“Even the darkest night will end,
and the Sun will rise.” ~ Victor Hugo, Les Miserables
Far back into prehistory, this day has been celebrated around the world as the point the tide turns, and the growing darkness is stayed. Ancient people had limited understanding of celestial mechanics and orbits, but through careful observation, they recognized this day as the rebirth of the light, the moment when life is spared descent into darkness and death.
For this reason, the Winter Solstice has been one of the oldest holidays celebrated by humans worldwide. Those in the Southern Hemisphere celebrate it too, but they do so in June, when the Sun reaches the lowest point in their sky.
The promised return of light at the darkest hour is and has always been a reason for hope. In a cyclical view of the world, there is no true end, as the end and the beginning stand back-to-back. The “old Sun” symbolically dies as an old man, and is reborn as a baby, a folktale that to many affirms there is no end to life, just the end of one cycle and the beginning of another.
2025 has been a dark and painful year for many worldwide. So many have been confronted with authoritarianism, cruelty, and indifference to the fate of this planet.
I sometimes like to compare the Winter Solstice to the end of the Star Wars movie, “Revenge of the Sith.” At that point, the Republic has fallen, and the Empire has triumphed. Anakin has become Darth Vader, and Padme is dead.
Yet at that same time, hidden from all but a few, the seeds of change have already been planted. Luke and Leia, who will turn the tide and eventually bring down the empire, have been born in secret and hidden away. Viewers know what they will grow up to do.
Light is born from the depths of dark. It is initially hidden and unrecognized, but as it grows, it will awaken the buried seeds that will eventually sprout new life.
This point is where we in the world are right now, and it goes well beyond the change of seasons.
The ultimate paradox is that “the height of power contains within it the seeds of destruction, and the darkest night is the birthday of the Sun.”
Of all seasons, winter most drives home the need for a “we society” rather than simply a “me society.” In the darkest and coldest time of the year, we have to come together to help each other, to create our own warmth and our own light. No one can survive the harsh conditions alone.
We are all in this together, and not just people but plants, animals, microbes, everything that makes up the living ecosystem that this planet is.
Many come together at this time to look back at the past year and celebrate the dawn of a new one. It is a time for togetherness, for feeding, clothing, and sheltering one another, and for celebrating the hope of the returning light.
In this particular year, the focus needs to be on resting and finding inner strength before renewing our efforts, together, to fight for a better world.
For those of us who continue to fight for a better planet definition, the upcoming year will mark the 20th anniversary of the unfortunate vote by four percent of the IAU. While we never wanted the controversy to go on this long, we will continue working and fighting for a better planet definition and for recognition that this issue remains a matter of ongoing debate.
We pause, come together and celebrate before renewing our fight for a better world and for a better planet definition.
And we remember to keep hope alive as the year is born anew.
Here’s wishing everyone a wonderful Solstice season and new hope for a Happy, Healthy 2026.
“Eyes to the blind,
Legs to the lame,
Luck to the poor,
Planetary reinstatement for Pluto
and all dwarf planets!
A Merry Solstice to everyone!”
~an old Solstice greeting, as
amended by Plutogirl
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