December 21st is a Friday this year, making a solstice celebration more accessible. This is what is going on at Muir Woods, taken from their website.
"Join us from 3 - 8 PM on December 21st for our Winter Solstice event. There will be song, dance, stories, luminaries and more. The café will be open extended hours during the Winter Solstice and a special menu offered.
The evening can be dark and chilly; Please bring warm clothes, flashlight, and a mug for hot drinks. There will be a FREE Solstice Shuttle running between Muir Beach parking lot and Muir Woods 4-8 PM."
I have gone toward the end of this evening, and enjoyed the luminaries and stream. It sounds like a bigger event this year because the birthday is coming, and it is always thrilling to be in Muir Woods, especially at night. I was there one year and they had special lights so you could see the salmon coming upstream but the salmon could not see the lights. I don't think we have had enough rain this year for that to be a possibility. Also, the salmon aren't coming as abundantly as in the past.
The great thing about Muir Woods is that the trees shade not only from sun but also from rain.
If you can't make it there, light a candle and celebrate the return of the light, though scientifically speaking, I think it takes a day or two to notice the longer days. It is exciting to think though that this is happening again. Darker days, then, light. Wow! What a gift is life where we can absorb, respond and integrate the change.
