Winter Solstice
Winter solstice in Minnesota occurs in this month.
What is December?
This is the name for winter solstice in Japan.
What is Toji?
These people once ruled large regions of Mexico and Central America.
Who are the Maya?
Incas would sacrifice these to the sun.
What are hundreds of animals?
One of the oldest winter celebrations in the world, observed mostly by European pagans.
What is Yule?
This is a celebration on December 21 in the northern hemiphere.
What is the winter solstice?
Onsen, is the Japanese word for this; another way to enjoy a hot bath.
What is a hot spring?
This was the last day of the Mayan calendar year.
What is the winter solstice?
Incas would wait to see the sun rise, and when it did, they would crouch down before it and offer up beer made from fermented corn.
What would they do when the sun came up?
Celtic and Norse people gave gifts over several days to celebrate winter solstice, similar to this more current tradition ("a partridge in a pear tree...").
What is "The Twelve Days of Christmas?"
There are 24 hours of darkness on the winter solstice here.
What is the arctic circle?
People create this on top of Mount Fuji to encourage the sun's return.
What is a large bonfire?
Mayan celebration of winter solstice involved priests lighting incense and offering these.
What are prayers?
Inti was the god of this, in Incan culture.
What is the sun?
Celtic pagans would give this as a blessing to symbolize life during the darkest time of the year.
What is mistletoe?
There is no solstice here.
What is the equator?
People in Japan take hot baths scented with this to keep them strong and healthy.
What is yuzu?
This was the center of Mayan time, and meant the beginning of a new solar year.
What is the great celestial star-clock?
In Peru, they celebrate winter solstice on this day.
A common symbol of Yule still practiced by many including Christians today.
What are wreaths and evergreen trees?
The literal, Latin translation for the sun standing still.
What is solstice?
If you eat this during winter solstice, you will have good luck.
What is kabocha squash?
A solstice ritual performed in this country was called the Danza de los Voladores.
What is Guatemala?
This is the name for sun festival in Peru.
What is Inti Raymi?
This was decorated with dried cranberries, pine cones, cinnamon sticks etc. and burned as a symbolic ritual for longer days of sunshine to come.
What is a Yule Log?