10 Simple Winter Solstice Kitchen Rituals

The winter solstice is the longest night of the year and the turning point back toward the light. You do not need elaborate tools to honor it. The kitchen is already full of everything you need: warmth, food, fire and people you love.

10 rituals

1. Light a candle at sunset and let it burn while you cook dinner.
2. Make a simmer pot with orange, cinnamon and evergreen to fill the house with scent.
3. Bake bread or cookies and share them with neighbors or family.
4. Write what you are leaving behind on a slip of paper and burn it safely in a fireproof dish.
5. Write what you are welcoming and place it under a bowl of oranges.
6. Cook a feast of seasonal foods such as roots, citrus, nuts and spiced desserts.
7. Brew a pot of tea for everyone at the table and name one thing you are grateful for.
8. Decorate with evergreen, citrus and cinnamon to bring the outdoors in.
9. Turn off the lights for a few quiet minutes of darkness, then relight the candle.
10. Wake early for the first light the next morning and drink something warm.

Safety note: never leave candles or open flames unattended, and keep burning paper in a fireproof dish.

Pick two or three rituals that feel right and let the rest go. Small and sincere is enough.