinion and tagged , , , , , , , , .

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About Leilanie Stewart

Leilanie Stewart is an award-winning author and poet from Belfast, Northern Ireland. She writes ghost and psychological horror, as well as experimental poetry. Her writing confronts the nature of self; her novels feature main characters on a dark psychological journey who have a crisis and create a new sense of identity. She began writing for publication while working as an English teacher in Japan, a career pathway that has influenced themes in her writing. Her former career as an Archaeologist has also inspired her writing and she has incorporated elements of archaeology and mythology into both her fiction and poetry. In addition to promoting her own work, Leilanie runs Bindweed Anthologies, a creative writing publication with her writer husband, Joseph Robert. Aside from publishing pursuits, Leilanie enjoys spending time with her husband and their lively literary lad, a voracious reader of sea monster books.

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